Latvian men. Appearance: 'sullen with angular head and crimson face' or 'beautiful breed'? What do Latvians eat?

"Writes:" Between these foreign peoples, residents or neighbors of ancient Russia, Nestor also names Letgola (Livonian Latvians), Zimgola (in Semigallia), Kors (in Courland) and Lithuania, which do not belong to the Finns, but together with the ancient Prussians make up Latvian people."

So, here all the Balts are called "Latvian people": including both Prussians and Lithuanians.

On the other hand, Latgalians are called “Latvians” in a special way (letgola = Livonian Latvians, and Semigallians and Curonians are not Livonian Latvians!).

Thus, it is clear that in the times before the formation of the modern Latvian people, the word “Latvians” among Russians denoted in the narrow sense the Latgalians, and in the broad sense, all the Baltic peoples related to them.

It was the Latgalians who brought the root “lat” to modern Latvia and thus gave it a name; but they themselves received this name by no means in Latvia, but also where they came from - in the upper reaches of the Daugava (West Dvina). It was there, on the territory of modern Belarus and the border regions of Russia, that the people lived, who, as one might assume, professed the cult of Lata and therefore called themselves “latīši” (see. latvieshi); it was there that the Slavs who came met him for the first time and adopted his self-name as the word of their language: “Latvians”; it was there that their country Latva was located.

That people, the “first Latvians”, disappeared at the end of the 1st millennium AD: they were partly exterminated in the war, partly pushed back into barren places and died out, partly assimilated into the Russian (and especially in the Belarusian) people, and one of them part in the form of Latgalians went west and eventually joined another, new people - the "second Latvians". But the “first Latvians” left a noticeable mark in Russia and the Russian language - in the form of many Baltic (“Latvian”) toponyms, and in many Russian and Belarusian nicknames and surnames such as Latyshev, Lotysh, etc., and even marked W. Dahlem the word "Latvian" (which obviously comes from how the "first Latvians" spoke Russian incorrectly and with an accent).

The people, newly formed by the sea in the lower reaches of the Daugava, inherited (through the Latgalians) his name and began a different life in the modern world.

Modern Latvians as a people were formed by the merger of five former nationalities - four Baltic and one Finno-Ugric.

Territorial distribution of five ethnic elements:

Settlement of tribes and state formations in the territory of present-day Latvia ca. 1200 (at the beginning of the Crusader invasion).

Zemgaly

Map from the Latvian Soviet Encyclopedia (1984).

One can talk about a single Latvian people (already without tribal differences) since the 16th century, but the people finally formed only in the 20th century (see. Latgalians). For the features of the course of ethnogenesis, see the articles devoted to individual ethnic elements (Latgalians, Latgalians, Curonians, Semigallians, villages, Livs).

After the German conquest of Livonia (including modern Latvia) in the 13th century, the local aristocracy, which became vassals of the archbishops and Livonian Order, mixed with the alien knights and Germanized, forming the estate, which later became known as the "German barons" (Baltic Germans). The Latvian people, on the other hand, consolidated as an almost exclusively peasant people (not counting the few artisans in Riga and other cities).

The number of Latvians fluctuated greatly, declining after such shocks as Livonian(1558–1583), Polish-Swedish (1600–1629) and Northern(1700–1721) wars, and rising in times of peace. The number of Latvians in 1800 can be estimated at 500,000. During the 19th century, when Latvia was almost not affected by any wars (even Napoleon passed by, in general), the population tripled and reached by the end of the 19th century (1897 census) more than 1.6 million, of which 1.5 million in Latvia and more than 110 thousand in other regions of Russia. (Emigration to the North Caucasus, and then to Siberia, Bashkiria, St. Petersburg began in the 1840s, when Latvia was struck by crop failure and severe famine).

The year 1905, when the total number of Latvians could have reached 1.7 million, was the first major shock after the peaceful and fertile 19th century – from that moment on, population growth was interrupted; then even greater upheavals followed - the First World War and the Civil War. In 1935 the number of Latvians was still 1.7 million - 1.5 million in Latvia and about 200 thousand in Russia. A new shock was the genocide against Latvians in Russia in the 1930s (among the approximately 200 thousand Latvians in Russia, the entire adult male population was shot almost without exception) and The Second World War, also accompanied by repressions and deportations. The 1959 census in the USSR recorded 1.4 million Latvians, of which an incomplete 1.3 million in Latvia and 100 thousand in Russia. In addition, in Western countries there was a diaspora of about 200 thousand - the refugees of 1944, who left Latvia when the Red Army approached. The 1989 census recorded 1,387,000 Latvians in Latvia, which is still 79,000 less than in 1935.

Assimilation took place among Russian and Western Latvians, and the number of people who still consider themselves Latvians was declining. As a result, in 2005 - a century later - there are about 1.6 million Latvians in the world - less than in 1905.

After the restoration of Latvia's independence in 1991, the expected improvement did not occur. Demographic indicators are negative - the population continues to decline. In addition, after the fall of the Iron Curtain, and especially after Latvia's accession to the European Union, mass emigration of Latvians to the West began.

Valdis Egle

Main population of Latvia

Latvians, Latvieshes (self-designation, goes back to the name of Latgalians), people, main. us. Latvia (1390 thousand people). They also live in Ros. Federation (46.8 thousand people), Lithuania, Estonia, Belarus, USA, Canada, Australia, etc. Total number. 1540 thousand people They speak Latvian. Balteka of the Indo-European group. families. Dialects: Middle Latvian, Upper Latvian, or Latgalian, and Livonian. Lit. lang. on the basis Middle Latvian dialect. Writing from con. 16th century in lat. graphic basis. Believers L, - in the axis. Protestants (Ch. arr. Lutherans), in Latgale - Catholics.

