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Reading A Cultural Chronology
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The Bear Slayer Performing Arts
Ave Sol Concert Hall: (F-1) Citadeles 7, tel. 702-7570. Once called St. Peter and Paul’s Church, it was renamed during Soviet times as “Koncertzal Ave Sol.”
Great Guild: (H-2) Amatu iela 6, tel. 721-3643. The Great Guild building contains several music halls. Parts of the building date back to the 1300s.
Riga Dome Cathedral: (H-2) Doma laukums 1, tel. 720-5492. A recently-reopened, good venue for concerts, often featuring its world-famous organ.
Latvia National Opera: (H-4) Aspazijas bulvâris 3, tel. 707-3777. Quickly establishing itself as a world-class company.
www.opera.lv
National Theater: (C-4) Kronvalda 2, tel. 700-6337. In Latvian.
www.teatris.lv
New Riga Theater: Lacplesa 25, tel. 728-0765.
www.jrt.lv
Puppet Theater: (C-4) K. Barona 16/18, tel.
728-5355.
In Latvian, but the kids, at least, can still appreciate
performances. www.puppet.lv
Russian Drama Theater: (H-3) Kalku 16, tel.
722-4660. www.trd.lv
Agija Suna: (H-3) Laipu 6, tel. 722-9529. Open:12-16; Sat., Sun. closed. Also at (I-3) Kaleju 9, tel. 722-9529. Open:11-19; Sun. 12-17.
Apsida: (I-3) Skârnu 10/20, tel. 722-8287, in the Konventa Seta hotel. Open:11-17.
Ars Longa: (I-3) Gleznotâju 5, tel. 728-5789. Modern and classic Latvian art, including paintings, graphics, and glassware. Open:11-18; closed Sun. and Mon.
Arsenâls Museum of Arts: (G-1) Torna 1, tel. 721-3695. Open:11-17; Mon. closed.
Bastejs: (H-3) Basteja 12, tel. 722-5050. Modern Latvian art. Open:12-19; Sat. 12-17; Sun closed.
Centrs: (H-3) Kalku 16, 722-5475. Modern Latvian art. Open:11-20.
Rigas Galerija: (H-4) Aspazijas 20, tel. 722-5887. Open:12-19; closed Sun.
Decorative and Applied Art Museum: (I-3) Skarnu 10/20, in the old St.
George's church, tel. 722-7833. Open:11-17; Mon. closed. Woodcuttings and assorted Latvian-styled arts and crafts.
www.dlmm.lv
State Museum of Fine Arts: (F-3) K. Valdemara 10a, tel.
732-4461. Open:11-17; Tue. closed. One of the best museums in Riga with a large collection tracing the history of Russian and
Latvian painting from the 1700s to 1945. Features the better works of celebrated Latvian
Russian painters like Janis Rozentals, Nikolajs Rerihs and Aivazovsky. www.vmm.lv
Latvian Museum of Foreign Arts: (H-1) Pils laukums 3,
tel. 722-6467. Open:11-17; Mon. closed. Displays works from ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, the Middle East and India. Also Dutch,
German and Belgian artists. www.amm.lv
Museum of Photography: (J-3)
Marstalu iela 8,
tel. 722-7231. Open:10-17; Wed., Thu. 12-19; Sun., Mon. closed. Latvian photographers from 1839 to 1941 in focus.
Museum of Riga's History and Navigation: (I-1) Palasta
4, tel. 735-6676. Open:10-17; Mon., Tue. closed. This is a place worth going to simply because of its wonderfully
aesthetic location tucked in the cloisters of Riga's monastery, attached to the Dome
Cathedral.
History Museum: (G-1) Pils laukums 3, tel. 722-3004. Open:11-17.
Good overview of museums and the opening hours at www.muzeji.lv.
Cinema Gallery: (I-2) Jauniela 24, tel.
722-9030. Both
British and French clubs have screenings here.
Coca-Cola Plaza: (D-4) 13. Janvara 8. www.forumcinemas.lv
Daile: (C-4) K. Barona 31, tel.
728-3854.
Riga: (C-4) Elizabetes 61, tel.
728-1105.
Suns: (D-4) Elizabetes 83/85, tel. 728-5411.
Histories/Current Affairs—The new History
of the Baltic Countries, written by local historians, is
comprehensive—but often plods along without putting things in
context. The Latvians: A Short History (Hoover Institute, 1995)
by Andrejs Plakans is very good. Walking Since Daybreak, by
Modris Eksteins, is about Latvian World War II occupations from the
perspective of an accomplished Latvian-Canadian historian. Baltic
Revolution by Anatol Lieven is well-written and at times
provocative but increasingly dated. A history of the pre-war era is The
Baltic States: Years of Independence by Georg von Rauch.
Novels—The Cage (1972), by novelist
Alberts Bels, is about a man trapped in a cage—an allegory about
life in Soviet Latvia, and Jânis Rainis’ Fire and Night.
William Palmer’s The Good Republic is a fanciful novel set
during the war-time occupation.
Poetry/Short Stories—There are also
several good short stories in From Baltic Shores (Novik Press,
1994); modern short stories in English translation in New Latvian
Fiction (Review of Contemporary Fiction, 1998). There are also
English-language versions of the national epic Lacplecis.
Guidebooks—Bradt’s Baltic
Capitals and Lonely Planet’s Estonia, Latvia &
Lithuania.
A good cookbook is A Taste of Latvia.
