Lielvārde facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lielvārde
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Town
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Lielvārde Lutheran church
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 Lielvārde
Location in Latvia
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| Country |  Latvia |
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| Municipality | Ogre Municipality | |
| Town rights | 1992 | |
| 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) | |
| • Rural territory | 60 km2 (20 sq mi) | |
| Population
(2024)
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| • Total | 5,853 | |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) | |
| Postal code |
507(0-1)
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| Calling code | +371 650 | |
| Website | http://www.lielvarde.lv/ | |
Lielvārde is a small town in Latvia, located in the Ogre Municipality. It sits on the right bank of the Daugava River, about 52 kilometers (32 miles) southeast of Riga, the capital city. As of 2024, Lielvārde is home to about 5,800 people. It officially became a town in 1992.
A Look Back at Lielvārde's Past
The area around Lielvārde has a very long history. It was a place where two different groups of people, the Finnic Livonians and the Balts, met and interacted. Many old objects from prehistoric times have been found here.
In 1201, a Baltic hill-fort called Lennewarden was given to Albert of Buxhoeveden. This event is mentioned in an old book called the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia. Today, this historic hill is known as Dievukalns, which means "Hill of the Gods" in Latvian. Later, in 1229, a stone castle was built by the Archbishopric of Riga. You can still see the ruins of this castle today.
During the time when the area was part of Swedish Livonia, a local school was started. However, about 70% of the people in Lielvārde died during the terrible Great Plague of 1710.
The town began to grow again after the Riga–Daugavpils Railway opened in 1861. A new part of the town grew up around the railway station, which was first called Ringmundhofa and later Rembate. Sadly, Lielvārde was completely destroyed during World War I. But after Latvia became an independent country, the town was quickly rebuilt.
After Latvia was taken over by the Soviet Union, a local leader named Edgars Kauliņš (1903–1979) did something brave. He managed to save all the farmers in his district from being sent away during a time when the government was forcing farms to join together. He said there were no "kulaks" (a term for wealthy farmers the Soviets disliked) in his area and that he would rather be sent away himself. In 1948, Kauliņš became the first chairman of a large collective farm called Lāčplēsis, which means "The Bear Slayer". This farm became famous for its beer. While the company that makes the beer, AS Lāčplēša alus, is now part of a bigger brewing group, the beer is no longer made in Lielvārde itself.
In 1970, the Soviets built the Lielvārde air base, which was the largest in the Baltic States. In 1994, after Latvia became independent again, the Latvian Air Force took over the air base.
Cultural Traditions and Heritage
Lielvārde is well-known for its rich cultural history. It was a source of inspiration for two famous Latvian poets, Auseklis and Andrejs Pumpurs. Andrejs Pumpurs wrote a very important epic poem called Lāčplēsis (The Bear Slayer) in 1888.
The town is also famous for the Lielvārdes josta, which is a special traditional woven belt. This belt has 22 ancient symbols woven into its design. Parts of the belt's design have even been featured on Latvian banknotes. The symbols on the belt have inspired many artists and people who love folklore, especially those involved in the dievturība movement, which is a modern revival of ancient Latvian pagan beliefs.
Local Schools
Lielvārde has several schools for students of different ages:
- Edgara Kauliņa Lielvārdes Vidusskola (a secondary school)
- Lielvārdes Pamatskola (a primary school)
- PII Pūt Vējiņi (a preschool)
See also
In Spanish: Lielvārde para niños
