2021. gada 13. August
On September 25 at 12.00, the Turaida Museum Reserve organizes “The Day of Finno-ugrians - 2021”, whose diverse activities will be dedicated to the theme of harvest. It will be highlighted in talks, stories, demonstration of crafts, songs, dances, and by visiting the exhibitions of the Turaida Museum Reserve.
The theme of harvest has also a symbolic meaning – as an assessment of the accomplished work in the research, preservation and inheritance of Finno-ugrian culture.
The aim of “Finno-ugrian days” is to raise awareness of the culture of Livs - Latvia's other indigenous population – in the context of other Finno-ugrian nations, as well as to enable Latvians to feel the roots of their distant ancestry, to understand what is characteristic of Livs – Finno-ugrians in the cultural expression of Latvians.
There are more than thirty Finno-ugrian languages in Europe, but their number decreases. It is important today to preserve the languages and culture of ancient peoples, to recognise and understand what is common and interesting in their language, folklore, tradition, ethnography and in developments of daily life.
Finno-ugrian ancestors are bound together by a common history spanning many millenniums. Around the 6th-7th millennium BC, they all lived in a compact area in the southern part of the Ural Mountains. As climate conditions improved, some tribes started travelling to the west of Europe, others to the north, integrating in their culture the anthropological and cultural characteristics of the population they encountered.
One of the peoples, which belongs to the Finno-ugrian language family is the Livs. Specialists of the Turaida Museum Reserve are involved in research of their cultural and historical heritage. The territory of the Museum Reserve is located in the central part of the ancient castle district of the Gauja Livs.
This year the celebration is organised by Specially Protected Cultural Monument – the Turaida Museum Reserve in cooperation with the Riga Latvian Society and with the support of “Metsa Forest” Ltd (Finland - Latvia). Also cooperation is planned with the national embassies of Finno-ugrian people in Latvia (Estonia, Finland, Hungary). The organization of these festivals has been started in the Riga Latvian Society in 2014 in cooperation with the association “Fenno – Ugria”, which is also the organizer of the VIII World Congress of Finno-ugriс peoples in Tartu this year, as well as of the annual Day of Kinsfolk (Hõimupäevad) in Estonia. The association “Fenno–Ugria” offers a variety of cultural developments each year from the Estonia's “Finno-ugrian Days” in Latvia.
The event will be available only to the vaccinated persons against Covid-19 or to the persons who have recovered from Covid-19.
We hope that all what is planned will take place, enabling to feel the presence of other fellow men, but if the epidemiological situation gets worse, the celebration will take place in video formats and online.