The ancestors of L. were the Baltic tribes who settled on the territory. Latvia in the 3rd-2nd millennium BC In the beginning. 1st millennium AD culturally close ethnic groups were formed. education: on the coast of the Baltic. seas - Curonians, north of the river. Daugava - Latgalians, in the bass. R. Lielupe - Zemga-ly, in the southeast. Latvia - villages. In 10-12 centuries. on the lands of the Latgalians, the first state. formations - the principalities of Ta-lava, Jersika and Koknese. From con. 12th c. it began. the colonization of Latvia, culminating in its inclusion in the lands of the Livonian Order and other Germans. principalities. On the territory Catholicism spread in Latvia, from the 1st half. 16th century - Protestantism. In 1561 most of Latvia became dependent on Vel. Principality of Lithuania, later - the Commonwealth. In 1629 app. part went to Sweden. In the 18th century as a result of the Northern War and the partitions of Poland in 1772 and 1795, Latvia was included in the Ros. empire. All R. 19th century on the basis Middle Latvian the dialect was formed lit. lang. In 1920, Latvia gained independence (in 1940-90 - the Latvian SSR was part of the USSR). In 1990, the Latvian Armed Forces adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Traditional occupations - agriculture (rye, wheat, barley, oats, buckwheat, hemp, legumes, potatoes, in Latgale - flax) and animal husbandry (cr. horn. dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, horses), fishing on the coast. Traditional crafts - processing of wood, ruts, metal, amber, weaving. Latvian regions of various regions—Latgale, Kurzeme, Vidzeme, Zemgalia, and others—preserve peculiarities in culture. Traditional settlements - odnodvorki (viencetas), on the east - villages of ordinary and street planning (ciems, saja). The location of the estate buildings (dwelling house - istaba, outbuildings - a cage, a barn, a barn, a bathhouse) in decomp. districts are different. Main traditional type. dwellings - a log house on a foundation of wild stone. The roofs are gabled (in Vid-zeme and Kurzeme - and four-sloped), made of straw, reed or shingles. Living quarters were located on both sides of the entrance hall (iams) with a kitchen. Latgalian ista-6a, close to the Russian and Belarusian chicken hut, has the appearance of two independent log cabins with a Russian stove, connected by cold passages (sintses). In the 1920s and 30s spread multi-chamber villages. cottage type houses. In con. 1940s began the resettlement of L. from farms to villages, the location of which is in the main. coincided with the former volost centers.

Traditional female costume - a long tunic-shaped shirt, a striped or plaid skirt, a shoulder cape (villaine). There were local differences in cut, color and decoration of clothing. In Vidzeme, shirts were decorated with hemstitch, capes - white, girls' headdress - a red wreath embroidered with beads, married women - a white embroidered cap. In Zemgale, the shirt was decorated with white embroidery, the skirt - with a special "flower" pattern, the cape - with a rich woven pattern; a silk scarf was worn on the head, tied behind the girls for the girls, under the chin for the married; girls also wore metallic. wreaths, married women - tulle caps. Kurzeme costume (preserved longer than others, until the middle of the 20th century) was distinguished by its metallic. belts, bright blue capes with metallic. ornaments, buckles-sacts. They wore metal on their heads. or wreaths embroidered with beads woven on a solid frame. The Latgalian costume consisted of a shirt with a red brany or embroidered pattern, a checkered (on C-white) skirt, a white cape with blue-green embroidery, and a linen shoulder cover (spatene). The headdress of girls is a red wreath embroidered with beads, married women - a towel. Augshzemsky suit otd. similar in features to Latgale, Vidzeme and Zemgale: a shirt with straight poliks (unlike other Latvians, women's shirts) was decorated with red embroidery, a checkered or light-striped skirt, a towel headdress (namats), on holidays they wore an apron.

Husband. clothing is more monotonous, consisting of a caftan (white, gray or blue), pants (of the same color as the caftan or plaid), shirt, belt, scarf, hat, gloves. Pants were tucked into socks with a colored lapel, shoes - boots or postols. On holidays, a black or gray hat was worn - ratene. And husband. and wives. shirts were chipped off at the metal gate. buckle. From the 2nd floor. 19th century traditional the costume began to fall into disuse.

Traditional food - flour, cereals, peas, beans. The bread was baked sour, in the main. from rye flour. From the crushed hemp seed prepared the so-called. milk, served as a seasoning for potatoes and cereals. Traditional dishes - stews from cereals (putra) and vegetables (kaposti), porridge, dumplings from peas or beans; Easter - eggs and jelly), on Midsummer Day (Li-go) - "yanov cheese" from cottage cheese. Traditional drinks - sbiten from rye flour, barley beer, birch and maple juices.

The family is small patrilineal. Usually the household passed to the eldest son, the rest of the heirs received their share of the money for which they learned the craft, received an education, went to work in the cities or as farm laborers. The primacy was widespread.

Naib, developed types of applied arts - arts, weaving, embroidery, knitting, weaving, wood carving, production of ceramic products, metal processing, amber, leather stamping. Oral Nar. creativity includes fairy tales, legends, anecdotes, riddles, proverbs, sayings. Song folklore is rich - dains (labor songs, satirical, everyday, calendar, etc.). music instruments - kokls (a type of harp), smuygas (bagpipe), violin, flute, etc. Nar. songs are the most important part of the repertoire of song festivals regularly held since 1873.

