Ogre, Latvia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ogre
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State city
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Aerial view over Ogre.
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 Ogre
Location in Latvia
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| Country |  Latvia |
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| District | Ogre 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) | ||
| Population
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| • Total | 22,767 | ||
| GDP | |||
| • State city | 212,786,000 Euro (2021) | ||
| • Per capita | 9,289 Euro (2021) | ||
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) | ||
| Postal code |
LV-500(1-3)
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| Calling code | +371 650 | ||
| Number of city council members | 13 | ||
Ogre is a city in Latvia, located in the Vidzeme region. It is about 36 kilometers (22 miles) east of Riga, the capital city. Ogre sits where the Daugava and Ogre rivers meet. It became a city in 1928. In 2020, about 23,273 people lived there.
Ogre is divided into three main parts. These are Jaunogre, which means "New Ogre," Ogre, which is the city center, and Pārogre. Pārogre means "Ogre across the river," even though not all of this area is actually across the river.
The city's name comes from the Ogre river. The village of Ogre was first mentioned in the year 1206. It was called "Oger" in German at that time. In 1861, a railway line was built between Riga and Daugavpils. People from Riga then started building summer homes in Ogre. By 1862, Ogre had become a popular health resort.
The city's coat of arms was created in 1938. It shows the river and the pine forests that are common in Ogre.
Contents
What's in Ogre?
Ogre has many places for learning and culture. There is a cultural center where events are held. The city also has an art school and a music school. For regular education, Ogre has three schools that teach in Latvian. There is also one school that teaches in Russian, called Jaunogre Secondary School.
Ogre is also home to a cemetery. This cemetery is a resting place for soldiers who died during the First and Second World Wars. Some soldiers who died while being held captive between 1944 and 1951 are also buried there.
The Meaning of Ogre's Name
There are a few ideas about where the name "Ogre" comes from. This name is used for both the city and the river.
Russian Origin
One idea is that the name comes from the Russian word ugri. This word means "eels." People believe this because there used to be many eels in the Ogre river. A popular story says that Catherine the Great of Russia named the river. She supposedly named it because she saw many eels there. However, there is no real proof for this story.
Finno-Ugric Connection
Another idea comes from an older name for the Ogre river, which was Wogene or Woga. This name was found in an old book called the Livonian Chronicle of Henry (written between 1180 and 1227). An Estonian language expert, Paul Alvre, thinks this old name is related to the Estonian word voog. This word can mean "stream," "flow," or "waves." This idea suggests a link to Finno-Ugric languages, possibly the early Livonian language.
Lithuanian and Latvian Roots
A third idea suggests the name might come from an older form, *Vingrē. This form is similar to the Lithuanian word vingrùs, which means "meandering" or "curly." It could also be related to the Latvian word vingrs, meaning "nimble." So, the name might mean "the meandering river." The village of Engure has a similar root for its name.
Sports in Ogre
Sports are very popular in Ogre. The most popular ones are Ice hockey, basketball, and handball.
Ice Hockey Achievements
The ice hockey club Essamika won the only Latvian Hockey Higher League championship title for Ogre. In more recent years, Ogre teams have won many silver medals. ASK/Ogre won 5 silver medals, and HK Kurbads won 3 silver medals. HK Kurbads was also the Latvian ice hockey champion in the 2016-2017 season.
Basketball Teams
Ogre has a basketball team called BK Ogre/Kumho Tyre. This team plays in the Latvian Basketball League and the Baltic Basketball League. They joined Latvia's top league after winning the gold medal in the Latvian second league.
Handball Success
The city's handball team, HK Ogre/Miandum, has won many medals in the Latvian Handball Higher League. Their best result was winning the silver medal in the 2013–2014 season.
Football Club
FK Ogre is the city's main association football (soccer) club. They play in the Latvian First League.
Famous People from Ogre
- Oskars Bārtulis (born 1987), an ice hockey player
- Kaspars Bērziņš (born 1985), a basketball player
- Eliza Legzdina (born 1993), a musician
- Anete Šteinberga (born 1990), a basketball player
- Igors Stepanovs (born 1976), a football coach
Sister Cities
To learn about Ogre's sister cities, you can look at the list for the Ogre Municipality.
Images for kids
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The coat of arms of Ogre
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The flag of Ogre
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Aerial view over Ogre
See also
In Spanish: Ogre (Letonia) para niños
