Baiba Kušķe

Latvian Radio

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22.07.24

Operetta festival takes place in Ikšķile, Latvia next week

This year, the Operetta Theater will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a particularly rich program of the Operetta Festival in Ikšķile. The prelude to the festival - the concert "Vivat!" - will take place this Sunday, July 28, at the Ikšķile Lutheran Church, and the following week, for three days, the festival events will take place at the Ikšķile Open Air Stage.

July 22, 10:21

19.07.24

"Essence of Tukums" installation unveiled

On Friday, July 19, an open-air installation will be unveiled in the center of Tukums, called "Mr Tukums". The piece consists of many mirrors stamped with "inspirational" writings encouraging visitors to look at their own reflection in a positive light, Latvian Radio reported.

July 19, 11:03

03.07.24

'Rīgas Ritmi' festival to jazz it up this week

For many years now, the beginning of July in Riga has been filled with jazz rhythms, as the Riga Rhythms (Rīgas ritmi) festival is always present. This year, the 24th edition of the festival will also see both foreign stars and local musicians shine, offering a wide range of music.

July 3, 9:37

19.06.24

Festival trends in Latvia: more events, fewer tents

Individual concerts attract more audiences than festivals– this is one of the trends in the global popular music market in recent years. Audiences also increasingly prefer comfort and convenience and are not so keen to enjoy music under the open sky. What trends are organizers of Latvia's big summer festivals observing? Latvian Radio sought answers June 19.

June 19, 10:08

12.06.24

Riga Philharmonic hall could be open by decade's end

Rīga could have a new-look concert hall ready by 2029 or 2030 if everything goes as planned – which is a fairly large 'if' – in a major overhaul of the existing Congress House venue.

June 12, 9:48

14.05.24

Augmented reality book shows history of Rīga

A rather unusual book was launched last weekend. It is an album of historical photographs, entitled "A Walk Through Beautiful Riga/ Pastaiga pa skaisto Rīgu". The author is Kaspars Migla, co-author Andris Ivanovs.

May 14, 11:54

13.05.24

Rīga starts planting flowers for the summer

Summer flower planting will begin this week in Riga parks and streets. Winter plants have survived well, and the recent spring cold and snow have not hurt them much. Only the large Sakura garden in Pārdaugava did not blossom as glamorous this spring because of the cold, Latvian Radio reported May 12.

May 13, 9:10

18.04.24

New Cheka exhibit on display at 'Corner House' in Rīga

On April 18, a new exhibition dedicated to the resistance movement "National Guard/Nacionālā sardze" and its leader Jūlijs Bračs will open at the Occupation museum's branch in the former KGB building ('Corner House'), Latvian Radio reports.

April 18, 9:22

23.02.24

Ukrainian musician Oksana Nikitiuk's busy life in Latvia

Ukrainian musician Oksana Nikitiuk, who has been away from her homeland for two years, calls music, the friends she has made in Latvia and like-minded people her sources of strength. Latvian Radio spoke to the accomplished artist February 23 about her life and music in Latvia.

February 23, 17:16

24.01.24

Legendary Latvian animator Māris Putniņš passes away

There was sad news January 24 with confirmation of the death of animator Māris Putniņš.

January 24, 16:40

10.11.23

'Lāčplēsis' performance on display at Likteņdārzs park

As of November 10, in the Likteņdārzs park in Koknese, a performance of the Latvian epic poem 'Lāčplēsis' (The Bear Slayer) will be displayed as an installation of light, music, actor voices, and the overall atmosphere of the garden, Latvian Radio reports.

November 10, 2023, 10:45

20.10.23

Book of Latvian folksongs in English published

American Latvian Ieva Auziņa-Sentivanī has been adapting Latvian folksongs – dainas – into English for years now. Another translated volume, the third, will join the first two on October 20, Latvian Radio reports.

October 20, 2023, 9:32

18.05.23

Ukrainian Vyshyvanka Day to be marked in Latvia

For the seventh year in Latvia, the Ukrainian community will mark Vyshyvanka Day on May 18, Latvian Radio reported.

May 18, 2023, 9:30

27.03.23

Exhibit tells stories of Latvian WWII refugees

Russia's attack on Ukraine has topicalized refugee issues in Latvia once again. In the past, many Latvians were also forced to flee their homes due to hostilities. The exhibition "Refugee Paths" opened in March displays items Latvians had taken with them when fleeing and tells the stories of Latvian refugees from 1944 onward, Latvian Radio reported on March 25.

March 27, 2023, 11:20

02.03.23

Currencies of the Baltic states tell their tales in new exhibition

A new, large-scale exhibition tells the story of currency in the Baltic states.