Used materials of the book: Peoples and religions of the world. Encyclopedia. Moscow, Great Russian Encyclopedia 2000.

Read further:

Ukhov Sergey. History of Vyatka as part of the ethnic history of Eastern Europe. (The article mentions the concept of "letgol".)

Latvians- indigenous inhabitants of the Baltic region and inflyant (Livonian) districts of the Vitebsk province, Aryans by origin, fellow Lithuanians, ancient Prussians And Yotvingians, lived for a long time in adjacency and interspersed with representatives Finno-Estian tribe, being influenced Corsi And Livs and changing in many places in racial type, as opposed to the Lithuanians.

The first tribes from which the Latvian nation was born lived in the territory of Latvia as early as 3,000 years before the birth of Christ.

In 1881-1885 the number of Latvians was:
in Courland (Kurzeme) 479.978 people,
V Livonia (Vidzeme) 490.345 people,
Latgale Catholic Latvians 189,000 people,
Lutheran-Latvians in the Vitebsk province 28,000 people,
Latvians in Kovno (Kaunas) province 26,000 people,
in the Pskov province 11,000 people,
in Prussia 1,500 people,
total 1.225.823 people.

For 1893 6.686 Latvian migrants are shown, of which 406 in cities and 6280 in counties, mainly Pskov And Ostrovsky. IN Courland 525.000 people, in Livonia 400.000 people, in Latgale 243.000 people. Many Latvians still live in the provinces Mogilev And Ufa, as well as in the Kuban region and in both capitals: St. Petersburg And Moscow.

In Soviet times, in addition to Latvia, many Latvians lived in Russia, Lithuania, Estonia and Belarus. In 1985, 1,445,000 Latvians lived in the USSR, of which 1,344,100 lived in Latvia.

Today, 1,209,401 Latvians live in Latvia, which is 61% of the population of Latvia .
There are about 2 million Latvians in the world.
The largest foreign diaspora of Latvians lives in the USA = about 102,000 people.
Further, in descending order, Latvians live in the following countries: Ireland, Great Britain, Canada, Brazil, Russia (18.979 people), New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Ukraine (5.079 people), Lithuania, Italy, Estonia, France, Belgium, Moldova, Croatia (total 11 people).

The Latvian diaspora in Russia was formed from three main groups: “old Latvians” who left Latvia starting from the middle of the 19th century; Latvians deported during the period of Stalinist repressions (it is alleged that up to 50,000 Latvians living in the country were then subjected to repressions); and those who voluntarily moved during the Soviet era. All Latvian centers are united in one organization - the Congress of Russian Latvians. There is a Latvian Sunday school in Moscow.

In 1927, 39 thousand Latvians lived in the Leningrad region (which then included the future Novgorod and Pskov regions); in 1930/31 account. There was one Latvian school for every 658 Latvians in the region. At the regional Soviet party school there was a department for Latvians, at the Pedagogical Institute. Herzen was the Latvian sector, in Leningrad there was the Latvian House of Education. In 1934, a Latvian edition was created at the Leningrad Radio. In October 1937, by decision of the city committee of the CPSU (b), the Latvian House of Education was liquidated. The Latvian theater was liquidated by the decree of the Leningrad Region Executive Committee of March 3, 1938; by the end of March 1938, the Latvian schools were transformed into ordinary ones.

As a result of repressions and the war, the number of Leningrad Latvians has significantly decreased and now they live in very small numbers in the Leningrad Region.

The descendants of Latvian settlers live compactly in Siberia (in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Omsk Region, as well as in Bashkortostan.

At the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the XX centuries, dozens of Latvian settlements existed on the present territory of Belarus; in 1928, there were 1,890 Latvian peasant farms on the territory of the BSSR. In 1924-1934. in Vitebsk there was a Latvian national chamber at the people's court. According to the 2009 census, 1549 Latvians lived in Belarus

It is believed that the Latvians have one kindred people, these are the Lithuanians.

The Latvian nation was founded by five peoples living on the territory of modern Latvia, this Latgales, Curonians, Semigallians, Villages And Do you.

The Latvian nation has two ethnic groups, these are Latgalians who live in the east of Latvia in the historical region of Latgale and there are up to 200,000 of them.
And the second group is Suiti, there are only 2,800 of them and they live in the aisles of Ventspils and Kuldiga.

Believing Latvians are predominantly Protestants (Lutherans), however in the East of Latvia in Latgale, especially within the former Vitebsk province, in Dvinsk ( Daugavpils), Rezhitsa ( Rezekne) and Lucin ( Ludze)historically live Latvian Catholics .

And since 1840 in Livonia And Courland some of them converted to Orthodoxy.

According to anthropological research Latvians, are people of average height, often above average, strong, proportional physique. The skin color is white, the hair on the head is smooth, often light, rarely very curly, mostly blond, but there are also light chestnut, rarely dark chestnut. Pure red and black hair is not found. Eye color is predominantly gray-blue, gray or blue, rarely brown. Usually Latvians shave their beards. The face is generally oval in shape, more often Latvians have a narrow face, rarely wide or angular. The complexion, although not fresh, is not pale either. The forehead is high, the nose is mostly straight and rather long, the teeth are good and straight. There are many beautiful women. (such a description can be found in the 1907 encyclopedia)

With their average height, Latvians and Lithuanians approach the Finns and Estonians, differ from more undersized Belarusians .

