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76-550: Liepāja ( pronounced [liepaːja] ) is a state city in western Latvia , located on the Baltic Sea . It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region and the third-largest in the country after Riga and Daugavpils . It is an important ice-free port . In the 19th and early 20th century, it was a favourite place for sea-bathers and travellers, with the town boasting a fine park, many pretty gardens and

152-659: A Catholic monastery (A. Kokins) in Jaunliepāja , the "Māja" shop (reconstruction; A. Padēlis-Līns), new market pavilions in the city centre (U. Pīlēns) were built. The most remarkable building of the 21st century is the Great Amber Concert Hall . New-age construction is characterised by the use of new materials and technologies, as well as rationalism and functionalism . Administrative divisions of Latvia The current administrative division of Latvia came into force on 1 July 2021. On 10 June 2020,

228-453: A Latvian Soviet Republic. Latvia now became the main theatre of Baltic operations for the remaining German forces in 1919. In addition, a Landeswehr was formed to work in conjunction with the German forces. In Liepāja, a coup organized by Germans took place on 16 April 1919 and Ulmanis government was forced to flee and was replaced by Andrievs Niedra . The Ulmanis government found shelter on

304-554: A hundred meters from the shore and does not last long before melting. The sea water usually reaches its summer maximum temperature at the beginning of August, while being less warm than, for example, in the Gulf of Riga due to the open sea. Winters are milder than inland areas to the east and comparable to the opposite coast on the Swedish mainland. The number of windy days is high compared to inland areas of Latvia. The prevailing winds in

380-521: A project to reconstruct the port. In 1861–1868 the project was realized – including the building of a lighthouse and breakwaters. Between 1877 and 1882 the political and literary weekly newspaper Liepājas Pastnieks was published – the first Latvian language newspaper in Libau. In the 1870s the further rapid development of Russian railways , especially the 1871 opening of the Libava- Kaunas and

456-487: A separate port was excavated exclusively for military use. This area became known as Kara Osta (War Port) and served military needs throughout the twentieth century. Early in the twentieth century, the port of Libau became a central point of embarkation for immigrants travelling to the United States and Canada. By 1906 the direct ship service to the United States was used by 40,000 migrants per year. Simultaneously,

532-470: A special permit to enter it. The Soviet military set up its Baltic naval base and nuclear weapon warehouses there; The Beberliņš sandpit was dug out to extract sand used for constructing underground warehouses. In 1967 the Soviets completely closed the port to commercial traffic. One-third of the city was taken up with a Soviet naval base; its military staff numbered 26,000. The 14th Submarine Squadron of

608-506: A theatre. Liepāja is however known throughout Latvia as the "City where the wind is born", likely because of the constant sea breeze . A song of the same name ( Latvian : "Pilsētā, kurā piedzimst vējš" ) was composed by Imants Kalniņš and has become the anthem of the city. Its reputation as the windiest city in Latvia was strengthened with the construction of the largest wind farm in the nation (33 Enercon wind turbines) nearby. Liepāja

684-531: A tram line from Kurzeme to Peldu Street. Changes also affected Lielā Street. Due to the military port, Liepāja was a closed city, and thus construction in the city was rather slow until the 1970s, when the construction of new factories ( Lauma , agricultural machinery factory, Hidrolats ) and residential areas were built, the most important of which is the Ezerkrasts district. After the restoration of independence, an artificial ice rink (architect U. Pīlēns),

760-401: Is 216 nautical miles . The closest major airports to Liepāja are Palanga International Airport – 60 km (37 mi) and Riga International Airport – 210 km (130 mi). Liepāja's architecture features buildings from different centuries: classical wooden buildings from the 17th century, highly regarded brick architecture, Eclecticism and Art Nouveau buildings at the turn of

836-685: Is chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2027. The name is derived from the Livonian word Liiv, which means "sand". The oldest written text mentioning Līva village ( Villa Liva ) is a treaty between the bishop of Courland and the master of the Livonian Order dated 4 April 1253. In 1263, the Teutonic Order established a town which they called Libau in German and this was used until 1920. The Lettish name Liepāja

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912-450: Is debatable. Under Duke Jacob Kettler (1642–1681), Libau became one of the main ports of Courland as it reached the height of its prosperity. In 1637 Couronian colonization was started from the ports of Libau and Ventspils (Windau). Kettler was an eager proponent of mercantilist ideas. Metalworking and ship building became much more developed, and trading relations developed not only with nearby countries but also with Britain , France ,

