Daugavpils University has implemented the International Summer School “Soviet Military History Traces in the Territory of Latvia”
From 1 to 10 August 2022, Daugavpils University (DU) Centre for Latvian Studies (LSC) carried out the International Summer School “Soviet Military History Traces in the Territory of Latvia”.
Summer school took place in hybrid form: participants acquired the programme on-site and remotely, synchronously and diachronically, both by conducting field studies and taking part in on-site activities, as well as by working in e-study platforms, exchanging photos and video materials between participants, using specially designed interactive materials, watching video excursions and participating in activities remotely.
10 State Education Development Agency scholarships for participation in the Summer School were granted to students and academic staff from Georgia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova and Mexico.
At the beginning of the summer school field studies in the territories of former Soviet military sites in Latgale region took place. Daugavpils Fortress, Lociki Airfield and Military city, as well as the Memorial to the Victims of Nazism in Mežciems (Daugavpils) were examined. There were also tours to museums of Soviet military history: Exposition of Military Vehicles in Svente and the Second World War Museum in Aglona.
In the second part of the summer school, research of the sites in Kurzeme was carried out, heading to the Irbene Radioastronomy Complex, Fire correction tower of Ventspils 46th Coastal Defence Battery, Soviet Border guard post in Jūrmalciems, Liepāja Military Port and Military Port Prison, Northern Fort of Liepāja Fortress.
The closing day of the summer school was spent by looking at the anti-air defence military town of Mežgarciems in the Riga region and conducting an analysis of its military heritage, as well as going to the “Corner house” – the former Soviet KGB building. A significant point in Riga was the to-be-demolished Victory Monument as an iconic object of Soviet military hegemony.
During the programme, Summer School participants became aware of Daugavpils city and also travelled to different places of Latvia, which emphasized the most important values of Latvian cultural history. With Latgale's bread-baking traditions, participants met at the Aglona Bread Museum, the impression of one of the brightest personalities of Latvian literature was obtained at Rainis’ House in Berķenele, and one of the pearls of Latvian nature was encountered in the picturesque seaside in Jūrkalne.
One of the most emotional events in the school was a meeting with the author of the novel “Virsnieku sievas” Andra Manfelde. The novel describes Liepāja Military Port during Soviet stagnation.
Summer school participants listened with interest to interactive lectures and participated in discussions on the Soviet military heritage in Baltic States.
In order to establish basic skills for communication in Latvian in simple daily situations, as well as for participating in field studies and searching the Internet for information on the topic of summer school, the programme also integrated the learning of functional Latvian with CLIL methodology
The aim of this year's school was to raise awareness among the members of the Summer School about the Soviet hegemony in the history of the Baltic States and the Soviet military heritage in the territory of 21 st-century Latvia.
After successful acquisition of the programme, each member received a certificate on the acquisition of the programme at the level of 6 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).
The summer school is implemented by the Centre for Latvian Studies of Daugavpils University Faculty of Humanities.
Summer School Team: Dr philol., Prof. Maija Burima (Head of the Summer School), Sergejs Poļanskis, Diāna Skuķe, Ilmārs Mežaraups.
This project is financially supported by the State Education Development Agency of the Republic of Latvia.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Dr. philol., Prof. Maija Burima
DU Faculty of Humanities
Head of Centre for Latvian Studies
Email: summerschool@du.lv