Until relatively recently, distinctly Latvian culture was largely embodied in folk
songs, called dainas. This is reflected even today in the importance placed on folk songs
in Latvian culture.
1205 Conquering Germans stage first
theater performance in Latvia; until 1800 theater is exclusively in German.
1764 Johann Herder, a German pastor in Riga, theorizes
that a nation's identity is embodied in its folklore; this inspires
Latvian-German scholars to collect Latvian folklore.
1835 Birth of Krisjanis Barons, who
collects a million dainas (folksongs)-some dating back 1000 years; the collection helps
spark a cultural renaissance.
1850s Era of National Awakening begins
in earnest. Spurred on by the interest in folklore, Latvians begin to see themselves as a
nation in their own right.
1873 The first national song festival
in Latvia, which gives a powerful forum for expressing national aspirations.
1888 Publication of the Latvian epic Lacplesis
(The Bear Slayer), stitched together from ancient folk tales, telling the story of a
heroic giant-who is part bear, part man. The epic plays an important role in the national
revival, instilling in Latvians a sense of pride in their own traditions.
1910s Leading Latvian author Janis Rainis
writes his most important works-largely social criticisms.
1920 Latvia wins independence. A pagan
revival movement, Dievturiba, influences cultural trends. Latvian ballet establishes
itself. Later, in the USSR, the Riga ballet ranked only behind the Kirov and Bolshoi in
quality.
1940 Soviet occupation. Many artists
either flee to the West or are deported to Siberia.
1980s Rock music conveys national
discontent with Soviet rule; in 1988, a rock opera based on Lacplesis becomes a hit.
Latvian cultural figures play a leading role in the first open protests against Moscow
rule.
1991 Independence restored. Much state
funding for the arts is cut, but freedom gives artists chances to travel and become known
abroad.
Latvia is said to have the world's largest collection of folksongs, known as dainas, and
many were brought to light by Krisjanis Barons (1835-1923). He spent much
of his life collecting millions of tales and songs. His former home in Riga is now a
museum; it's at Barona 3-5, (D-4).
Janis Rozentals (1866-1916) is one of Latvia's greatest
painters ever. He was heavily influenced by Art Nouveau and Impressionism, then developed
a unique style which in turn influenced artists beyond Latvia. Much of his best work is in
the State Museum of Fine Arts, at Valdemara 10a (F-3), tel. 7425-021. There's a lovely
Rozentals fresco on the facade of the building at Merkela 13, (C-4).
Andrejs Zagars, 40, is director of the Latvian National
Opera. The Latvian film and theater actor has been a key force behind the revival of the
country's opera, which was in financial and managerial disarray immediately following the
restoration of independence in 1991.
Janis Rainis (1865-1929) is sometimes called the
Latvian Shakespeare. A playwright, poet and political activist, Rainis has had a
monumental influence on Latvian culture. After the 1905 revolution, he fled to
Switzerland, where he wrote many of his key works, like the play Uguns un Nakts (Fire and
Night)-a commentary on Latvian society. His wife, Aspazija (1868-1943) was also a leading
poet, and early Latvian feminist.
Raimonds Pauls, 62, is Latvia's most loved pop music
composer. His songs were also popular across the Soviet Union. Pauls recently entered
politics, launching his own political party, The New Party, which is part of the current
government coalition.
Latvia's best known contemporary poet, Imants Ziedonis,
65, is also celebrated for his fairy tales and children's stories. His poetry captures the
Latvian spirit at the end of the communist era.
Jazeps Vitols (1874-1954) was founder of the National
Opera and the State Conservatory. He was also a noted choral music composer. While at the
St. Petersburg Conservatory, Vitols (also known as Joseph Wihtol) was music teacher to
the great Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev.
In Latvia, as in Estonia, the creation of literary epics coincided with the growth of a
new national consciousness in the 19th century. The epics not only reflected national
movements in the two Baltic nations—they helped spur them on.
Latvia's epic was Lacplesis,
set in pagan Latvia of 800 years ago, around the time of the nation's conquest by German
Crusaders. Similar to Estonia's Kalevipoeg epic, Latvia's epic recounts the exploits of a
giant-sized man named Lacplesis, who endeavors to defend his homeland from assorted
invaders. Lacplesis, or the Bear Slayer, is part man, part bear-which accounts for his
unusually large, fuzzy ears. Otherwise a kindly figure, Lacplesis goes into
action whenever his fellow Latvians are in trouble. His specialty is marauding bears,
which he can slay by ripping their jaws apart with his bare hands.
The epic was written by Andrejs
Pumpurs (1841-1902), who based his story line on existing Latvian folklore. The
epic conjures up images of black magic, and also takes its fair share of shots at Germans.
Christianizing knights from Germany invaded Latvia in the 13th century and, by the 1800s,
their descendants continued to wield enormous power and influence in Latvia. At the time
of the epic's publication, 1888, there was considerable bitterness about German dominance.
The epic was partly meant to show that the downtrodden Latvians had a history and culture
as grand as their German overlords.
Lacplesis has
influenced generations of Latvian writers, artists and politicians. The spectre of the
traitor-figure Kangers is still raised when Latvians speak of Soviet-era turncoats. The
government has revived the pre-war Order of Lacplesis, the nation's highest award for
service to Latvia. Streets are named after Latvia's epic hero, and many shops take their
names from characters in the epic.
(Also see a fuller account of
this Latvian epic at The Bear
Slayer.)
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