988-619: Is located in the city, the rest is located in the Otanķi and Nīca municipalities). There are also rivers – the Vērnieku River, Kalējupīte and Ālande, canals: Tirdzniecības, Karostas, Cietokšņa and Pērkones (former river), as well as the artificial reservoir Beberliņi. The city is located on the Baltic Sea coast. According to the Latvian classification of river basin districts, the territory of

1064-405: Is said that the original settlement at the location of modern Liepāja was founded by Curonian fishermen from Piemare as Līva , but Henry of Livonia (Henricus de Lettis), in his famous Chronicle , makes no mention of the settlement. The Teutonic Order established a village which they called Libau here in 1263, followed by Mitau two years later. In 1418 the village was sacked and burned by

1140-584: The Constitutional Court of Latvia ruled that the annexation of Varakļāni Municipality to Rēzekne Municipality was unconstitutional. In response, the Saeima decided to preserve the existence of Varakļāni Municipality as a 43rd local government unit until 2025. In June 2024 the Saeima decreed that Varakļāni Municipality will be merged into Madona Municipality immediately after the 2025 Latvian local elections . Previous municipal reforms after

1216-584: The Lithuanians . During the 15th century, a part of the trade route from Amsterdam to Moscow passed through Līva, where it was known as the "white road to Lyva portus ". By 1520 the river Līva had become too shallow for easy navigation, and development of the city declined. In 1560, Gotthard Kettler , first Duke of Courland and Semigallia , loaned all the Grobiņa district, including Libau, to Albert, Duke of Prussia for 50,000 guldens . Only in 1609 after

1292-611: The Molotov–Ribbentrop pact in part to gain control of this territory. When the Soviet Union occupied and annexed Latvia in 1940 , it nationalized private property. Many thousands of former owners were arrested and deported to the gulag camps in Siberia . In 1941, Liepāja was among the first cities captured by the 291st Infantry Division of Army Group North after Nazi Germany began Operation Barbarossa , its war against

1368-528: The Netherlands and Portugal . In 1697–1703, a canal was cut to the sea and a more modern port was built. In 1701, during the Great Northern War , Libau was captured by Charles XII of Sweden , but by the end of the war, the city had returned to titular Polish possession. In 1710 an epidemic of plague killed about a third of the population. In 1780 the first Freemasonry lodge, "Libanons",

1444-500: The Saeima approved a municipal reform that would reduce the 110 municipalities and nine republic cities to 43 local government units consisting of 36 municipalities ( Latvian : novadi , sg. novads ) and seven state cities ( valstspilsētas, sg. valstspilsēta ). The municipalities are also further divided into 71 cities/towns ( pilsētas , sg. pilsēta ) and 512 parishes ( pagasti, sg. pagasts ). On 1 June 2021,

1520-581: The University of Liepāja was built in a heavy eclectic style, designed by the architect Andrejs Aivars. An almost identical building is located in Daugavpils . The Kurzeme department store was built with large windows on the exterior walls and shop windows on the ground floor. During the Soviet period, the historical buildings of Liepāja's Old Town were eliminated over a wide area by the construction of

1596-888: The West Indies as early as 1637 when the settlers established the first colony on Tobago . The first colony was a failure, but it was refounded in 1639. In 1651, Courland and Semigallia leased a colony in Africa on St. Andrew's Island in the Gambia River from the Kingdom of Niumi and went on to build Fort Jakob on the island. The Duchy also leased St. Mary Island (modern-day Banjul ) from Kombo and Fort Jillifree from Niumi. The Courland and Semigallia's colonies exported sugar , tobacco , coffee , cotton , ginger , indigo , rum , cocoa , tortoise shells , as well as tropical birds and their much sought after feathers. In

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1672-513: The 1876 Liepāja–Romny Railways , ensured that a large proportion of central Russian trade passed through Libau. By 1900, 7% of Russian exports were passing through Libau. The city became a major port of the Russian Empire on the Baltic Sea, as well as a popular resort. During this time of economic expansion, the city architect Paul Max Bertschy provided the design for many of the city's both public and private buildings, making an imprint on