March 2, 2023, 9:21

20.02.23

Residents confused after evacuation from dangerous building in Rīga(update)

Residents of two adjacent buildings on Krišjāņa Valdemāra Street were promptly evacuated on Saturday due to cracks in the walls. The buildings were declared hazardous and the street closed. The residents are confused about the suddenness of the evacuation as the cracks have been there for years, Latvian Radio and Latvian Television reported on February 19.

February 20, 2023, 8:56

02.02.23

Rīga's 'King of Tango' remembered

Latvia's musical heritage is broad, and on February 2-3 one of the country's more unexpected major musical figures will be celebrated at a conference held at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music.

February 2, 2023, 9:49

30.01.23

Bold new exhibition assesses Kārlis Ulmanis' life, times and legacy

An eagerly-anticipated new historical exhibition opens to the public January 30, and its subject is one that always sparks fierce debate among Latvians: Kārlis Ulmanis.

January 30, 2023, 11:02

03.11.22

Two ballets in one night at Latvian National Opera and Ballet

In a month's time, the Latvian National Ballet will turn one hundred years old, with a grand concert planned to mark the anniversary at the Opera House.

November 3, 2022, 9:52

13.01.22

Take a look at photos from Barricades in Rīga center

As of January 13, two large-format photo exhibitions are displayed in the urban environment of Riga, dedicated to commemorating the barricades of 1991.

January 13, 2022, 10:41

16.11.21

Theater play shows 'where there are mushrooms there are Latvians'

On November 16, Dirty Deal Teatro will premiere the "Sēņošanas čempionāts 2021" (Mushrooming championship 2021) play centering around the mushroom world so dear to Latvians, Latvian Radio reported.

November 16, 2021, 11:40

06.07.21

Police interrupt concert with Covid certificate checks

Cultural events are gradually resuming. The new safety rules bring new challenges to the organizers and spectators of events, but sometimes they also create unpleasant surprises that overshadow the whole process, Latvian Radio reported July 6.

July 6, 2021, 8:59

10.06.21

Cultural venues launch events in test mode

Between Thursday, June 10, and Sunday, June 13, pilot projects will take place in four cultural venues aimed at trying in practice different scenarios for the safest possible visit to cultural events, Latvian Radio reported.

June 10, 2021, 13:31

13.04.21

Latvian photographer's amber exhibit unveiled in Tokyo

On April 6, an exhibition by Latvian photographer Andris Zēgners opened in Tokyo, Bunkyo University, Latvian Radio reported April 13.

April 13, 2021, 9:05

23.03.21

Sign of the pandemic times: photographer captures empty cultural venues

Photographer Jānis Deinats in cooperation with the Latvian Association of Event Venues has captured the cultural venues - concert halls, theaters, museums - emptied by the constraints of the pandemic, Latvian Radio reported March 23.

March 23, 2021, 14:23

16.01.21

How foreign media reported on the Barricades in Latvia

In January 1991, when the Baltic states were caught in crossfire between the Soviet Union and the independence fighters, a crucial role was played by foreign media. LSM spoke to some of the media representatives at the time who helped foreign journalists acquire the information.

January 16, 2021, 10:02

05.12.20

First day of limited sales: customer flow same as usual, say retailers

Starting today, there is limited store activity on weekends and holidays. Only certain groups of products can be purchased. Latvian Radio and Latvian Television looked at the situation at stores on the first day, December 5.

December 5, 2020, 20:16

04.10.20

Health Minister: Masks should be worn on public transport

Next week, mandatory use of face masks in public transportation should be resumed, Minister of Health Ilze Viņķele told Latvian Radio October 2.

October 4, 2020, 8:53

29.07.20

Best Baltic literature to be published in all 3 languages

Last week the Culture Ministers of the three Baltic States met in Vilnius and decided on the translation and publication of the Baltic Assembly Prize for Literature award-winning works in all three Baltic languages, Latvian Radio reported July 29.

July 29, 2020, 11:16

07.07.20

Poll: 80% feel unable to influence politicians' decisions

Only about 18% of Latvia's population believe they have some influence on what the Saeima and the government do, according to a survey conducted by the research centre SKDS, Latvian Radio reported on July 7.

July 7, 2020, 12:23

05.07.20

Born in Latvia trademark to represent Latvian origin

Different sector leaders have come together to create a united Latvian image-promotion trademark "Born In Latvia", Latvian Radio reported on July 5.

July 5, 2020, 17:26

02.07.20

Secret Soviet documents found in walls of house

Three large files with documents from the Committee for State Security (KGB) have been found on private property in Vidzeme region, Latvian Radio reported on July 1.

July 2, 2020, 7:05