Balvi
Balvi
Latgalian: Bolvi | |
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Town | |
.jpg) Bērzpils street in Balvi | |
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UTC+3 (EEST) | |
| Postal code | LV-4501 |
| Calling code | +371 645 |
| Number of municipal council members | 15 |
| Website | www |
Balvi (ⓘ, Latgalian: Bolvi) is a town in the Balvi Municipality in the Latgale region of Latvia. It was the administrative seat of the district of the same name since 1949; prior to the occupation of Latvia, it was part of Abrene County. The name derives from the stream Bolupīte and the adjacent lake.
History
The first mention of Balvi dates back to 1224. A small wooden church and manor were constructed on the estate of a
Most of the town's Jews (around 21% of the population) perished in the Stahlecker phase of the Holocaust in August 1941. The retreating Germans set fire to Balvi in July 1944, and the town was rebuilt according to Soviet plans from 1945. Balvi was a center of the Singing Revolution and is vital to Latgalian culture today.[citation needed] The town library in particular is the focus of many cultural events.
Demographics of Balvi
Notable people
- Jānis Bordāns (born 1967), politician, lawyer
- Inese Laizāne (born 1971), politician, actress
- Arvis Vilkaste (born 1989), bobsledder
References
- ^ "Reģionu, novadu, pilsētu un pagastu kopējā un sauszemes platība gada sākumā". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ "Iedzīvotāju skaits pēc tautības reģionos, pilsētās, novados, pagastos, apkaimēs un blīvi apdzīvotās teritorijās gada sākumā (pēc administratīvi teritoriālās reformas 2021. gadā) 2021 - 2022". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
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