Balvi
Latgalian: Bolvi
Town
Bērzpils street in Balvi
Bērzpils street in Balvi
Flag of Balvi
Coat of arms of Balvi
Balvi is located in Latvia
Balvi
Balvi
Location in Latvia
Coordinates: 57°8′N 27°15′E / 57.133°N 27.250°E / 57.133; 27.250
Country Latvia
MunicipalityBalvi Municipality
Town rights1928
Area
  Total5.07 km2 (1.96 sq mi)
  Land5.01 km2 (1.93 sq mi)
  Water0.06 km2 (0.02 sq mi)
Elevation
113 m (371 ft)
Population
 (2023)[2]
  Total5,672
  Density1,100/km2 (2,900/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
LV-4501
Calling code+371 645
Number of municipal council members15
Websitewww.balvi.lv

Balvi (pronunciation, Latgalian: Bolvi) is a town in Balvi Municipality in the Latgale region of Latvia. It was the administrative seat of the district of the same name since 1949; prior to the occupation of Latvia it was part of Abrene County. The name derives from the stream Bolupīte and the adjacent lake.

History

The first mention of Balvi dates back to 1224. A small wooden church and manor were constructed on the estate of a Polish noblewoman Konstancija Hilsena at the site ca. 1765. When Latgale came under Russian rule in 1772, the estate was granted to the Yelagin family by Catherine II. In 1806 it passed to the Horozhinsky family and in 1876 the estate was purchased by the Baltic German Transehe-Roseneck family. The village was separated from the estate in 1915, and Balvi received town rights in 1928, ten years after Latvia proclaimed its independence.

Most of the town's Jews (around 21% of the population) perished in the Stahlecker phase of the Holocaust in August 1941. The retreating Germans set fire to Balvi in July 1944, and the town was rebuilt according to Soviet plans from 1945. Balvi was a center of the Singing Revolution and is vital to Latgalian culture today. The town library in particular is the focus of many cultural events.

Demographics of Balvi

Demographics in Balvi
Latvians
75.26%
Russians
23.27%
Belarusians
1.16%
Ukrainians
1.7%
Poles
1.4%
Roma
0.4%
Germans
0.31%
Others
3.48%

References

  1. "Reģionu, novadu, pilsētu un pagastu kopējā un sauszemes platība gada sākumā". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  2. "Iedzīvotāju skaits pēc tautības reģionos, pilsētās, novados, pagastos, apkaimēs un blīvi apdzīvotās teritorijās gada sākumā (pēc administratīvi teritoriālās reformas 2021. gadā) 2021 - 2022". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.