1748-536: The 19th and 20th centuries, as well as some buildings of the interwar period, Soviet-era functionalism and contemporary architecture. Many buildings were destroyed during World War II, which resulted in the destruction of almost the entire city built-up area between the Trade Canal and the Rose Square – more than 100 buildings. The development of Liepāja was entirely determined by economic conditions – initially

1824-683: The Friendly Vocation Primary School (now the 5th Secondary School; K. Bikše) and the Jaunliepāja Lutheran Church (K. E. Strandmann) were also built. Liepāja's city centre was devastated by the Second World War, and new development master plans were needed. The architecture and urban planning of Latvia, which was part of the USSR , was regulated by the uniform urban planning and building regulations of

1900-774: The German cruiser SMS  Prinz Adalbert was sunk by the British submarine HMS  E8 , 37 km (20 nmi; 23 mi) west of Liepāja. With the collapse of Russia and the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk , the occupying German forces had a quiet time, but the subsequent defeat in the West of the German Empire and the Allied denunciation of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty changed everything. Independence of

1976-745: The Republic of Latvia was proclaimed on 18 November 1918, and the Latvian Provisional Government under Kārlis Ulmanis was created. Bolshevik Russia now advanced into Latvian territory and met little resistance here. Soon the Provisional Government and remaining German units were forced to leave Riga and retreated all the way to Liepāja, but then the Red offensive stalled along the Venta river. The Bolsheviks announced

2052-564: The Russian army and is dominated by the Orthodox cathedral in the centre. The most important objects of the Karosta are the officers' meeting house and the residential complex, as well as the unique fortification system that encircled the entire city and connected the different parts of the city with underground passages. During World War I, the fortifications were partially blown up. During

2128-613: The Seaside Lowland. Liepāja is surrounded by the Dienvidkurzeme Region, and is bordered to the north by Medze Parish , to the east by Grobiņa Parish , and to the south by Nīca Parish , with its western border following the Baltic Sea coast. The Trade Channel ( Tirdzniecības kanāls ) connects the lake to the sea dividing the city into southern and northern parts, which are often referred to as Vecliepāja (Old Town) and Jaunliepāja (New Town) respectively. Along

2204-486: The Soviet Union. German Nazis and Latvian collaborators virtually exterminated the local Jewish population, which had numbered about 7,000 before the war. Film footage of an Einsatzgruppen execution of local Jews was taken in Liepāja. Most of these mass murders took place in the dunes of Šķēde north of the city. Fewer than thirty Jews survived in Liepāja by the end of the war. One of the very few surviving films documenting

2280-419: The Soviet Union. New centres for cities destroyed during the war were planned according to standardised formal principles – International Modernism , where streets had to be wide and squares regular, symmetrical, with a Lenin monument in the centre. Public buildings were designed to be representative – in line with Soviet architectural principles – large, spacious, imposing. In 1957, the building that now houses

2356-715: The USSR's Baltic Fleet ( [14 эскадрилья ЛиВМБ ДКБФ] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |link= ( help ) , call sign "Комплекс") was stationed there with 16 submarines (Types: 613 , 629a , 651 ); as was the 6th group of Rear Supply of the Baltic Fleet, and the 81st Design Bureau and Reserve Command Center of the same force. In 1977, Liepāja was awarded the Order of the October Revolution for heroic defense against Nazi Germany in 1941. Five residents were awarded

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2432-554: The approaches to the port. Liepāja was occupied by the German Army , on 7 May 1915, and in memory of this event, a monument was constructed on Kūrmājas Prospect in 1916 and removed in 1919 by the new Latvian State. Liepāja's local government issued its own money for a while in this period – Libaua rubles . An advanced German Zeppelin base was constructed at Vaiņode, near Liepāja, with five hangars, in August 1915. On 23 October 1915,

2508-415: The architecture which can still be seen today. On the orders of Alexander III , Libau was fortified against possible German attacks. Fortifications were subsequently built around the city, and in the early 20th century, a major military base was established on the northern edge. It included formidable coastal fortifications and extensive quarters for military personnel. As part of the military development,

2584-415: The area tend to be all westerly and southerly. Their average speed is 6.1 m/s. Maximum wind speeds (greater than 20 m/s) are usually observed in autumn and winter, in most cases from the west. On 17–18 October 1967, the strongest storm in the history of the country occurred, and on 18 October the highest wind gust ever recorded in Latvia – 48 m/s – was recorded in Liepāja. The city has on average

