The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.

Latgale or Latgalia (Latvian: Latgale, Latgale dialect: Latgola) is one of the four cultural regions of Latvia recognised in the Constitution of the Latvian Republic. It is the easternmost region north of the Daugava river. While most of Latvia is historically Lutheran, Latgale is historically predominantly Roman Catholic. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Shortcut: WP:NPOVD Articles that have been linked to this page are the subject of an NPOV dispute (NPOV stands for Neutral Point Of View; see below). ... It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Latgalian dialect. ... Latvia is divided into several historical and cultural regions. ... Daugava sunset in Riga. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ...

The region has a large population of ethnic Russians, especially in Daugavpils, the largest city in the region. Many of the Russians who lived in Latgale before the Soviet occupation are Old Believers. Rēzekne, often called the heart of Latgola, Krāslava, and Ludza are other large towns in the region, which also has a Belarusian minority. There is still a significant Polish minority (Daugavpils has almost as many Poles as Latvians). As part of the Polotsk and Vitebsk guberniyas, the region was part of the Pale of Settlement and had a very large Jewish population -- but most of the Jews perished in the Holocaust and much of the remainder has emigrated. Baltic Russians are ethnic Russians who live in the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. ... Daugavpils (Belarusian Дзьвінск Dźvinsk, Russian Двинcк Dvinsk, Lithuanian Daugpilis, German Dünaburg, Polish Dźwinów, DźwiÅ„sk or Dyneburg, Yiddish דענענבורג Denenburg), population 115,265 in 2000 census) is the second largest city in Latvia. ... In the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers (Russian: ) separated after 1666 - 1667 from the hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon. ... The castle mound and remains of the Livonian Orders fortress RÄ“zekne (Latgalian: RÄ“zne, Russian: , previously (-1893) Розиттен, (1893-1917) Режица; German: Rositten, Estonian: Räisaku, Polish: Rzeżyca) is a city in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia, 242 km east of RÄ«ga. ... Krāslava is a major town in Krāslava County, in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia. ... Ludza (German: Ludsen, Estonian: Lutsi, Russian: Люцин or Ä»ucin) is a town in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia. ... Polatsk (Belarusian: По́лацак, По́лацк; Polish: Połock, also spelt as Polacak; Russian: По́лоцк, also transliterated as Polotsk, Polotzk, Polock) is the most historic city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina... Coat of arms of Vitebsk. ... The Pale of Settlement (Russian: Черта оседлости - cherta osedlosti) was a western border region of Imperial Russia in which permanent residence of Jews was allowed, extending from the pale or demarcation line, to near the border with eastern/central Europe. ... “Shoah” redirects here. ...

The region is one of the poorest in the European Union, and unlike in the rest of Latvia a majority of voters was opposed to EU membership in the referendum on accession.

Due to its history several different names are historically used for Latgale.

• Other names for the region include Lettigallia, Latgallia, and Latgola.
• The people are called latgalieši in Latvian (as distinct from latgaļi, which refers to the ancient tribe, though some modern Latgalians [especially separatists] prefer latgaļi) — latgalīši in Latgalian, sometimes latgali — Latgalians, Latgallians, or Lettigalls in English, and are sometimes referred to as čangaļi (sometimes derogatory — the reference is to a novel, and Latgalians often call other Latvians "čiuļi"). The term latgalieši dates only to the early 20th century, and before that Latgalians were long refrred to as Vitebsk Latvians or Inflantians (Latgalian: vitebskīši, inflantīši).
• The language or dialect is called Latgalian.

Political separatism is a movement to obtain sovereignty and split a territory or group of people (usually a people with a distinctive national consciousness) from one another (or one nation from another; a colony from the metropolis). ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Latgalian dialect. ...

History

Originally territory of nowadays Latgale was populated by the Eastern Balts. They spoke some unknown East Baltic language, which became a basis for the Latgalian dialect of Latvian language. The dialect is still spoken by many Latgalians and has a standardized written form, for which reason some consider it to be a separate language. During the 10th–12th centuries two principalities — of Jersika and Atzele existed on the territory of nowadays Latgale; in addition, the land of the so-called Eastern Latgalians included parts of what is today Vidzeme and Russia. In the second decade of 13th century principality of Jersika became a part of Lithuania, but in 1270s it was conquered by the German crusaders of the Livonian Order and incorporated into Livonia. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Latgalian dialect. ... Latvian (latvieÅ¡u valoda), sometimes referred to as Lettish, is the official state language of the Republic of Latvia. ... The term Latgalians (also spelt Latgallians and sometimes known as Lettigalls, Latgolans, or Lettigallians) can refer to the inhabitants of the Latgale region in eastern Latvia in general, the ethnic Latvians of Latgale (especially those who speak the Latgalian dialect of Latvian), or to the ancient Baltic tribe. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Livonia (Latvian: Livonija; Estonian: Liivimaa; German: Livland; Polish: Inflanty; Russian: Лифляндия or Liflandiya) once was the land of the Finnic Livonians, but came in the Middle Ages to designate a much broader territory controlled by the Livonian Order on the eastern coasts of the Baltic Sea in present-day Latvia and... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... The 1270s is the decade starting January 1, 1270, and ending December 31, 1279. ... The Teutonic knights in Pskov in 1240. ... The Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Latin Fratres militiae Christi, literally the brothers of the army of Christ), also known as the Christ Knights, Sword Brethren or The Militia of Christ of Livonia, was a military order started in 1202 by Albert von Buxhövden, bishop of Riga (or Prince... Baltic Tribes, ca 1200 CE This article is about the region in Europe. ...

