Where does the river start?

Publicēts: 26.03.2019

On World Water Day, March 22, the much-sung beauty of Vidzeme, Gauja , was built in honor of the library. Our guest was Juris Zaķis from Lejas, a geologist, researcher and passionate traveler.

Juris was born in Lizuma parish. After graduating from the Faculty of Geography of the Latvian State University, he worked for 27 years in the Department of Geodesy and Geology of the Latvian State Institute of Land Reclamation Design. After that he worked as a surveyor, land developer, cadastral inspector, and as a cartographer and surveyor. He has traveled a lot - through the mountains and rivers, including the desert.

In the book “At the Source of the Gauja”, Juris has researched and described the different variants of the beginning of the Gauja, how the situation in nature has changed over time and people's view of where the Gauja really begins. It would be simple if you read only one guide, then there would be only one opinion - the Gauja flows out of Lake Alauksts. However, the author has received various sources with different versions of the source of the Gauja, which encouraged in-depth research in nature as well. The book encourages readers to climb both Elka and Incēni hills, to throw "some beautiful flowers" in Gaujiņa by the old road, where the "First bridge over the Gauja" was once written.

As the author himself says, “After all, every variant has the right to exist, it only enriches and beautifies our lives. We each have our own story about the river, our own memories, experiences and feelings ”.

One cannot help but feel the author's deep gratitude and love for his land, which gives special importance to his book.

Juris also shared his adventures and discoveries in distant Taimira, which are summarized in his book "Taimira - the land beyond the Arctic Circle". Both of these books are available at the Gulbene County Library.

Many thanks to Juris Zaķis for an interesting and illustrative story!

Indra Logina,
Gulbene County Library