2660-451: The area. Dry forests cover 39% of the forest area, forests on wet mineral soils 13%, swamp forests 22% and drained forests 26%. The water areas cover 1009 ha (17% of the total area of the city). The hydrological system of the City of Liepāja consists of various elements, including the Liepāja and Tosmare Lakes, which border the city to the east and are Natura 2000 sites (a quarter of the lake

2736-533: The biggest amusement park in the Baltic states . Most of the projects have not yet been realised due to economic and political factors. Liepāja's heating network was renovated with the cooperation of French and Russian companies: Dalkia and Gazprom , respectively. In 2006, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands , a direct descendant of Jacob Kettler visited Liepāja. In 2010 the coal cogeneration 400 MW power plant

2812-542: The buildings are built in the restrained and laconic style of Northern National Romanticism. Paul Max Bertchy designed several Art Nouveau buildings, but also significant are those by Theodor Max Bertchy (Bertchy junior), Ludwig Melville, Charles Carr, Lars Sonke, Pauls Kampe, Adolf Kucner, Gustav Janicek, William Losow, Max Kuhn, Alexander Zehrensen and Vasily Kosyakov . The Art Nouveau in Liepāja reflects mostly Latvian – German and partly also Russian as well as other interchanges. The most outstanding examples of Art Nouveau are

2888-577: The buildings on 2/6 Kūrmājas Prospect, 9 Ausekļa Street, 28, 34, 36/38, 44, 46, 27/29 and 45 Graudu Street, 3, 9, 16 and 23 Dzintaru Street, 8 Krišjāņa Barona Street, 23 Liepu Street, 33/35 Peldu Street, 1 and 11 Pasta Street, 4 and 5 Lielā Street, 2 Teātra Street, 18 Baznīcas Street, 21A Bāriņu Street, 22 Tirgoņu Street, 1, 5, 17 and 21 Kuršu Street, 8/10 and 16 Rožu Street, 6 Alejas Street (yard), 43 Toma Street, 11 Dīķa Street, 4 and 11 Avotu Street, 19 and 28 Republikas Street, 5, 13, 15/17, 19, 25 and 66 Uliha Street, 1 Raiņa Street, 10/12 Kroņu Street etc. In

2964-415: The city of Liepāja falls within the Venta river basin district. The prevailing soil type and the prevailing geographical landscape of the area are determined by the low-fertility sandy loams and difficult natural drainage conditions characteristic of the Seaside Lowland. In terms of mechanical composition, sandy soils predominate, with typical podzols in the uplands and peaty podzolic gley vegetation in

3040-543: The coast, the city extends northwards until it reaches the Karosta Channel ( Karostas kanāls ). North of the Karosta Channel is an area called Karosta which is now fully integrated into Liepāja and is the northernmost district of the city. Liepāja's coastline consists of an unbroken sandy beach and dunes. Natural areas cover about one third of the territory of the city. These areas are mostly located on

3116-550: The country, draws all business to itself." The Latvian government ignored the pleas of the Libau Exchange Association to frustrate this. In 1935 KOD ( Latvian : Kara ostas darbnīcas ) started to manufacture the light aircraft LKOD KOD-1 and LKOD KOD-2 at Liepāja. However it became evident in this year that trade with the new Soviet Union had virtually collapsed. The ports and human capital of Liepāja and Ventspils were targets of Joseph Stalin . He signed

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3192-526: The countryside. The oldest type of building in Liepāja is a wooden log house on a low stone plinth with a steep tiled roof. This type of building can be found on Kungu Street, which was the main street of the town in the 17th century. The building on 24 Kungu Street is notable for the visit of Tsar Peter I of Russia in 1697, while the neighbouring building on 26 Kungu Street was visited by King Charles XII of Sweden in 1700. Other notable buildings are those at 6 Lielā Street, 3 Kungu Street, 13 Stendera Street, and

3268-527: The depressions, as well as turf gley vegetation and turf podzolic gley vegetation. Due to the high humidity, the area is characterised by waterlogging . The climate in Liepāja is strongly influenced by the close proximity to the sea and is therefore located in the warm-summer humid continental climate zone noted as Dfb in the Köppen classification . The outflow of sea air creates relatively low summer and high winter temperatures for these latitudes. Liepāja has