Initially, Lets lived on the shores of the Baltic Sea; Livo-Kuron appeared there by sea migration, only at a later time. The history of the language, and especially of cultural words, shows that in ancient times the Livs and Finns borrowed from the Leto-Lithuanians very important cultural concepts on forestry, beekeeping, agriculture and fish farming, while, on the contrary, the number of Livisms in the Latvian language is small.

The Latvians did not have a common state structure, but lived under the leadership of their elders and ancestors, scattered over wooded and marshy places, populating the country by allocating younger sons to special new settlements and wastelands. The eldest son or the youngest usually inherited the estate and household, pledging to support the brothers in the founding of a new settlement.

The type of the original Latvian house fits the Lapland "cat" and the Cheremis kuala; it is a log building, 21-32 meters long, 11-12 meters wide. A hearth was placed in the middle, surrounded by a low stone wall; it consisted of a hole dug a cubit deep, and had a circle, in the form of a square or circle, from 3 to 4 cubits.

Back in the 18th century the Courland hut was under one roof, without dividing the porch-kitchen from the living quarters, without windows, with a door that served together as a chimney and a skylight. When, in addition to the hearth, the richer people had an oven for baking, the house was divided into two halves: nams(kitchen and hallway) and istaba- a hut with a Russian stove.

In Livonia in the eighteenth century. there were types of residential buildings that combined a barn or barn (a warm bedroom in winter), a cold room with an earthen floor for threshing and a closet for a hand mill and for storing various junk, with a potato pit. In practice, even in the 20th century there was a master's yard, which still had a special clean cellar, without windows, with a strong ceiling and floor, for storing chests and clothes of daughters-brides and unmarried sons; honored guests are received here and the master's daughters and sons sleep in the summer.

A barn with a barn, a barn, a barn, stables and baths are built separately and are separated from the yard by a flower garden, a vegetable garden and an orchard. The windows and the front of the house did not face the street, but a clean courtyard. Roofs are covered in Livonia and Latgale with straw, in Courland in some places with shingles. Household utensils and household implements are mostly made of wood.

Like the Lithuanians, the Latgale Latvians are very fond of going to their church (church) often, and their sons are most willingly prepared to be priests.

The Baltic Latvians, unlike the Latgale Latvians, are much more developed; their literary works among the Latgalians find little sales. Family customs and holidays are the same for eastern and western Latvians.

Many everyday features of a pagan character have been preserved in native, wedding and funeral rites and songs (the custom of treating household members at birth, a bathhouse evening, finding a lullaby).
At weddings, the influence of common German-philistine customs, with putting on a bonnet, is also noticeable.
In funeral rites, the expulsion of death with spruce branches is characteristic; in this case, as many as 663 slander and spells are known.
Folk massage, bloodletting, potting, homeopathic and sympathetic remedies play an important role in folk treatment.

The traditional food of Latvians is flour, cereals, peas, beans... Historically, sour bread is baked from rye flour. They themselves crushed hemp milk for seasonings.

Traditional dishes: cereal stew called "Putra", or vegetable "kaposti", porridges, dumplings from peas and beans, pies with lard, cookies, meat dishes. At Christmas they served a boiled pork head with sauerkraut, at Easter they cook eggs and jelly (jelly), on Midsummer Day (Ligo) - "Yanov cheese" from cottage cheese.
Traditional drinks are rye flour sbiten, barley beer, birch and maple sap.

Latvian applied arts: weaving, embroidery, knitting, weaving, wood carving, ceramics, metal and amber processing, leather stamping.

Oral folk art includes Latvian folk tales, legends, anecdotes, riddles, proverbs and sayings.
Song folklore is rich: dains, labor, satirical, everyday, calendar. Since 1873, Latvian song festivals have been held regularly.

Latvian musical folk instruments: Kokle (a type of harp), Smuigas (bagpipe), violin, flute...

It is divided into three dialects: Upper Latvian, Middle Latvian and Livonian. The modern literary Latvian language is based on the Central Latvian dialect.

The Upper Latvian dialect is very different from the Middle Latvian and Livonian dialects (therefore, in contrast to the Upper Latvian, they are also called Lower Latvian). Distributed in Latgale, in the east of Vidzeme and in Augshzeme, includes eastern (deep) and western (shallow) dialects. Both groups are also divided into Selonian and Latgalian dialects. Latgalian deep dialects are sometimes separated into a separate language - Latgalian.

The Central Latvian dialect includes Vidzeme (central Vidzeme), Semigallian (central Zemgale) and Curonian (southern Kurzeme) dialects.

The Livonian dialect, formed on the basis of the Finno-Ugric Liv substratum, includes Vidzeme (North-West Vidzeme) and Kurzeme (North Kurzeme) dialects.

There are ten parts of speech in Latvian: noun, adjective, numeral, pronoun, adverb, verb, preposition, conjunction, particle, interjection

Declined parts of speech have five cases(nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, locative) and the vocative, traditionally also considered a case.
The instrumental case in Latvian has disappeared.

There are 6 declensions in the Latvian language.

Latvians

representatives of one of the Baltic nations that make up the majority of the population of Latvia.

The Latvian people cherish the national and cultural traditions that have developed over centuries of historical development. The 20th century was full of drama for the citizens of Latvia. During the First World War, when German troops invaded Latvia, more than half a million Latvian refugees went deep into Russia. Almost a third of the inhabitants of the republic were exterminated or driven to Germany during the Second World War.

