At the end of 2016, Kārsava Municipality in collaboration with the think tank Creative Museum began a research on the history and social memory of Kārsava entitled “Stories of Kārsava”. The collection of articles “Stories of Kārsava” is planned to be published at time for Latvia's centenary in 2018. The project's medium-term objective, in turn, is to create a local history museum in Kārsava.
While developing the concept of the Museum of Kārsava and compiling the available materials, it was concluded that, until now the history of Kārsava has not been academically studied and that there is a need for serious academic research on the history of Kārsava and its municipality.
The Relevance of the Research in Anticipation of the Country's Centenary in 2018
Historically, Kārsava has always been a symbolic border between east and west, even way back in time when there were none of the modern-day borders. Today more than ever Kārsava is a border area of country with all the ensuing consequences.
Accentuating the multi-national instead of exclusively Latgalian aspects, the project focus on tolerance, cultural exchange and the co-existence of different traditions.
The story of Kārsava is pieced together from various episodes of its history, tracing it through the centuries from prehistoric to modern times. It tells about traditions, crafts and the local cultural heritage, as well as of the nature and meaning of the intrinsic Latgalian signs, symbols and intangible cultural heritage, as well as economic and social history in a broadest possible sense.
Themes:
Archaeological Research | Archaeologist Juris Urtāns
At the Crossroads of Trade Routes: the Oldest Railway Station in the Territory of Latvia | Railway and industrial heritage researcher Toms Altbergs
The Manor System: Malnava, Salnava, Ruskulova, Mežvidi | Historian Tatjana Bogdanoviča
Latvians, Russians, Jews: The Historical Diversity of Cultures, Denominations and Traditions | Historian Inese Runce
The Holocaust in Kārsava | Historian Aigars Urtāns
JEWISH KĀRSAVA within SRORIES of KĀRSAVA
“Jewish Kārsava” should be seen as a subproject of the broader research project “Stories of Kārsava” and, at the same time, an integral part of it.
At the end of August, the LTV1 programme Ielas garumā dedicated one day of their three-day mission specifically to “Jewish Kārsava”, which was filmed in collaboration with the think tank Creative Museum. The programme will be broadcast on LTV1 during the autumn season.
It has to be noted that the submitter of the project, think tank Creative Museum, and the strategic partner of Kārsava City Council already has substantial experience in conducting similar projects. In 2015–2017 it carried out a significant research project on the local Jewish history called “Jewish Rēzekne” (exhibition content concept and realisation, mobile application, international conference and a book with collection of articles) with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the State Culture Capital Foundation and Rēzekne City Council.
The studies performed within the project will provide a well-rounded view of the history of Kārsava’s Jewish community, from its arrival in the territory of Kārsava in the 1820s (settlements, occupations, social life and Jewish traditions) to the present day situation and social memory research.
Project has been supported by Kārsava Municipality, State Culture Capital Foundation. Please contact us if you wish to donate in the support of the project.