3344-606: The end, the Duchy would manage to retain control of these lands for less than a decade and the colonies were formally ceded to England in 1664. The colonies were lost when Courland and Semigallia's neighbours took advantage of its weakened defences during the Northern Wars , when Jakob was held captive by the Swedish Army from 1658 to 1660. After the end of the war, the island of Tobago was returned to Courland. However,

3420-489: The establishment of the port, and later, from the late 19th century, the expansion of industry. Liepāja reached its first period of construction and architectural prosperity in the 17th and 18th centuries. The development of the architecture and artistic styles of the buildings was reflected in the houses of the wealthier inhabitants, where Mannerism, Baroque, Classicism and other styles can be found. The common people built their homes using traditional building methods typical of

3496-517: The first Russian training school of submarine navigation was founded. In 1912 one of the first water aerodromes in Russia was opened in Libau. In 1913, 1,738 ships entered Libau, with 1,548,119 tonnes of cargo passing through the port. The population had increased from 10,000 to over 100,000 within about 60 years. Following the outbreak of World War I, the German cruiser SMS Magdeburg shelled Liepāja (then part of Russia), and other vessels laid mines off

3572-619: The following table will have local governments which are independent of any municipality. Of the remaining three state cities, Jēkabpils and Valmiera became part of Jēkabpils Municipality and Valmiera Municipality respectively on 1 July 2021, while Ogre is similarly a part of the Ogre Municipality . As of 1 July 2021, there are 36 municipalities in Latvia: Couronian colonization Like Brandenburg , which had far larger German colonising power before

3648-712: The formation of the German Empire , the Duchy of Courland had a European crusading past. The colonies were established under Jacob, Duke of Courland and Semigallia , and were one of the two Curonian colonies. The second colony was Gambia River in Africa. During his reign (1642–1682), the Duchy established trading relations with all of the major European powers. Jacob established one of the largest merchant fleets in Europe, with its main harbours in Windau (today Ventspils), and Libau (today Liepāja). His fleet made voyages to

3724-515: The former Polish Legion in Finland , who fought for Finnish independence from Russia, were evacuated from Finland to Liepāja and then further to Poland (see also Latvia–Poland relations ). During the interwar period, Liepāja was the second major city in Latvia. In an attempt to put Libau 'on the map', on 31 January 1922, the Libau Bank was founded with significant new capital, transforming

3800-533: The highest average air temperature in Latvia at 7.0 °C (44.6 °F). In terms of hours of sunshine, Liepāja has one of the highest averages of 1940 hours of sunshine per year. Winter is characterised by frequent thaws, so snow cover in the Seaside Lowlands is usually very patchy, rarely exceeding 5–10 cm in depth. During the winter the sea around Liepāja is virtually ice-free. Although occasionally some land-fast ice may develop, it seldom reaches

3876-530: The honorary title Hero of Socialist Labor : Anatolijs Filatkins, Artūrs Fridrihsons, Voldemārs Lazdups, Valentins Šuvajevs and Otīlija Žagata. Because of the rapid growth of the city's population, a shortage of apartment houses resulted. To resolve this, the Soviet government organized development of most of the modern Liepāja districts: Dienvidrietumi , Ezerkrasts , Ziemeļu priekšpilsēta , Zaļā birze and Tosmare . The majority of these blocks were constructed of ferro-concrete panels in standard projects designed by

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3952-561: The interwar period, architect Jānis Blaus designed the project for the Latvian Society House in Liepāja. The building was erected in 1934 on the Rose Square. The Army Economic Store building was built in 1934–1935 according to the design of architect Aleksandrs Rācenis, but was destroyed during the Second World War . The pawnshop and savings bank building at 3 Teātra Street was built in 1936–1937. During this period,

4028-494: The luxurious houses, but also in the workers' tenements on 6 Palmu Street, 9 Avotu Street, 28 Republikas Street and 21 Kuršu Street. Liepāja is home to examples of the Art Nouveau style of architecture on a European scale. There are dozens of Art Nouveau buildings in the city, which in absolute numbers is more than in other European cities. Graudu Street is almost entirely defined by Art Nouveau along its entire length. Most of

4104-427: The main supply centre of the Latvian army. The former closed military town has been transformed into the northern neighbourhood of Karosta , occupying a third of the area of the city of Liepāja and attracting tourists to the remains of the military era. At the beginning of the 21st century, many ambitious construction projects were planned for the city, including a NATO military base, and Baltic Sea Park, planned as

