Ilukste
Encyclopedia
Ilūkste is a town
in Daugavpils rajons, southeastern Latvia
.
By 1795, thanks to its strategic location at the crossroads of Lithuania
, Belarus
and Daugavpils
, Ilūkste became an important trade city and regional center, with 50 churches, 15 schools, and 150 taverns. In World War I
, Ilūkste was situated on the fighting front line, and by the war's end the city was totally destroyed.
After the Soviet occupation, some industries shifted from Daugavpils
to Ilūkste.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Daugavpils rajons, southeastern Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
.
History
Ilūkste was first mentioned in 1559, part of the estate lands of Count Kasper Zibergs.By 1795, thanks to its strategic location at the crossroads of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Daugavpils
Daugavpils
Daugavpils is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some...
, Ilūkste became an important trade city and regional center, with 50 churches, 15 schools, and 150 taverns. In World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Ilūkste was situated on the fighting front line, and by the war's end the city was totally destroyed.
After the Soviet occupation, some industries shifted from Daugavpils
Daugavpils
Daugavpils is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some...
to Ilūkste.