Tukums is a
townA town is a type of settlement ranging from a few hundred to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition...
in
LatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , and to the southeast by Belarus . Across the Baltic Sea to the west lies Sweden...
. Three regions of Latvia meet in the vicinity of Tukums -
VidzemeVidzeme is one of the cultural and historical regions of Latvia. Literally meaning "the Middle Land" it is situated in north-central Latvia north of the Daugava River...
, Zemgale and Kurzeme. The city was host to the
Cold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state of political conflict, military tension, and economic competition existing after World War II , primarily between the USSR and its satellite states, and the powers of the Western world, including the United States...
facility
Tukums air baseTukums is an air base in Latvia, Latvia located 5 km southeast of Tukums. It is a spartan military airfield with a single long ramp and reveted area....
.
History
The historical center of Tukums developed between trade routes leading from the mouth of the Daugava River to
PrussiaPrussia was a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history...
. The oldest part is today's Talsi Street that originated at the river named Zvirgzdupite where there used to be a castle mound with a wooden castle. Since 1253 Tukums was ruled by the Livonian order. A masonry castle was built on the bank of the Slocene in the end of the 13th century. The castle was surrounded by settlements of
GermanThe German people are an ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent, and speaking the German language as a mother tongue. Within Germany, Germans are defined by citizenship , distinguished from people of German ancestry...
tradesmen and craftsmen. A marketplace was formed in front of the castle and some new streets appeared later running in various directions from the market place.
With the development of trade in the 16th century a new straighter trade route to Prussia was built along a new street that is called Liela (large) Street today. This street had an important role in the life of the settlement. Public buildings, major business, workshops and shops were concentrated in it.
After the disintegration of the
Livonian OrderThe State of the Teutonic Order, , also Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights or Ordensstaat , was formed during the Teutonic Knights' conquest of the pagan West-Baltic Old Prussians in the 13th century in 1224 during the Northern Crusades.The Livonian Brothers of the Sword controlling Livonia...
a new state, the
Kurzeme DukedomCourland is one of the cultural and historical regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
was established. Like many other settlements Tukums had suffered greatly the numerous feudal wars. Under the rule of
Duke JacobJacob Kettler was a Baltic German Duke of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia . Under his rule, the duchy was brought to its greatest peak in wealth and engaged in colonization.- Life :...
(1642-1682) Tukums experienced a rapid economic boom. At the time a new trade route from Tukums to
JelgavaJelgava is a city in central Latvia about 41 km southwest of Riga with 66,087 inhabitants . It is the largest town in Semigallia. Jelgava is known as the former capital of the Duchy of Courland, and was the capital of the Courland region until 1919.Jelgava is situated on a fertile plain...
, the capital of Kurzeme Dukedom, was opened along today's Jelgavas Street, and another route was made along today's Raudas Street towards it. A dam was built and a lake made near the road to
JelgavaJelgava is a city in central Latvia about 41 km southwest of Riga with 66,087 inhabitants . It is the largest town in Semigallia. Jelgava is known as the former capital of the Duchy of Courland, and was the capital of the Courland region until 1919.Jelgava is situated on a fertile plain...
. A flour mill and a cooper furnace started functioning there, and cooper was exported to foreign countries. The town, inhabited by only 800 people was quite small. The new adornment of Tukums was the lake. The church spire was another landmark added to the skyline in 1687.
After 1795 Kurzeme was incorporated in
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. In November of the same year the
Russian Tsaritsa KatherineCatherine II , also known as Catherine the Great, born . She was Empress of Russia from until . Under her direct auspices the Russian Empire expanded, improved its administration, and continued to modernize along Western European lines...
signed a document to divide Kurzeme into regions and to grant regional center rights to several urban settlements, Tukums being one of them.
The town borders were marked in 1800 and the first urban map was made only two years later. The town continued growing. It included 131 private houses, mostly wooden, and 6 pubs. There were 690 male and 832 female inhabitants. The first school was opened in 1806. Street pavement was introduced in 1860 and street lighting started in 1875. A more rapid development of the town was observed after the opening of the Riga-Tukums railway line in 1877 and of another line connecting Tukums with
VentspilsVentspils is a city in northwestern Latvia in the Kurzeme region of Latvia, the sixth largest city in the country. As of 2006, Ventspils had a population of 43,806. Ventspils is situated on the Venta River and the Baltic Sea, and has an ice-free port.- History :Ventspils developed around the...
a little later. 24 enterprises were functioning in Tukums in 1897: tanneries, wood carding-mills, a glue plant and also pottery and food production facilities. The two
windmillA windmill is a machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails. The main use is for a grinding mill powered by the wind, reducing a solid or coarse substance into pulp or minute grains by crushing, grinding, or pressing...
s brought out the uniqueness of the townscape.
The town grew with the development of industry. Two new districts appeared. The rich built their houses in the eastern part around Elizabetes, Pils and Baznicas Streets, but the workers settled more to the west, forming an area of small houses surrounded by gardens. This part of Tukums was further developed during the year in 1935. In the beginning of the 1930s there were 8000 inhabitants and 73 functioning industrial enterprises in Tukums.
Legends of Tukums
LegendA legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
says, that in the old days, when first people came to this area, which was very flat, people started to build houses, clear
woodlandEcologically, a woodland is an area covered in trees, usually at low density, forming an open habitat, allowing sunlight to penetrate between the trees, and limiting shade. Woodland may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to...
s and cultivate
fieldsIn agriculture, a field refers generally to an area of land enclosed or otherwise and used for agricultural purposes such as:* Cultivating crops* Usage as a paddock or, generally, an enclosure of livestock* Land left to lie fallow or as arable land...