Since ancient times, Latvians have been known as skilled livestock breeders, flax breeders, gardeners, and artisans. The head of the family and the owner of all property among them is the husband. However, the wife enjoys great independence. Spouses solve important issues together. Everyday housework is done by a woman. Children usually bear some responsibility for helping their parents with housework and housework.

Latvians easily endure difficulties, they are able to perform large volumes of work in a short time. They show their feelings sparingly, as they often live apart from childhood, in families with few children. After adulthood, they usually separate from their parents. Hence, among them there is a weak attachment to relatives, satisfaction with a small number of interpersonal relationships, relatively low sociability with other people, wariness in relationships with them.

Some consider Latvians closed. This is not entirely true. It's all about the prevailing psychology, culture, way of life of the people. For centuries, Latvians lived in solitude on farms, ran their own households, and earned their bread through hard work. It is no coincidence that when evaluating a person, they first of all seek to emphasize his diligence, ability to work, and skill. A Latvian will not be friends with a lazy person, even a countryman.

First of all, the Latvian is used to relying on himself, on his strength, his knowledge, his experience, and only then count on outside help. Therefore, he rarely turns to his comrades for support, although he himself never refuses it. If you see that something is not working out for a Latvian, do not wait until he asks you for help. This most likely won't happen. Offer to help yourself, and your participation will be appreciated.

Latvians, as a rule, are attentive, accurate at work, unhurried and prudent in all types of activities, pedantic and disciplined in the performance of official duties, like to work according to instructions, according to a plan, and solve problems sequentially. Many Latvians are especially outraged by dishonesty, frivolous violation of rules and safety measures, unwillingness to master a specialty. Representatives of this nationality do not like to conflict, they are very patient in relationships, but they do not put up with the shortcomings of others if this is to the detriment of the common cause.

It used to be said about Latvians that they would choose copper coins from a casket with gold and copper coins, thus emphasizing honesty, highly revered among them. They are distinguished by directness in behavior and actions. When serious issues are being resolved, they boldly express their opinion. The position of the Latvian is always thought out, and therefore - weighty. Latvians are often offended by the unwillingness of representatives of other nationalities living in the territory of Latvia to learn the Latvian language, their culture and traditions.

In general, Latvians easily adapt to the difficulties of life. They are well-read, erudite, and therefore each of them has a well-formed opinion on many issues, including political issues.

The propensity to form national microgroups among Latvians is rare. At the same time, under certain conditions, they can unite, but this measure is most often forced, in response to the claims of some national microgroup to subordinate them to their influence. In most cases, they get along well with representatives of other nationalities, work successfully and perform any tasks as part of a multinational team, which is facilitated, among other things, by the high level of their general education.

We should not forget about the heightened national feelings of the Latvians, which have different shades. Among certain segments of the population, especially part of the intelligentsia and youth, a disdainful attitude towards some representatives of other nationalities has formed. There are also people among Latvians who are inclined to see the reasons for the difficulties of the current situation in the republic in the "infringement of national dignity" that took place in the past, when they lived as part of the USSR. In interethnic relations with Russians, Belarusians and Poles, who live quite a lot in Latvia, the indigenous population has a rather difficult situation. However, taking into account the best features of the national character of the Latvians, their traditionally good-neighborly relations with all peoples, of course, one can hope for a settlement of this problem.

Ethnopsychological dictionary. - M.: MPSI. V.G. Krysko. 1999

See what "Latvians" are in other dictionaries:

Latvians- to her; pl. Nation, the main population of Latvia; representatives of this nation. ◁ Latvian, a; m. Latvian, and; pl. genus. shek, dat. shkam; and. Latvian, oh, oh. L. tongue. In Latvian, adv. Speak Latvian. * * * Latvians (self-name latvieshi), people, ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

LATVIANS- (self-name latvieshi) people, the main population of Latvia (1390 thousand people, 1992). The Russian Federation has 47 thousand inhabitants. The total number of 1.54 million people (1992). The language is Latvian. Believing Latvians are mostly Protestants, some Catholics ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

LATVIANS- LATVIANS, Latvians, units Latvian, Latvian, husband The people constituting the main population of Latvia. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

LATVIANS- LATCHES, her, unit. ouch, ah, husband. The people constituting the main indigenous population of Latvia. | female Latvian, and | adj. Latvian, oh, oh. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

Latvians- LATVIANS, her, mn (single Latvian, a, m). The people constituting the main indigenous population of the Republic of Latvia, located in Vost. Europe, in the Baltics; people belonging to this people; official lang. Latvian, Baltic group of the Indo-European family ... ... Explanatory dictionary of Russian nouns

LATVIANS- (self-names Latvieshes, Latgalians) people with a total number of 1540 thousand people, the main population of Latvia (1390 thousand people) Other countries of settlement: Russian Federation 47 thousand people, Canada 24 thousand people, USA 22 thousand people ., Australia 20 thousand people,… … Modern Encyclopedia

Latvians- pl. 1. The people of the Baltic group of the Indo-European ethno-linguistic family, constituting the main population of Latvia. 2. Representatives of this people. Explanatory Dictionary of Ephraim. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language Efremova

LATVIANS- (self-name latvia shi), people, the main population of Latvia. There are 47 thousand people in the Russian Federation. The Latvian language is a Baltic group of Indo-European languages. Believers are mostly Protestants, some are Catholics.

Hello, dear readers (and readers :)) of the site site! I want to tell you my story of marriage with a foreigner.

