From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Daugavpils
A view of Daugavpils in 1912.
City rights	1275
Location	55°53′N, 26°32′E
Mayor	Rita Strode
Number of city council members	15
Area	72.48 km² (28 sq mi)
Water	9.75 km² (4 sq mi)
Population	108 260
Density	1,494/km² (3,869/sq mi)
Postal code	LV-540(1-2); LV-540(4-5); LV-5410; LV-54(12-15); LV-54(17-20); LV-5422; LV-5465
Calling code	+371 54
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Homepage of Daugavpils

Daugavpils (pronunciation (help·info)) is the second largest city in Latvia. It is located approximately 230 km south-east of the Latvian capital, Riga, on the banks of the Daugava River. Daugavpils has a favorable geographical position as it borders with Belarus and Lithuania (distances of 33 and 25 km respectively). It is located some 120 km from the Latvian border with Russia. The city is surrounded by many lakes.

Contents 1 Names 2 Demographics 3 History 4 Art, architecture, and culture 5 Airport 6 Sports 7 Notable residents 8 External links

Daugavpils has been referred to by several historical names in various languages. Some are still in use today.

• Belarusian: Дзьвінск (Dźvinsk)
• German: Dünaburg
• Finnish: Väinänlinna
• Latgalian: Daugpiļs
• Lithuanian: Daugpilis
• Polish: Dyneburg, Dźwinów, Dźwińsk
• Russian: Даугавпилс, Борисоглебск (Borisoglebsk 1656–1667), Двинcк (Dvinsk)
• Yiddish: דענענבורג (Denenburg)

Here is chronology of name changes: Dinaburg (1275–1893 with some interruptions) >>> Borisoglebsk (1656–1667) >>> Dvinsk (1893–1920) >>> Daugavpils (1920–TODAY)

As of 1 January 2006, the city had a population of 108 260.

• Russians: 53.96% (58 414)
• Latvians: 17.3% (18 725)
• Poles: 14.9% (16 126)
• Belarusians: 8.22% (8 897)
• Ukrainians: 2.23% (2 417)
• Lithuanians: 0.96% (1 041)
• Jews: 0.45% (492)
• Estonians: 0.03% (30)
• Others: 1.96% (2 118).

Though Latvian has been the official language in schools and government agencies since 1991, this has created tension with the Russian-speaking majority in Daugavpils, which has demanded that Russian be restored as an official language alongside Latvian. Many Russian residents of Daugavpils arrived after the 1940 Soviet occupation of Latvia and are non-citizens.

The town's history began in 1275 when the stone castle Dinaburg (Dünaburg) was built by the Livonian Order in the lands nominally controlled by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. As part of the Russian Empire it was called Borisoglebsk (1656-1667) and Dvinsk (1893-1920). The town was renamed Daugavpils in 1920 as part of independent Latvia. The city was the site of the Battle of Daugavpils from 1919 to 1920. Dvinsk was Russian-occupied 1940-41 and Nazi ruled from 1941-44. The town was the scene of fierce Jewish resistance during those year. During the Cold War it hosted Lotsaki air base 12 km northeast of the town.

Daugavpils is an important cultural center in eastern Latvia. There are 22 primary and secondary schools, four vocational schools, and the Saules College of Art. More than 1,000 teachers and engineers graduate from the Daugavpils Pedagogical University and the local branch of the Riga Technical University annually.

The city theatre was restored a couple of years ago. There are also one cinema theater and other cultural institutions. The city exhibition center offers many cultural activities.

There are also several architectural, historical, and cultural monuments in Daugavpils. The most prominent is the Daugavpils Fortress of the 18th century.

Daugavpils International Airport is located 12 km northeast of Daugavpils, near village of Lociki. As of today, airport is under development to allow both international and domestic passenger traffic, as well as international and domestic cargo transport and charter flights. It might be operational by 2013.

The football clubs Dinaburg FC and FK Daugava Daugavpils play at Celtnieks Stadium in Daugavpils.

See also: Speedway Grand Prix of Latvia

• Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (1843-1926), rabbi
• the Rogatchover Gaon (1858-1936), rabbi
• Abraham Isaac Kook (1864–1935), rabbi, thinker, statesman, diplomat, mediator, scholar
• Grzegorz Fitelberg (1879-1953), composer and conductor
• Solomon Mikhoels (1890-1948), actor and director
• Mark Rothko (1903-1970), abstract expressionist painter
• Władysław Raginis (1908-1939), officer
• Iuliana Semenova (born 1952), basketball player

• Information portal (Russian)
• Information-entertaining portal (Russian)
• Daugavpils on wikimapia
• Daugavpils on wikitravel
• Daugavpils history (Latvian) (Russian)
• Jewish community (Russian) (English)
• Vishki,a shtetl
• Vishki,a shtetl in Latvia (English) (Russian)

v • d • e Districts and Major Cities of Latvia

Aizkraukle District • Alūksne District • Balvi District • Bauska District • Cēsis District • Daugavpils District • Dobele District • Gulbene District • Jēkabpils District • Jelgava District • Krāslava District • Kuldīga District • Liepāja District • Limbaži District • Ludza District • Madona District • Ogre District • Preiļi District • Rēzekne District • Rīga District • Saldus District • Talsi District • Tukums District • Valka District • Valmiera District • Ventspils District Major cities: Daugavpils • Jelgava • Jūrmala • Liepāja • Rēzekne • Riga • Ventspils