Tourism experts expressed hope that in a city where there is a shortage of accommodation for guests, another new apartment with original added value, a visit to the Old Believers' Museum, and a prayer house will boost tourism in Rēzekne.
Nikonova said that this is one of the steps to introduce young people and tourists to the Old Believers' sacred heritage.
"Every item in the interior here has been thought out - either coming from the Old Believers, or from Old Believers' houses, or bought in vintage shops, or found in our family collection. We see that it looks similar to how it was in our grandmothers' homes, but it has been interpreted in a modern way," Nikonova said.
Although Old Believers are one of the most secluded denominations and there is not much information about their daily life, prayers, and religious rituals, the Rēzekne Old Believers Church has decided to reveal a little about itself, inviting both believers and tourists to visit the museum near the house of prayer, spend the night in the Old Believers Apartments and see Rēzekne from the church bell tower.
"Our church, the Old Believers' House of Prayer, was built in 1864. It is one of the largest wooden churches in Latgale and probably in Latvia," said Deniss Molčanovs, assistant pastor, while showing the Old Believers' House of Prayer and the bell tower.
"We have the second largest bell in the Baltics, weighing four tonnes and 782 kilograms. The bell is special because when they melted the metal, they also added silver coins. And that is what makes our bell sound special, not like other bells," said Molčanovs.
Jelena Kijaško, head of the Rēzekne Tourism Development Center, said that Rēzekne does not have enough accommodation capacity for tourists and visitors.
"There are three hotels, one hostel, and several apartments available for visitors. The total number of beds in the city is about 340. In comparison, the capacity of the Gors concert hall for one concert and one event is 1,000 seats. This comparison shows that there is a severe shortage of accommodation both for concerts and for major events in the city," explained Kijaško.
In recent years, sacred tourism has become very popular in the world, and the Old Believers' Apartments will not only become a comfortable accommodation and attract tourists to explore the Old Believers' sacred heritage but also increase the tourist flow to Rēzekne as a whole, Kijaško emphasized.
"It will definitely contribute not only to Rēzekne, but also to Latgale. It is a unique product with added value - people can not only spend the night here but also get to know the Old Believers' traditions," said the head of the Rezekne Tourism Development Center.
Tourists from Latvia and abroad have already stayed in the Rezekne Old Believers' Apartments. A total of 27,000 tourists and visitors stayed in Rēzekne's hotels and apartments last year.
