Daugavpils is a multicultural city with a vibrant history dated back to the 13th century. Geographically located at an important position, the city has always been in the centre of events. We selected the most interesting facts about Daugavpils – its present and past.
Riga International Airport provides an easy and fast access to Latvia from all main European capital cities.
Flying time from the USA:
Daugavpils is located not far from the borders of a few states. So you can easily travel to the neighbouring states.
Travelling time to the border by motor vehicles:
Travelling time by motor vehicles to:
Travelling time by train to:
In Daugavpils there are Consulates General of:
In the course of its history the city has changed its name 5 times:
Being the city of the strategic importance, Daugavpils has been part of different states throughout its history:
Daugavpils is the centre of culture and education in Latgale, Latvia’s eastern region.
The city’s mass media primarily operate in the Russian language.
Daugavpils is probably the most Russian city in the European Union!
Russian is the language of everyday communication for 80% of the citizens.
Daugavpils has always been a multinational and multi-confessional city.
As it seems to us, Daugavpils is the best place to learn Russian now, because our city is situated in the EU and NATO, but at the same time 90% of the city’s population speak Russian at home.
Etude on Dvinsk by F.Fedorov
The Baltic region is one of the most catastrophe prone regions of the 2nd millennium, especially its second part; it is the centre of attraction of ‘geopolitical’ interests of the European world. Probably the most tragic fate has befallen to the eastern part of the present Latvia and its multi-titled town of Dinaburg – Dvinsk – Daugavpils. During its 730 years long history, the town went through five rather autonomous periods of development, five different lives (German, Polish, Russian, Latvian, Soviet), and at the beginning of the 1990s it entered into the 6th period.
The history of Dinaburg – Dvinsk – Daugavpils is the history of five attempts by the town to begin its life anew; and this is determined not only by the fact that the town was four times burned down and had to start life from scratch, but first and foremost because each of these periods was characterized by a total change of ethnos and the socio-cultural field.
The present article deals with the cultural space of the town in one of the most efficient periods of its development – from the 1860s till World War I.