My husband is from the Baltics [region of Northern Europe, which includes Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Note. site editors].

Once upon a time, I, a student at the Dnepropetrovsk Institute, could not even think about marriage with a Latvian.

First meeting with Dainis

Our meeting was not romantic, but rather amusing. Winter, wind and twenty-five degrees below zero. I go down the avenue and, having decided to shorten the path, I turn into the yards. Putting my heel on the ice hidden under the snow, I first slipped, then rode and finally fell. A tall guy with a pleasant boyish voice sternly stated the fact: "Girl, you fell," but extended his hand and helped him up.

He was very serious, he was reluctant to maintain a dialogue with an unfamiliar girl, and he spoke with a bright accent, sometimes putting stresses in the wrong place.

strange date

The next weekend, Dainis and I met again. When I approached my new acquaintance, the first thing he said was: "You're late." I was surprised: I was only 10 minutes late! The mood did not deteriorate, but I put the first “tick” for myself - very punctual.

And then the "ticks" began to grow exponentially: instead of seven minutes by tram and six kopecks for two - half an hour on foot in a cafe. The order was made for a very long time - everything was calculated to the smallest detail. After escorting to the entrance (thank you very much!), He said dryly goodbye and left. I decided to put an end to these checkboxes and forever forget a terrible acquaintance.

Dear ring

Latvians are not greedy, but simply economical. I met, of course, a careless attitude to money, but this is an exception rather than a rule. In Russia, this is called a “broad soul”, and Latvians are motivated by the fact that they live once.

Beautiful city of Jelgava

In the summer we went to meet Dainis' parents: first, it was 17:00 to Riga, then we transferred to another train to Jelgava.

When we got off to the platform, I was immediately struck by the extraordinary amount of greenery in the city. It seemed that everything around was planted with trees, bushes and flowers. In Latvia, they love their land very much, they take great care of the environment and nature.

Probably, the location on the Lielupe River makes Jelgava so fresh, with clean air and a lot of greenery. I was immediately struck by the streets and houses. The streets were not smooth, but winding, reminiscent of a river, houses - like dolls, with red and brown roofs.

Jelgava is a rather big city - the 4th in number in Latvia, but very measured, with a leisurely and moderate life.

On the threshold of the apartment we were met by Dainis's mother - and from the first glance in her eyes I realized that this is now my home too. Dainis' mother did everything very slowly, sometimes it seemed that she was just standing in one place. But in the end, she managed to do everything on time: everyone was fed, the linen was washed and ironed, the house was cleaned.

Having got acquainted with several more families, I realized that the head of the family in Latvia is a woman, the family rests on her. Men are earners. They just do work and men's duties, while all family affairs are entrusted to the wife.

In general, Latvians have a more matriarchal society: as evidence, one can even refer to Latvian mythology (they had goddesses, not gods - Mara, Laima, Zemesmate, Jurasmate) and the unusually bright coming to power of the female president Vaira Vike-Freiberga.

And their mentality has clearly expressed female characteristics, among which, in my opinion, emotionality stands out (rare outbursts against the background of general calmness and restraint), which they put under control in every possible way and the need for protection. Roughly speaking, they need someone who will manage and protect them. Latvians themselves do not strive for leadership, they are complaisant, tolerant and loyal. Do not confuse, by the way, Latvians and Latvians. Latvians are the titular nation in the country, and Latvians are all subjects of the Republic of Latvia.

My first Sklandrausis and a lot of fish on the Latvian table

The main part of the dishes on the Latvian table is fish. I really liked the pie with a pile of vegetables and legumes - this is Sklandrausis - the national dish of Latvia. I have never eaten such fishy yummy as here in my life. I didn’t think that something like this could be cooked from herring, herring and sprat. And my friends from the “country that sings” are very fond of caraway cheese, pork and potatoes with cottage cheese.

In Latvia, they are not satisfied with potatoes with herring and Russian salad on the festive table. The choice of dishes here is very large: it is not even clear what Latvians love the most. One thing is clear - there is always cheese, fish and legumes in the refrigerator.

Latvian wedding

A year later, we celebrated our wedding with Dainis. The Latvians, who do not like wastefulness, threw a "feast in the mountains" so that the young could live in abundance. In the center of the table, an obligatory dish is a fragrant broth and small pies with meat.

For me, what was happening was unusual, I don’t remember much of the excitement at all. At first I sat in a wreath, and at midnight two girlfriends tied me a beautiful openwork scarf and put on an apron - now I am the mistress of the house and my wife.

Everything related to family, country, culture and traditions is sacred and categorical for Latvians. They know and appreciate their history, remember and respect their ancestors. Despite the regularity, the inhabitants of Latvia are very cheerful: they know a lot of songs, jokes, folk dances.

The best husband and dad

After the wedding, Dainis has changed a lot - now he is a husband, a breadwinner in the family. We didn't need money. It happened that Dainis left with the fishermen at night and worked as a loader in the shops. After the birth of the baby, part of the worries passed to her husband: he bathed her, put her to bed and sang lullabies.

In Latvia, it is not customary to borrow money or go around asking your neighbors for an onion or salt. The family should have everything. Men devote a lot of time to children, but they do not pamper, do not praise in the presence of strangers and do not show their love for them openly. Babies are taught from the cradle to control their emotions. .

Thirty years together

For thirty years, Dainis and I have been living in Dnepropetrovsk. We have two daughters and two grandchildren. All the shortcomings that I did not like in Dainis became huge pluses for family life.

