Liepaja hosts first Lithuanian Days

More than 350 participants from Latvia and Lithuania gathered in Liepaja for the first Lithuanian Days, LSM’s TV Kurzeme reported. The event was held over the weekend as all three Baltic states marked Baltic Unity Day.

The participants included musicians, dance groups, singers and craftspeople. Latvia is home to about 20,000 Lithuanians.

Rolands Žalnierjus, chairman of the Lithuanian community in Latvia, said the celebrations were held each year, but Liepaja was chosen because of its long historical links with the Lithuanian community. He said the event would highlight how the history of Lithuanians in Latvia began in Liepaja, Jelgava and Riga.

The Liepaja Lithuanian Society is one of the oldest Lithuanian associations in Latvia. It once had about 200 members, but now has 17, most of them seniors united by folk music.

“There are really many Lithuanians in Liepaja,” said Ineta Timma, head of the Liepaja Lithuanian Society Rūta. She said the society cooperated with Lithuanians who had bought property in the city and lived in both Lithuania and Latvia.

The Lithuanian Days included a craft market and performances by Lithuanian folklore groups, ensembles and dance groups from Liepaja and visiting communities. Participants and visitors said that spending time together was the most important part of the event.

Visitors Genoveite and Zita said they were concerned that the Lithuanian language was being forgotten. Ādolfs, a representative of the Jelgava Lithuanian Society, said communities supported one another and helped solve common problems. He said he was born in Siberia and had grown up in a Lithuanian community there.

Lithuanian is heard more often in Liepaja during the summer, when tourists from the neighbouring country frequently choose the city as a travel destination. According to statistics, Lithuanians are the most frequent visitors to the local tourism information office and the group most commonly served by accommodation providers. However, the exact number cannot be determined because many tourists stay for one day or use accommodation providers that are not required to submit official statistics.

Liepaja has also attracted growing interest from Lithuanian investors seeking to develop businesses in the city.