Ludza
Encyclopedia
Ludza is a town
in the Latgalia region of eastern Latvia
. The population as of 2004 was 10,247.
Until July 1, 2009 Ludza was the administrative centre of Ludza District
. On July 1, 2009 due to the introduction of the new administrative division in Latvia it became the centre of Ludza municipality
.
Ludza is located on the main Riga - Moscow road, part of European route E22
, and only 30 km from the Latvian-Russian border.
n chronicles dating to 1173 or 1177.
In 1399 the Livonian Order
built a stone fortress atop an older Latgalian fortress and used Ludza as an eastern outpost in Livonia
. Ludza Castle
ruins can be visited nowadays.
Ludza received town rights in 1777 from Catherine II of Russia
.
Several lakes offer fishing and water tourism possibilities.
Elementary and secondary education curricula are provided by Ludza Gymnasium and Ludza Secondary School #2, as well as by Ludza Evening Secondary School.
Additional out of school activities are offered at:
has several cooperation partners abroad.
Ludza municipality takes part in the Euroregion
s Pskov, Livonija and Country of Lakes.
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 the Latgalia region of eastern 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...
. The population as of 2004 was 10,247.
Until July 1, 2009 Ludza was the administrative centre of Ludza District
Ludza District
Ludza District was an administrative division of Latvia, located in Latgale region, in the country's east.Districts were eliminated during the administrative-territorial reform in 2009.- Provinces and parishes of Ludza District :*Blonti parish...
. On July 1, 2009 due to the introduction of the new administrative division in Latvia it became the centre of Ludza municipality
Ludza municipality
Ludza municipality is a municipality in Latgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Briģi parish, Cirma parish, Isnauda parish, Istra parish, Nirza parish, Ņukši parish, Pilda parish, Pureņi parish, Rundēni parish and Ludza town the administrative centre being Ludza.The...
.
Ludza is located on the main Riga - Moscow road, part of European route E22
European route E22
The European route E 22 is one of the longest European routes. It has a length of about . Many of the E-roads have been extended into Asia since the year 2000; the E 22 was extended on 24 June 2002.-United Kingdom:...
, and only 30 km from the Latvian-Russian border.
History
Ludza, one of the oldest towns in Latvia, was first mentioned in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n chronicles dating to 1173 or 1177.
In 1399 the Livonian Order
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...
built a stone fortress atop an older Latgalian fortress and used Ludza as an eastern outpost in Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
. Ludza Castle
Ludza Castle
Ludza Castle is located in the centre Ludza, Latvia, a small town in eastern Latgale.- History :Once largest and strongest fortress in Latgale built by the Livonian Order in 14th century. This stone and brick structure replaced the wooden fortress built by the ancient Latgalians. The Ludza stone...
ruins can be visited nowadays.
Ludza received town rights in 1777 from Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
.
Tourism
Ludza Museum and Ludza Tourism Information Centre offer excursions around the town. The most visited sights are:- Ludza History Museum and open-air exposition
- Roman Catholic Church
- OrthodoxRussian Orthodox ChurchThe Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
Church - Old BelieversOld BelieversIn the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers separated after 1666 from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652–66...
' Church - Ruins of the medieval Ludza CastleLudza CastleLudza Castle is located in the centre Ludza, Latvia, a small town in eastern Latgale.- History :Once largest and strongest fortress in Latgale built by the Livonian Order in 14th century. This stone and brick structure replaced the wooden fortress built by the ancient Latgalians. The Ludza stone...
- Ludza Craftsmen Centre.
Several lakes offer fishing and water tourism possibilities.
Education
The children of Ludza may attend three pre-school educational institutions - "Rūķītis", "Pasaciņa" and "Namiņš".Elementary and secondary education curricula are provided by Ludza Gymnasium and Ludza Secondary School #2, as well as by Ludza Evening Secondary School.
Additional out of school activities are offered at:
- Ludza Music Primary School (music school with integrated primary school)
- Ludza Art School
- Ludza Children and Youth Centre
- Ludza Sport School
Notable people
- Yakov KulnevYakov KulnevYakov Petrovich Kulnev was, along with Pyotr Bagration and Aleksey Yermolov, one of the most popular Russian military leaders at the time of the Napoleonic Wars...
(1763–1812) - major-general, hero of the Patriotic war with Napoleon - Anisim Rekashev (1859–1955) - doctor
- Ferdynand Antoni OssendowskiFerdynand Antoni OssendowskiAntoni Ferdynand Ossendowski was a Polish writer, journalist, traveler, globetrotter, explorer and university professor...
(1878—1945) - Polish writer and explorer - Ilya ChashnikIlya ChashnikIlya Grigorevich Chashnik was a suprematist artist, a pupil of Kazimir Malevich and a founding member of the UNOVIS school.Chashnik was notably able in a variety of media...
(1902–1929) - Russian suprematistSuprematismSuprematism was an art movement focused on fundamental geometric forms which formed in Russia in 1915-1916. It was not until later that suprematism received conventional museum preparations...
painter - Leon Tomashitskis (1904–1996) - sculptor
- Anta Rugate (1949) - politician, member of the 8th Saeima
- Sergey Lazovskis (1976) - weightlifter, participant of the Olympic Games in Sidney (18th place)
- Yeseniya Volzhankina (1983) - sportswoman
Twinning and international cooperation
Ludza municipalityLudza municipality
Ludza municipality is a municipality in Latgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Briģi parish, Cirma parish, Isnauda parish, Istra parish, Nirza parish, Ņukši parish, Pilda parish, Pureņi parish, Rundēni parish and Ludza town the administrative centre being Ludza.The...
has several cooperation partners abroad.
- Bad BodenteichBad BodenteichBad Bodenteich is a municipality in the district of Uelzen, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 17 km southeast of Uelzen.Bad Bodenteich was the seat of the former Samtgemeinde Bodenteich....
(Germany) - HlybokayeHlybokayeHlybokaye is a town in Vitebsk Oblast, Belarus, the capital of the Hlybokaye Raion . The first records about the settlement are dated 1514....
(Belarus) - BrestBrest, BelarusBrest , formerly also Brest-on-the-Bug and Brest-Litovsk , is a city in Belarus at the border with Poland opposite the city of Terespol, where the Bug River and Mukhavets rivers meet...
(Belarus) - NevelNevelNevel is a town and the administrative center of Nevelsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on Lake Nevel southeast of Pskov. Population:...
(Russia)
Ludza municipality takes part in the Euroregion
Euroregion
In European politics, the term Euroregion usually refers to a transnational co-operation structure between two contiguous territories located in different European countries. Euroregions represent a specific type of cross-border region.-Scope:...
s Pskov, Livonija and Country of Lakes.