My conclusions: punctuality and seriousness helped to become an assistant professor and teacher at the Academy, excessive frugality grew into the construction of a two-story house and the purchase of an apartment for my youngest daughter. And silence and prudence over the years have ceased to irritate me and have become very important for family life.

Elena, specially for the site site

There are more than 1.5 million Latvians all over the world. About 90% of them live in Latvia, but they can also be found in the USA, Russia, Australia, Canada, Great Britain and Germany, as well as in Brazil, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia and Ireland. In general, there is hardly any country in the world where Latvians have not made their presence known, so even if you never visit Latvia, you have every chance of meeting a Latvian somewhere else. The purpose of this brochure is to give an idea of ​​who the Latvians are. Of course, each person is unique, but we have tried to highlight some of the most noticeable features that most Latvians have.

Houses and families of Latvians

Historically, Latvians have preferred to live in family farms rather than unite in villages. Many people living in rural areas of Latvia still live this way today. This Latvian penchant for seclusion at a comfortable distance from others may explain their introverted, self-sufficient and independent nature. Even today, a Latvian puts his home and his family above everything else, and welcomes only close friends and relatives to this home sanctuary. A Latvian may not have many close friends, but such well-established friendships are more valuable to him than gold. Women play a particularly important role in Latvian society. In a family, a woman is the glue that binds the family together and passes on family traditions. Today, the women of the country have assumed leading roles in society, including the presidency of the state. Latvian men are proud that our women are not only smart and caring, but also very beautiful.

What do Latvians eat?

From time immemorial, Latvian holidays have been grandiose celebrations, at which an endless variety of dishes and alcoholic drinks were consumed with great appetite. But even on ordinary days, good food is of great importance for a Latvian. Traditional Latvian cuisine includes a variety of products: rye bread, potatoes, sausages and meat, fish, various dairy products, beer and kvass. Breakfast usually consists of cheese or sausage sandwiches and tea or coffee. For lunch, most often soup with vegetables and meat, as well as potatoes and a glass of kefir or fruit juice. Rice, buckwheat or pasta as a side dish for a meat dish are less commonly used. Latvians love their traditional rye bread, especially homemade. However, sweet and sour rye bread is also popular. Many Latvian families bake pies, including apple pies, and sweet cheesecakes for dessert.

Latvians and nature

All Latvians are in awe of nature: the land, the sea, animals, and especially flowers and trees. This does not depend on whether they live in cities or in rural areas. Majestic oaks are especially revered. All ancient trees are recorded and registered for special protection. Such a close relationship with centuries-old trees is rooted in ancient, pre-Christian beliefs, traditions and folklore, to the time when Latvians worshiped various natural deities and performed various rituals around these sacred trees and under their crowns. Latvians also have a special love for storks, and a stork's nest next to the house is considered a good sign - this is a special blessing for the residents of the house. Such ancient beliefs continue to live in the thinking of modern Latvians, many of whom are close to the "green" philosophy. Therefore, it is not surprising that many regions of Latvia have been preserved in their original form, untouched by human development.

Latvians in the open air

Love for nature is part of the lifestyle of many Latvians. Although many generations of Latvians have chosen to live and work in the countryside, even city dwellers prefer to spend their holidays away from the hustle and bustle of the city. They spend their weekends and holidays by the sea, picnicking by a lake or next to a river, or going for walks in the vast Latvian forests. This is especially true in the summer when Latvians sunbathe, swim and fish, or engage in more active sports such as cycling or rowing. Thanks to the large number of wild animals in Latvia, hunting is still popular among men. Regardless of how they spent the day, Latvians often spend their evenings around the campfire, where they cook, sing songs and dream.

Latvian and his land

Small family farms and peasant households are seen as places where the Latvian soul feels at home. It is here that Latvian traditions originated and are maintained. In Latvia, such farms are known not by street or address, but by their unique names, many of which are centuries old. For many Latvians, working in the family garden is more than a substitute for a field trip. Gardening is a popular pastime and even leads to competitions for the prettiest and most manicured gardens. Elderly Latvians spend a lot of time in their garden plots, preparing stocks for the winter, preparing jams, fruit juices, pickling and salting vegetables, especially cabbage and cucumbers. The abundance of forests makes picking berries and mushrooms one of the favorite pastimes for all generations of Latvians. From July to September Latvian forests are full of Latvians busy filling wicker baskets with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, lingonberries and mushrooms.

Latvians and flowers

Latvians love flowers and love to give them (to both women and men), to honor places and events. Preferences may vary, but there are certain unwritten rules that Latvians follow in the flower giving tradition. The bouquet should consist of an odd number of flowers: three, five, seven or nine. But, when flowers are brought to the grave, there must be an even number of them. Flowers are given to show appreciation, to commemorate a birthday, anniversary, wedding, promotion or achievement, or simply to make someone smile. Since time immemorial, flowers, oak leaves and floral bouquets have been used as decorations during festive occasions. Today, Latvians decorate themselves, their homes, their pets, their livestock, and even their cars with flowers.

Latvians and fire

Perhaps because of the cooler North European climate, or simply because Latvians have preserved many of their ancient traditions, all Latvians are very fond of fire. It plays an important role during Ligo (January's Day, the summer solstice), when thousands of bonfires light up the Latvian countryside. No Latvian holiday would be complete without candles, as they are seen as an integral part of the festive atmosphere. Candles are lit on birthday cakes, at funerals, placed on windows, and also lit during graduation parties. For Christmas, many Latvians prefer to decorate their Christmas trees with real candles rather than colorful electric light bulbs. Candles are lit on the table during the wedding feast, and they are also carried by participants in the traditional midnight wedding sacrament when the veil (mičošana) is removed from the bride. Candlesticks and candelabra made of wood, ceramic or metal are also an important part of traditional Latvian crafts and art. Latvians get great pleasure from fireworks, not only at large public events, but also at private parties.

