The annual Nordic Days, organised every autumn jointly with the Nordic embassies in Latvia and the Danish Cultural Institute, took place in Daugavpils. This year’s programme was rich and diverse, ranging from theatre performances, exhibitions and seminars to practical workshops.
Close cooperation with Daugavpils City Municipality, Augšdaugava Municipality, Daugavpils University, the Rothko Museum and other institutions provided a wide range of venues at various locations across the city.
The series of events started on October 2, by the opening of four exhibitions provided by the Swedish Embassy. Several weeks previously, preparation for the premiere of the play “Nokon kjem til å kome” by the Norwegian author, playwright, translator and Nobel laureate Jon Fosse arose a wide public’s attention. The significance of the contemporary theatrical play in the Latgalian language lies in the closeness of the language to the original language of the play – Nynorsk – in terms of the number of users.
Another highlight of this year’s programme was the concert by the Danish jazz quintet “Barkmann with Strings”. The public concert at the Unity House (Vienības nams) took place on October 15 at 6:00 PM and was free of charge.
“Daugavpils is the place where eight years ago – in 2016 – the tradition of arranging annual Nordic Days in a regional city of Latvia was born. Opening our office in Daugavpils in 2021, the idea was to strengthen the Nordic presence and profile in the whole region of Latgale. Besides the beautiful nature and the warm-hearted people, this region holds a huge potential in terms of development opportunities, including cooperation with the Nordics. I try to visit Daugavpils and Latgale as often as possible, each time discovering new aspects of this fascinating and welcoming region. This year the programme of Nordic Days is richer than in previous years, inviting everyone in Daugavpils and beyond to meet and learn more about the Nordics."
- Stefan Eriksson, Director of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia
Following the tradition of the Nordic Days, Nordic ambassadors visited the city, meeting with representatives of the local municipality and schools and participating in several public events. The Nordic Days in Daugavpils brought together representatives of diverse organisations, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior of Latvia, the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Latvia, the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga and other Nordic-related organisations.
Mission of the Nordic Days is to promote the Nordic countries and their culture, foster mutual contacts and strengthen regional cooperation between municipalities, entrepreneurs, cultural institutions and non-governmental organisations. Last year the Nordic Days took place in Bauska.
The most Nordic Days events are free of charge (except the production at Daugavpils Theatre and IFF movies at the Rothko museum).
