Protection of Architectural Heritage in the Latvian SSR (1945–1991 (original) (raw)
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Latvia's Architectural Heritage and its Protection 1880–1940
Journal of Baltic Studies, 2006
The subj ect of this article is the protection of architectural monuments in present-day Latvia from the second half of the ninetee nth cent ury up to the year 1940 . Th e intenti on here is to look at these activities as part of the process that shaped the national identity of the Baltic Germ ans, the Latvians, and of Latvia' s Russians, each of whom were influential in economic, cultural and politic al issues in Latvia to varying degrees durin g the period . In accordance with the well-kn own historical background of the times, my account is divided into two parts, investiga ting how the modifi cati on of mentalities affected the preservation of histori cal buildin gs in the Baltic provinces from 1880 to 1914 , and in the Republ ic of Latvia dur ing the interwar period.
2012
In this article, I use the tools of postcolonial theory in order to explain the processes of architecture and its understanding in the time of the Soviet occupation. Carried out under the influence of socialist ideology, architecture in the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic became more artificial and deformed in comparison to the ‘original’ – the Soviet Russian example. Notions such as ‘our own’ architecture and the ‘other’ were present in architectural thinking. These features could be found in all three periods of architectural development in Soviet Latvia: during Stalinism (mid-1940s – mid-1950s), in the modernism revival (late 1950s – 1970s) and in the regional architecture that regained its prominence within a framework of postmodernism (1980s – early 1990s). This approach brings into focus a set of questions: how appropriate is it to apply the postcolonial theory to the studies of art history and architecture of the Soviet era; what features allow one to do so; how does postco...
Challenges in the Preservation of Riga’s Architectural Cultural Heritage
Mokslas - Lietuvos ateitis, 2015
Historical buildings are the most visible part of cultural heritage. They make up Latvia’s historical landscape that has been centuries in the making. In the vast majority of cases these buildings are included in the historical cultural heritage of Latvia. However, the practical mechanisms of their preservation (ownership preservation, maintenance, renewal opportunities) and, consequently, their economic potential, still have not yet been fully evaluated. Does cultural value interact with market value? What factors affect urban planning in the Historic Centre of Riga and its PZ – a UNESCO World Heritage site? Answers to these questions, as well as the main challenges in the preservation of values of Riga’s architectural heritage will be discussed in the paper.
2011
Attitudes to the historical and architectural heritage of the state situated in its territory determine not only the general level of culture, but also a considerable degree of self-awareness of a group of people as a community which is united by the historical background, spiritual and material heritage, requiring constant care and promotion. We know that at this stage of the development of the world civilization, this problem is especially acute in two cases: mainly in the period of strengthening of the state as an independent political union and globalization and similar processes related to the levelling of national cultural characteristics. After regaining independence by Poland in 1918, this problem became very sharp. Therefore, in our opinion, activities in the field of ancient monuments protection, including architectural and urban heritage were selected as a way to protect the national identity in this period. “Humanity today has deeply looked into the essence of sights and...
Theoretical Writings on Architecture in the Latvian SSR, 1945-1991
ADAMarts. Double-blind peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to architecture, design and audiovisual media arts from the Baltic Sea region., 2018
Theoretical Writings on Architecture in the Latvian SSR, 1945-1991 is an overview of the ideas represented in theoretical writings during the period of Soviet Latvia. In the context of this research, theoretical writings are understood as general views and judgements on architecture. The article provides an overview of the main topics and most prolific authors. The systematisation and interpretation of the main themes are based on consideration of the actual developments in architecture and building realisation, of the inevitable presence of Soviet ideology and rhetoric, and of parallel historical developments in the USSR and the West. Within the research, theoretical articles are part of Soviet Latvian architectural history. The topic of the paper is deemed to be relevant as society has undergone a period of neglecting Soviet/post-war heritage, yet in recent years the recognition of post-war modernism architecture is visible.
"History cannot be finished!" Dismantling and Demolishing Soviet Monuments in Latvia since 2022
War on Monuments: Documenting the Debates over Russian and Soviet Heritage in Eastern and Central Europe. In Kunsttexte.de/ostblick, 2024
The article analyses a number of processes that have taken place in Latvia regarding Soviet monuments since Russia launched a full-scale war in Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The Latvian government, in cooperation with several local organisations, has implemented a new law that has affected 70 monuments built either in the Soviet times or during the German occupation of Latvia during World War II. At the top of the list of monuments to be dismantled or demolished was the Victory Monument (1985), located in Victory Park in the Pārdaugava district of Riga. The article seeks to explore how these processes have been carried out and who have been involved in their implementation. It looks at the decision makers, as well as the context in which particular views were formed, by politicians, art experts or the society at large. Focusing on the controversies surrounding the monuments, the article specifically points out the politically charged decisions in the dismantling/demolition process, as well as the influence of the nationalistic discourse.
Architectural Monuments as a Resource: Reworking Heritage and Ideologies in Nazi-Occupied Estonia
Published in Art and Artistic Life during the Two World Wars. Eds. Giedrė Jankevičiūtė, Laima Laučkaitė. (Dailės istorijos studijos / Art History Studies 5.) Vilnius: Lithuanian Culture Research Institute, 2012, pp. 273–299. /// The article deals with ideological aspects relating to heritage and its protection – the potential that monuments of architecture might possess in issues of politics and nationalism under extremely volatile conditions, focusing on the reinterpretations of architectural heritage under Nazi occupation. My interest lies in the points of contact and contradiction between the systems before and after 1940, because at first sight the arrangement of heritage protection from 1941 to 1944 largely resembles that of the inter-war era. Both the local specialists in heritage affairs and the new state officials (with Karl Heinz Esser of the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg as the protagonist) indeed depended on the war events in their decisions, but approached the art historical heritage from fundamentally different positions. Through this institutional account I aim to study the effect of the former aspirations of Baltic German scholars that the local researchers had sought to overcome for decades, but were now – by incorporating National Socialist thought into debates over the history of art – not only revitalised but taken to a new level. /// Incl. Lithuanian summary "Architektūros paminklai kaip išteklius: persvarstant paveldą ir ideologijas nacių okupuotoje Estijoje", p. 300.
DEVELOPMENT ASPECTS OF MANORS AS A PART OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN LATVIA
Culture Crossroads, vol. 19 , 2021
Both movable and immovable cultural monuments provide opportunities to meet interests of many stakeholders-their owners and managers, local community, researchers, tourists, businesses, mass media, heritage institutions, etc., as well as society as a whole. Along with aesthetic, symbolic, educational, research, etc., interests, no less important are the economic ones induced by these monuments' development potential. It is nevertheless widely acknowledged that investment in cultural heritage sites (including conservation, restoration, maintenance, marketing, etc.) may outweigh their direct economic benefits due to inevitable payments and obligations. Thus, the question arises: what are those factors that restrict and those that facilitate socioeconomic development of the immovable cultural monument? Immovable monuments are divided into several typological groups, and the most numerous in Latvia are architectural monuments. Assuming that the effectiveness of development may depend on the type of the monument within one group, this article focuses primarily on manors as relatively numerous architectural monuments characteristic for Latvian regions (parishes) and valuable cultural-historical objects, representing large tourism potential. The article, analyzing the situation in Latvia and making international comparisons, uses integrated socioeconomic and legal approach to the researched issue. It provides both theoretical and practical insight into the actualities of manors' development potential and possible solutions thereto.