4180-560: The marriage of Sofie Hohenzollern , Princess of Prussia, to Wilhelm Kettler did the territory return to the Duchy. During the Livonian War , Libau was attacked and burnt by the Swedes. Along with Courland it was under Polish–Lithuanian suzerainty. In 1625, Duke Friedrich Kettler of Courland granted the town city rights, which were affirmed by King Sigismund III of Poland in 1626, although under what legal authority Sigismund had

4256-528: The mass murder of Jews during the first stages of the Holocaust is a short film by a German soldier who witnessed the massacres of Liepāja Jews in July 1941 near the city's lighthouse. During the war, the German navy's U-boat crews received their torpedo training at Liepāja. During the period of 1944–1945, as the Soviet Union began its offensive to the Baltic Sea, Liepāja was within the " Courland Pocket ". It

4332-422: The most stormy days of the year – 7.9, when the average wind speed reaches 10.8 m/s. In 1971, this figure was as high as 36 days. The long-term trends indicate a very significant decrease in the number of stormy days. The closest city to Liepāja is Grobiņa , located about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away towards Riga . Other main cities in the region are Klaipėda (approx. 110 km (68 mi) to

4408-534: The municipality. The urban forest consists of five separate forest massifs: the largest one is in the northern part of the city – the Karosta Forest. Other forests include Reiņu Forest, the forests near the regional hospital, the south-western forest and the Zaļā birze Forest. The city is characterised by a wide variety of forest growth types, determined and influenced by the geological and hydrological conditions of

4484-549: The nineteenth century was rapid. During the Crimean War , when the British Royal Navy was blockading Russian Baltic ports, the busy yet still unfortified port of Libau was briefly captured on 17 May 1854 without a shot being fired, by a landing party of 110 men from HMS Conflict and HMS Amphion . In 1857, an Imperial Decree provided for a new railway to Libau. That year the engineer Jan Heidatel developed

4560-401: The northern part of the city, under the guidance of the best Russian military architects and engineers, the Karosta complex was built, which was and is completely different from the rest of the city, both in function and in the character and traditions of its buildings. The Karosta is still an outstanding example of a militarised complex in Latvian architectural history. The district was built for

4636-786: The oil extraction plant and linoleum factory, mansions at 14 and 16 Krišjāņa Valdemāra Street, 15 Peldu Street, tenement houses on 44 Peldu Street, the Peldu Institution (bath house) in Jūrmala Park, the hospital complex on Dārtas Street, the gymnasium building at 4 Krišjāņa Valdemāra Street, the café at 2 Krišjāņa Valdemāra Street, the St. Anne's Church, the Rome Hotel and others. His red brick buildings are also well known. The architecture of this period uses high-quality woodwork, such as doors. The painted staircases are remarkable, not only in

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4712-419: The old Libau Exchange Bank which had belonged to the Libau Exchange Association, and it eventually became the fourth-largest of Latvia's joint stock banks. However, when a Riga branch of the bank was opened, the business centre of gravity shifted from Liepāja so that by 1923 its Riga 'branch' was responsible for 90% of the turnover. The German consul in Liepāja reported at the time that "Riga, the economic heart of

4788-404: The outskirts of the city and are not connected to the small green areas in the central part of the city. Liepāja's urban forest covers 1368.9 ha, of which 83% are forest stands, the rest is covered by swamps (4.7%), meadows and sandhills (9.5%), flood plains and infrastructure sites (less than 3% in total). Private landowners own 109.6 ha, while 92% of the forest land area, or 1259.3 ha, belongs to

4864-407: The restoration of Latvian independence were enacted in 2009 and 1990 (when parishes were restored). The 2020 law on administrative territories and populated areas designated Ogre and the previous nine republic cities as state cities. It also provided for the promotion of Iecava and Koknese to state city status on 1 July 2021. However, under the same law, only the seven state cities listed in

4940-398: The south), Ventspils (approx. 115 km (71 mi) to the north) and Saldus (approx. 100 km (62 mi) to the east). The distance to Riga (the capital of Latvia) is about 200 km (124 mi) to the east. The nearest point to Liepāja across the Baltic sea is the Swedish island of Gotland approximately 160 km (99 mi) to the north-west. The distance to Stockholm

