Balvi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Balvi Latgalian: Bolvi
Town
Bērzpils street in Balvi
Flag Coat of arms
Balvi Location in Latvia
Country	Latvia
Municipality	Balvi Municipality
Town rights	1928
Area
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• Land	Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). km2 (Formatting error: invalid input when rounding sq mi)
• Water	Expression error: Unexpected < operator. km2 (Formatting error: invalid input when rounding sq mi)
Elevation	113 m (371 ft)
Population
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Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	LV-4501
Calling code	+371 645
Number of municipal council members	15

Balvi is a town located in the Balvi Municipality in the Latgale region of Latvia. Its name comes from a nearby stream called Bolupīte and a lake. Since 1949, Balvi has been an important administrative center for its district.

History of Balvi

The town of Balvi was first mentioned in history way back in 1224. Around 1765, a small wooden church and a large house (called a manor) were built there. These were on the land of a Polish noblewoman named Konstancija Hilsena.

Later, in 1772, the Latgale region became part of Russia. The Balvi estate was then given to the Yelagin family by Catherine the Great. In 1806, it passed to the Horozhinsky family. Then, in 1876, the Transehe-Roseneck family, who were Baltic Germans, bought the estate.

The village of Balvi became separate from the estate in 1915. In 1928, Balvi officially became a town. This happened ten years after Latvia declared its independence.

During World War II, Balvi faced difficult times. In 1944, the German army set fire to the town as they left. After the war, starting in 1945, Balvi was rebuilt following plans from the Soviet Union.

Balvi played a key role in the Singing Revolution. This was a peaceful movement that helped Latvia regain its independence. Today, Balvi is still very important for Latgalian culture. The town's library, for example, hosts many cultural events.

People of Balvi

Here's a look at the different groups of people who live in Balvi:

Famous People from Balvi

Many notable people have come from Balvi, including:

• Jānis Bordāns (born 1967), a well-known politician and lawyer.
• Inese Laizāne (born 1971), a politician and actress.
• Arvis Vilkaste (born 1989), a bobsledder who competes in the sport of bobsledding.

See also

In Spanish: Balvi para niños