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Ice is delivered to cellars to ensure the preservation of milk
and other fresh foods. From October until April, vodka is
produced, and that is a good source of profits.
Winter work at the estate involved the work of black-
smiths, carpenters, builders, carriage makers, glass
specialists, leather tanners, weavers, producers of
homemade shoes, and other craftsmen. After filling
the orders of the estate, the craftsmen were allowed
to sell their wares. The wives of craftsmen in Turaida
were often spinners who produced yarn for the estate.
Everyday life
Estate owners at Turaida were expected to take
care of the health and welfare of their people and of
farmers so that they could do their job. The estate paid
for annual vaccines against smallpox. Several estates
between Lēdurga and Turaida pitched in to hire a
doctor. Aid was given to large families, orphans and
poor people. Church books show that the owners
of the Turaida Estate and their family members
were sometimes godparents to the children of estate
employees and farmers. Celebrations for farmers and
estate employees were held on major holidays.
Splitting up the estate
Life at the estate changed radically after Latvia
declared its independence on November 18, 1918. The
agrarian reform law of 1920 led to the shutting down
of the Turaida Estate, and all of the land was taken over
by the state. New farms were established, while the
last owner of the Estate, A. M. Stahl von Holstein kept
some of the land for himself.
A bast-shoemaker with his products, early 20th century,
photograph, artist unknown
A story about craftsmen at the Turaida Estate
“After the Hunt,” early 20th century, photograph, artist
unknown
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