5016-434: The state Latgyprogorstroy Institute ( [Латгипрогорстрой] Error: {{Lang}}: invalid parameter: |link= ( help ) ). In 1986 the new central city hospital in Zaļa birze was opened. After Latvia regained independence after the fall of the Soviet Union, Liepāja has worked hard to change from a military city into a modern port city (again appearing on European maps after the secrecy of the Soviet period). The commercial port

5092-466: The steamship Saratov in Liepāja port. In May a British cruiser squadron arrived at Liepāja to support Latvian independence and requested the Germans to leave. During the war, the words of " The Jäger March " were written in Liepāja by Heikki Nurmio . The German Freikorps , having recaptured Riga from the Bolsheviks, departed in late 1919 and the Bolsheviks were driven out of the Latvian hinterlands in early 1920. In 1920, over 2,500 Polish soldiers of

5168-425: The warehouses at 1 and 2 Jāņa Street and 4/6 and 10/12 Zivju Street. After several unsuccessful attempts to build a harbour during the previous century, the Trade Canal was dug in 1703, which contributed to the growth of the city. At this time, the port warehouses were built out of wood, characterised by a high plinth created as a semi-basement. Most of the older warehouses were concentrated in Jūras Street, one of which

5244-412: Was built in Liepāja with the support of the government. Liepāja is situated on the coast of the Baltic Sea in the south-western part of Latvia. The westernmost geographical point of Latvia is located approximately 15 km (9 mi) to the south thus making Liepāja Latvia's furthest west city. The city occupies a 1.5-6.5 km wide coastal dune embankment and a foothill plain in the Bartau Plain of

5320-447: Was dismantled in 1958 after the Party Congress that discussed his abuses. During 1953–1957, the city center was reconstructed under the direction of architects A. Kruglov and M. Žagare. In 1952–1955 the Liepāja Academy of Pedagogy building was constructed under the direction of A. Aivars. In 1960 the Kurzeme shopping centre was opened. During the Soviet administration, Liepāja was a closed city ; even local farmers and villagers needed

5396-434: Was established by Provincial Grand Master Ivan Yelagin on behalf of the Provincial Lodge of Russia; it was registered as number 524 in the Grand Lodge of England . In 1794, the city was captured by the Polish insurgents during the Kościuszko Uprising . Courland passed to the control of the Russian Empire in 1795 during the Third Partition of Poland and was organized as the Courland Governorate of Russia. Growth during

5472-729: Was mentioned for the first time in 1649 by Paul Einhorn in his work Historia Lettica . A Russian name in Cyrillic from the time of the Russian Empire was Либава ( Libava ) or Либау ( Libau ), although Лиепая ( Liepaya ), a transliteration of Liepāja, has been used since World War II. Some other names for the city include Liepoja in Lithuanian , the nearest neighbour, Lipawa in Polish , and Libow in English. It

5548-519: Was moved to the Open-Air Museum in the 1930s, while the others have not survived. Residential buildings in the harbour area were very small and densely distributed. In 1848 there were 664 buildings in the town, of which only 46 were stone-built. Although wooden buildings were constructed, the most luxurious were built with roof extensions and ornate doors, panelling and beautifully painted pot stoves. The most ornate building in 18th century Liepāja

5624-463: Was occupied by the Red Army on 9 May 1945. Thousands of Latvians fled as refugees to Germany. The city had been devastated during the war, and most of the buildings and industrial plant were destroyed. On 25–29 March 1949, the Soviet Union organized a second mass deportation to Siberia from Liepāja. In 1950 a monument to Stalin was erected on Station square ( Latvian : Stacijas laukums ). It

5700-473: Was re-opened in 1991, and in 1994 the last Russian troops left Liepāja. Since then, Liepāja has engaged in international co-operation, has been associated with 10 twin and partner cities, and is an active partner in several co-operation networks. Facilities are being improved. The city is the location of Latvia's largest naval flotilla , the largest warehouses of ammunition and weapons in the Baltic states, and

5776-555: Was the Holy Trinity Cathedral With the construction of the Grobiņa highway in 1841 and the Liepāja- Romny railway in the 1870s, the city took on a different character. This was further marked by the appointment of Paul Max Bertschy as the city's first architect in 1871. The houses built by Bertchy form the most notable part of Liepāja's historic buildings. The wide range of Bertschy's diverse works includes

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