Latvians, their songs and dances

If it is possible to define a people by some universal sign, then for Latvians such a sign is the love of singing. Latvians sing all the time, in any place and for any reason. They sing at holidays, anniversaries, celebrations, weddings, graduation balls and sporting events. Despite the fact that Latvians sing in various styles, whether it be opera, pop, jazz or rock, traditional Latvian folk songs, known as dains, hold a special place in their hearts. Daynes can be sung alone, in a group, or in a large choir. About a million known dynas affect any significant occasion. There are dinas for any occasion and for any mood, and even politicians do not hesitate to perform dina when there is a suitable opportunity for this. During spectacular song festivals, tens of thousands of Latvians gather in large choirs to sing. They are dressed in national costumes, the history of which dates back centuries. Many Latvians have their own national costume, which they wear on special occasions such as song festivals or various holidays. The songs are often accompanied by dances, and many of the Latvians participate in folk dance groups or simply join the dancers when the mood is right.

Latvians and their holidays

The four most popular holidays for Latvians are Christmas, New Year, Easter and Ligo, or Janov's Day (summer solstice). Ligo, which is celebrated on the eve of June 24, is especially significant. Most Latvians celebrate this holiday in the countryside in the open air: people gather near farms, peasant houses, in a field or forest, by the light of a huge fire on a hilltop at sunset, and preferably near a large oak tree. Anyone flying over Latvia on New Year's Eve will see an impressive light show as thousands of blazing bonfires criss-cross the country. For the holiday, people prepare special food: cumin cheese, bacon pies, and stock up on huge amounts of beer. Girls adorn themselves with wreaths of wild flowers, and guys with oak leaves. Despite the fact that the singing of traditional Jan songs is increasingly complemented by musical recordings and stage performances, it seems that almost every Latvian knows at least a few Jan songs that are characteristic of Ligo. The merry fellows with enough endurance will stay up all night to meet the dawn of New Year's Day after the nightly songs and dances. Romantic couples will spend the night together in the forest in search of a mystical fern flower.

Latvians and their symbols

Latvians do not show their patriotism openly, despite the fact that they deeply love their land and country, and are very proud of their cultural and sporting achievements. The essence of being a Latvian lies in a few common symbols. Some symbols, such as the flag and the Freedom Monument in Riga, are associated with Latvian statehood and the freedom of the Latvian people. Oak symbolizes strength, endurance, longevity and the ability to survive. Therefore, the oak wreath, which is worn by men during the celebration of the New Year or which is given to athletes or labor veterans for special achievements, embodies all these qualities. Flower wreaths for women also symbolize traditional Latvian values. The bonfire, which illuminates the festive events, symbolizes light and warmth. In addition, since 1991, it symbolizes the bonfires that lit up the days of the barricades, which led to the return of Latvia's independence. The rich set of symbols found in Latvian ornaments and decorations also carries a wide range of meanings from ancient times, symbolizing wisdom, strength, security and spiritual beliefs.

Latvians and their language

The total number of native speakers of the Latvian language in the world exceeds 2 million people, and for 1.4 million this language is native. Latvian belongs to the Indo-European family of languages ​​and together with Lithuanian forms the Baltic language group, separate but related to the Slavic and Germanic language groups. The Latvian language, like Lithuanian, retains many elements of the Proto-Indo-European language both in vocabulary and grammar, and from this point of view is of great interest to linguists. Although the modern literary Latvian language is used in almost all areas of life throughout the country, elements of various local dialects are often found in colloquial Latvian. About 150 Latvian-language newspapers are published, with a total circulation of 110 million copies. 200 magazines are also published. In addition, about two thousand books are published every year in Latvia, with a total circulation of 5 million copies.

Latvians and their names

There are about a thousand Latvian names, and each day of the Latvian calendar always highlights one or more of them. This day is called the day of the name. On their name days, Latvians usually accept congratulations, gifts and flowers, and wait for guests without an invitation. The most popular Latvian male name is Janis, followed by Andris, Juris, Edgars, Maris and Aivar. The most popular female names are Anna, Christina, Maria, Inese, Inga and Ilze. The fashion for names is also changeable, so new, modern names are gaining momentum, or old, long-forgotten names are returning. However, some names with centuries of history, such as Karlis, Ilze, Pēteris, Anna, Juris, etc. withstand the onslaught of time. Most Latvian names are local variants of European Christian names, while some were borrowed from neighboring peoples, and about ten percent are unique to Latvians, for example: Irbe, Sniedze, Viesturs, Dzintars, Auseklis. Many of the Latvian names represent animals or natural phenomena, such as amber, a star, snow, or a breed of birds. Visvaldis, for example, means "almighty".

About half of all Latvian surnames have Latvian roots: Berzins, Kalnins, Ozolins. Most surnames of Latvian origin personify a particular subject. Thus, among the prime ministers of Latvia were Mr. Gailis ("cock"), Mr. Krasts ("shore"), Mr. Shkele ("hunk"). Less common are German, Swedish and Polish surnames, in recent years the number of Russian surnames has increased. When studying surnames, one can trace the relationship of the family to a particular church parish.