. But it was hard to live because this area were apsest with so many devils. They were living in Gailisu (Cockerel's) forest and every night destroyed everything that people had built during the day. People of this village tried everything to scare them away, but it was impossible. One day they heard that not far from them, in Smardes swamp lived a giant. They went out to meet the giant and asked him for help. Being a very good-natured, giant went with people, stood at the side of the forest and called the devils out. They were sleeping very tight after the prior night's jobs, so it was a very long time before one of them came out and asked to giant why he was yelling. Words led to a fight. Even though the giant was very strong, the devils were many and had horns and nails. The fight lasted till evening. The devils, whining and licking their wounds, disappeared forever. But the giant was hurt. The devil's horns tore his stomoch and all his intestines came out. He tried to hold on, but it was useless. Taking a few steps, giant fell and died. Today people say that his grave is "Milzu kalns" (Giant hill), and the smaller hills, which are all around the city are his intestines. From that day on people in this area lived in peace and prosperty, building beautiful houses and gardens.
Another legend tells how one man in this village was very poor. When his wife gave a birth to his child no one wanted to be his godfather. So man decided to go on the road and ask everybody to be for his child's godfather. After a while came an old man who asked him what is the name of the village down there. But the poor man, in fear of losing the chance to have this man as a godfatner, didn't even listen to his words, and just screamed, "You Godfather! You Godfather! ("Tu kums! Tu kums! - in Latvian). So Tukums got its name.
Places near Tukums
Jaunpils Castle is the only fortified castle of the Order of Livonia that remains in Latvia. It was built in 1301. An exhibition hall and museum are located there dedicated to the history of the district. Jaunpils Lutheran Church which was built in 1592 is located near the castle.
Jaunmoku Palace (1901), 5 km from Tukums, surrounded by the picturesque Kurzemes hills, hosts an exhibition on forestry. Jaunmoku Palace is a combination of Art-Nouveau elements and Neo-Gothic forms and was built as the country residence of George Armitstead, mayor of Riga (1901-12).
Durbe manor house, rebuilt in 1820, is a classical style palace, surrounded by landscaped park. A stone bridge across the ravine and a rotunda are located near the manor house.
The Schlokenbeck estate ensemble in Milzkalne, dating from the 15th century, is the only fortified manor house in Latvia. A museum on the history of broad building techniques and an exposition of horse gear is set up there.
Zante region is distinguished by unique and interesting objects. Here is the highest peak of Tukums district - Smiltinkalns (153m), in the center of Zante you will find the Red Army tank - evidence of the battles in "
Courland PocketThe Courland Pocket referred to the Red Army's blockade or encirclement of Axis forces on the Courland peninsula during the closing months of World War II....
" in 1944-1945.
The country of Zentene and Seme welcomes the visitors with a traditional northern landscape of Kurzeme - hills, curved roads, unique objects of nature and interesting places of culture history.
The seashore of Tukums district stretches to the length of 50km, where old fishermen's huts alternate with modern villas, the sandy beaches interchange with rocky shores and meadows.
KandavaKandava is a town in Latvia. As a settlement, it is first mentioned in written sources in 1230.-See also:*List of cities in Latvia...
was the capital of an ancient Couronian state named Vanema. In the beginning of the 13th century, German knights build their castle there. Unfortunately, not much has been preserved from that time. In the Middle Ages, Kandava underwent numerous wars, fires and plague epidemics. Tourists are attracted by the surroundings of Kandava hills covered with dense forests and the rapids of the Abava River. Kandava marks the beginning of the most gorgeous run of the Abava valley, which was named the Switzerland of Kurzeme as early as the 19th century.
Museums
- Castle Tower of Tukums - Brivibas square 19a
- Durbe Manor house - M.Parka street 7
- Jaunmokas Palace Museum - Jaunmokas
- Jaunpils Museum - Jaunpils
- Pastarins Museum - Bisnieki, Zentene
- Slokenbeka Manor - Milzkalne
- Tukums Museum - Harmonijas street 7
Notable people
- Ādolfs Bļodnieks
Ādolfs Bļodnieks held the office of Prime Minister of Latvia from 24 March 1933 – 16 March 1934.-References:...
, Prime Minister of LatviaThe Prime Minister of Latvia is the most powerful member of the Government of the Republic of Latvia, and presides over the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers...
.
- Dainis Kūla
Dainis Kūla is a former Latvian javelin thrower, an Olympic champion and a World Championship bronze medalist. At the international level, he represented the Soviet Union....
, former Javelin throwThe javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 meters in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon.- Rules and Competitions :...
er, 1980 OlympicThe 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
champion.
- Jevgēņijs Kosmačovs
Jevgēņijs Kosmačovs is a football midfielder from Latvia. His current club is FK Ventspils.-Playing career:* - played games and goals...
, FK VentspilsFK Ventspils is a Latvian football club, based at Ventspils Olimpiskais Stadions in Ventspils city and is one of the most popular football clubs in the country. FK Ventspils plays in Virsliga....
and Latvian national football team midfielder.
- Ronalds Arājs
Ronalds Arājs is a Latvian athlete. His personal record in the 200m dash is 20.75 seconds.Arājs represented Latvia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He competed at the 200 metres and placed fifth in his first round heat in a time of 21.225 seconds, which was not fast enough to qualify for...
, Latvian athlete.
- Kristaps Blanks
Kristaps Blanks is a football striker from Latvia. His current club is Skonto FC.-Playing career:* - played games and goals...
, is a footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
strikerForwards, also known as attackers and strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, Skonto FCSkonto FC is a Latvian football club, founded in 1991. The club plays at the Skonto Stadions in Riga. Skonto won the Virsliga in the first 14 seasons of the league's existence, and often provides the core of the Latvia national football team.- History :...
and Latvian national football team player.
External links