Finno-Ugric Days 2024 in Latvia
The Riga Latvian Society organised the Finno-Ugric Days for the tenth time. The theme of the event was ‘transformation’.
The Finno-Ugric Days were held in 26-27 October in Riga and Pāle, North Latvia. The main organiser of the event was Margita Poriete from the Riga Latvian Society. The Days were first held in Latvia in 2014 with Fenno-Ugria’s encouragement.
The Finno-Ugric Days have a different theme each year. This year’s theme was ‘transformation’, discussing the development of contemporary culture, and building on the ancient values of the Finno-Ugric peoples while creating something new.
Finno-Ugric Days in Riga
The first day of the event was held in the Riga Latvian Society House. The day started with the exhibition ‘Līvzeme 2024’ (Livonian Land 2024), organised by the association Rāndalist from Īra (Mazirbe).
A morning of lectures, or ‘readings’, followed the exhibition. The presentations were started by the organisers, who welcomed the participants of the event and talked about the history and structure of the Finno-Ugric Days in Latvia. Representatives of the Hungarian (György Urkuti), Finnish (Sirja Alanne) and Estonian (Siim Krispin) embassies also expressed their greetings.
A number of representatives from various organisations also held the floor, such as Juris Žīgurs from the Estonian Union of Nationalities and Ieva Ernštreite from the Livonian Union. Fenno-Ugria’s representative Patrick O’Rourke extended the organisation’s greetings, discussing in his speech the recent events in Estonia from the perspective of the event’s theme. While Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has necessitated a transformation in Fenno-Ugria’s focus, there are positive developments in Estonia regarding the Livonian language, especially Salaca Livonian.
The event at the Riga Latvian Society House included folklore performances related to the season. However, the performative part of the day continued with a Finno-Ugric concert at the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation. Performers came from Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Bashkortostan and Japan. The day concluded with a folk dance club back at the Riga Latvian Society House.
Finno-Ugric Days in Pāle
A tradition of the Finno-Ugric Days in Latvia is to hold the event in Riga and another location. This year, the second day took place in Pāle Cultural Centre, Limbaži municipality.
The day started with an excursion at Pāles Regional History Museum. Participants were introduced by Rasma Noriņa to the Salaca Livonian history and heritage of the region.
The excursion was followed by a concert at the cultural centre. This time, the performers were from Latvia, Estonia, Bashkortostan and Japan. Also, local folklore groups performed local songs and other folklore. The day was concluded by a fire ritual by the local lake.
