On October 11 and 12, the ninth Livonian Cultural Days will take place. The events will be held at the Main Library and the “Latvija” concert hall.
The prelude to the Livonian Cultural Days on October 11 at 5 p.m. at the library will be marked by the opening of Anita Nikuļceva’s graphic art exhibition “Forest. Shore. Sea.”
After the exhibition opening, there will be a meeting with Kārlis Vērdiņš, the author of the poetry collection Livonian Ballads. The poems translated into Livonian will be read by Livonian poet and translator Valts Ernštreits.
The event will also feature performances by the Ventspils Livonian ensemble Rāndalist and the folklore group Kāndla, who preserve Livonian traditions in Ventspils and the surrounding region.
On October 12, the day will begin with a short commemoration at 9 a.m. at the monument of Livonian poet Jānis Princis. At 10:30 a.m. in the Main Library, popular science readings and stories will be shared by the Livonian Institute of the University of Latvia (LU) and friends.
During this session, Ernštreits, head of the LU Livonian Institute, will present insights into the institute’s research, while Livonian researcher Baiba Šuvcāne will discuss the activities of the Livonian Society’s Ventspils branch during the 1920s and 1930s, and the family of its leader Kārlis Stefenbergs.
Musicologist Zigurds Ete will focus on the contributions of Dzintars and Dzintra Kļaviņš, founders of the Livonian ensemble Līvlist in Ventspils, while Estonian researcher Patriks Orurks from the Fenno-Ugria Foundation will discuss how the Livonian language has influenced the Estonian language.
In the second part of the readings, the LU Livonian Institute will launch a Livonian place name catalog with stories about place names in the Livonian language.
Following this, attendees can join a discussion with researchers from the LU Livonian Institute and members of the Livonian community on various issues related to Livonians and their cultural heritage.
The Livonian Cultural Days will conclude on Saturday, October 12, at 4 p.m. with the videoperformance Nēmiz pǟl! by independent theater troupe Kvadrifons, directed by Reinis Boters, in the small hall of the concert hall “Latvija.”
The closing concert Tēriņtš, directed and produced by Inita Pelse, will feature the Ventspils Cultural Center women’s choir Venda, conducted by Rudīte Tālberga and Anitra Niedre, the mixed choir Līvzeme, conducted by Astra Plostniece, and guests from Estonia – the Pärnu Mihkel Lüdig Male Choir.
New song arrangements, based on Livonian musical heritage, will be specially created for the concert in collaboration with conductor Tālberga and musicians Dāvis Stalts and Monta Kvjatkovska. The concert’s visual design will include a light scenography and video materials filmed along the Livonian coast by Vjačeslav Malahov.
The concert will highlight young Livonians from the summer school Mierlinkizt, seen as the future bearers of Livonian culture, and the Ventspils Livonian ensemble Rāndalist.
All events during the Livonian Cultural Days are free to attend, but for the closing event, tickets must be reserved via email at “[email protected].”
The Livonian Cultural Days in Ventspils are organized by the Ventspils Livonian Association Rānda in cooperation with the LU Livonian Institute and the association Līvõd īlma.
The aim of the Livonian Cultural Days is to promote the intangible cultural heritage and contemporary culture of the Livonians by reflecting on historical events that have shaped Livonian national identity, exploring and documenting Livonian traditional cultural expressions, listening to the Livonian language, appreciating modern Livonian culture, and strengthening the sense of identity within the Livonian community.
