Homes reveal history Publicēts: 21.12.2018
The Gulbene Parish Library Competition "House Stories" has ended. Its task was to identify, study and collect evidence of dwellings, to organize the dwellings of the territory served by its library, to identify buildings, to record photographs, to record the memories of the inhabitants.
"The house is first and foremost the people who have chosen the home, who built the house while thinking and nurturing thoughts about the future,"
says Ingrida Lace, the head of the M. Vanaga Museum. Every librarian in our region also addressed the residents, urging them to identify their family history and preserve it for history. People shared memories of both their own survival and the fate of their families and homes. Librarians captured home photographs, recorded the stories of residents, and identified available print and digital information. During the year, librarians recorded 380 home stories. 190 of them are already described in the local research database of the joint catalog of Gulbene county libraries, which is available to every Internet user on the home page of Gulbene county library: https://ej.uz/qf9h . Daiga Apsīte, the head of the Druviena parish library, has created 50 records, Evita Dārzniece, the head of the Lizuma parish library - 41 records, and Agrita Petrovska, the head of the Tirza parish library - 28 records. These house stories reflect the history of the people, reveal the destinies of families.
"People go, go home, but stay home. The last ones are barns and trees. And the inexplicable sense of human presence. ”
says museologist I.Lāce. Maps of parishes are created in libraries, where abandoned houses and already lost homes are marked. Litace Parish Library Manager Dace Dzērve together with local history enthusiast Jānis Zvaigzne has identified more than 200 places of non-existent houses. This study also mentions such ancient dwellings as "Bļodnieki", "Namstadi" and "Sprodziņš", which were mentioned in Vidzeme plow audits already in 1638. The Lizuma Parish Library has lists: farmsteads liquidated in 1974; In 1944, the fences were burned and blown up. Druviena Parish Library has
"Information on the transfer of residents from homesteads to the center and the demolition of homesteads in the collective farm" Plēsums ".
The head of the library Daiga Apsīte organized 3 expeditions, systematically exploring the whole parish, researched the house books and other documents in the Druviena Old School Museum. Zofija Drozdova, the head of the Māli library in Lejasciems parish, together with her readers created a map "Lost Mālmuiža". Anitra Markoviča, the head of the Līgo parish library, has been researching the history of the parish houses for several years together with the local history enthusiasts of her parish. Many and various documents about the houses and their inhabitants have been collected, people's memories have been recorded, an extensive photo gallery about the houses in Līgo parish has been created. Ieva Bērziņa's gift to Tirza Parish Library - "Tirza Place Names" is valuable. The donor writes:
"The album was made between 1949 and 1953, when classmate Dzidra Bērziņa rewrote the lyrics, I wrote folk songs with ink, and artistically designed by teacher Zenta Raģele's (my mother's) brother Ādolfs Zālītis."
On December 7, a seminar for parish library staff was held, where we evaluated the work done during the competition. Parish librarians shared their experience. The most valuable materials were displayed in a joint exhibition. The conversation with the public about the history of the local community was led by local history blogger Edžus Vējiņš. He called for being more attentive, talking more to the people, writing down what they had said, and being able to appreciate seemingly worthless things at the beginning, which could later prove to be historically significant.
The winners of the "House Stories" competition are:
1st place - Daiga Apsīte , Druviena Parish Library,
2nd place - Agrita Petrovska , Tirza Parish Library,
3rd place - Evita Dārzniece , Lizuma Parish Library.
Promotion awards received:
- for the richest photographic material - Anitra Markoviča, Līgo Parish Library,
- on cooperation and good results in the study of homes and home names - Dace Dzērve, Litene Parish Library,
- for the most successful debut in local history, also in the "House Story" competition - Anda Ješkina, Ranka Parish Library,
- Librarian who has earned the greatest trust of the population - Ineta Masa, Stradu Parish Library.
Thanks to all the people who responded to the call to share their stories and memories! We are aware that the history of homes collected by libraries is far from complete. Therefore, the call is still valid! Let's build and save our history together!
"House Story" Gallery
Iveta Erica,
Gulbene district libraries
supervisor of methodological work