In 1559–62, the territory of nowadays Latgale was annexed by Lithuania, and in 1569 it was reorganized into Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1620s most of Livonia was ceded to Sweden, but a part of Livonia including Latgale remained under Lithuanian–Polish control; this land became known as Inflantia. Creation of Polish Inflanty is the birth of the region we know today by the name Latgale. During this period the Latgalian dialect of the Latvian language developed separately from the Latvian spoken in other parts of what is now Latvia and was influenced by Polish. January 15 - Elizabeth I of England is crowned in Westminster Abbey. ... Year 1562 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Events January 11 - First recorded lottery in England. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Events and Trends Permanent Dutch settlement of New York Bay and the Hudson River. ... This article is about the region in Europe. ... Latvian (latvieÅ¡u valoda), sometimes referred to as Lettish, is the official state language of the Republic of Latvia. ...

In 1772, Latgale was annexed by the Russian Empire, and in 1865 a period of Russification, as part of Russia's anti-Polish policies, was begun, during which the Latgalian language (written in Latin script) was forbidden. This ban was lifted in 1904, and a period of Latgalian reawakening began. Many Latgalian public figures sought a reunification with the rest of Latvia in 1917 at the Congress of Rezekne, while some preferred autonomy (Kemps) or incorporation in Russia (bureaucracy). Decisions of the 1917 Congresses and declaration of independence on 18 November 1918 with Latgale as part of Latvian state moved both Latvian armed forces as well as local partisan movement to struggle for liberation of Latgale. Tough enough task, taking into account territorial interests of both Bolshevik Russia and Poland. In 1920 as a result of nation-building irredentist war Latgale was incorporated into Latvia. By the peace treaty of 1920 with Soviet Russia, the territories of Pskov guberniya were incorporated into Latvia to please its economic interests. United with other "original" Latvian territories, as claimed by the declaration of independence (ethnographic borders as national borders), they formed district of Jaunlatgale, later Abrene district. Year 1772 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The subject of this article was previously also known as Russia. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Bolshevist Russia is a common term that refers to the Red side in the Russian government between the Bolsheviks October Revolution (November 7, 1917) and the constitution of the Soviet Union (December 30, 1922). ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... State motto: Russian: Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! Translation: Workers of the world, unite! Capital Moscow Official language Russian Established In the USSR:  - Since  - Until November 7, 1917 November 7, 1917 December 12, 1991 (dissolution) Area  - Total  - Water (%) Ranked 1st in the USSR 17,075,200 km² 13% Population  - Total   - Density Ranked 1st in the... The Abrene district (Latvian: Abrenes apriņķis) was an administrative district in the Republic of Latvia with an area of 4292 square kilometers, formed in 1925 from the northern part of the Ludza district and the western part of the Ostrov region as the Jaunlatgale (New Latgale) district, but this...

In 1944, at the beginning of the second occupation of Latvia by the USSR, the eastern civil parishes of the Abrene district were incorporated into the Russian Federation. Now they are de facto a part of Russia. 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... // Soviet Occupation and Annexation of Latvia 1939-1940 Historical Background Latvia declared its independence on November 18, 1918. ... The Abrene district (Latvian: Abrenes apriņķis) was an administrative district in the Republic of Latvia with an area of 4292 square kilometers, formed in 1925 from the northern part of the Ludza district and the western part of the Ostrov region as the Jaunlatgale (New Latgale) district, but this...

See also

• Latgallians
• Latgalian language

The Latgallians (Latvian: latgaļi) were one of the Baltic tribes that later formed Latvian nation. ... It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Latgalian dialect. ...

Latgale in foreign languages

• Lithuanian: Latgala
• Polish: Łatgalia
• German: Lettgallen
• Russian: Латгалия

External links

• [1] overview in Lithuanian
• Latgale / Latgola overview in Latvian, English, and Russian
• Latgale research center
• [2] a Latgalian site with an online Latgalian–Latvian dictionary.
• (Russian) News from Latgale