Karosta Festival & en plein air
For the second year in a row, the Karosta Festival, part of the Latvian State Centennial Program, will take place in Liepaja (Latvia) from June 8 to 14. This time the festival is dedicated to the 30 years (1990-2020) from the restoration of Latvia's independence, emphasising how these years have affected Karosta (a former Russian and Soviet naval base on the Baltic sea, which today is a neighbourhood in Liepāja). One of the cornerstones of the festival will be artists' plein air and Latvian painter Ritums Ivanovs will also do his share.
The workshop invites artists from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Spain. They will arrive on Monday, June 8, and will be creating their artwork in Karosta throughout the week. Residents and guests of the city are invited to come and watch it happen. Liepāja artists Agnese Rudzīte, Kristīne Dekovice and the young artist from Ventspils Justīne Seile-Urtāne will create paintings in the cells of Karosta Prison. Ritums Ivanovs, one of the most famous Latvian contemporary artists, Agate Apkalne and sculptor Egons Peršēvics will work at the Karosta water tower. From Monday to Friday from 3 pm to 6 pm, there will be a unique opportunity to visit the workshop of these three artists and follow the creation of works of art. Art will also be made in Redan and the Northern Fortress.
Given the global and national constraints, the programme is designed to avoid crowding and to enable people attend events in accordance with distance and other requirements.
FYI: Karosta is a former Russian and Soviet naval base on the Baltic sea, which today is a neighbourhood in Liepāja, Latvia. The naval base was originally constructed in 1890-1906 for Tsar Alexander III of Russia, and named Порт Императора Александра III. During Lavian independence after World War I, the base was called Kara osta (War Port in Latvian), later shortened to Karaosta and Karosta (Кароста in Russian). It was a closed military area and army town during the Soviet period, serving as a base for the Soviet Baltic Fleet. It was inaccessible to the civilians of neighbouring Liepāja.
When the Soviet Union army left Latvia in 1994 after Latvian independence, Karosta became largely uninhabited and most structures fell to ruin. In late 1990s, the area was troubled by high unemployment, street crime and drug problems. It is today a neighbourhood in the northern outskirts of Liepāja in Latvia, occupying a third of the area of the city. Nowadays the place is a very popular place for tourists and artists, since there are unique sights and interesting places, such as the scenic seascapes with partially blasted fortresses on the Baltic shore.
More info here
Given the global and national constraints, the programme is designed to avoid crowding and to enable people attend events in accordance with distance and other requirements.
FYI: Karosta is a former Russian and Soviet naval base on the Baltic sea, which today is a neighbourhood in Liepāja, Latvia. The naval base was originally constructed in 1890-1906 for Tsar Alexander III of Russia, and named Порт Императора Александра III. During Lavian independence after World War I, the base was called Kara osta (War Port in Latvian), later shortened to Karaosta and Karosta (Кароста in Russian). It was a closed military area and army town during the Soviet period, serving as a base for the Soviet Baltic Fleet. It was inaccessible to the civilians of neighbouring Liepāja.
When the Soviet Union army left Latvia in 1994 after Latvian independence, Karosta became largely uninhabited and most structures fell to ruin. In late 1990s, the area was troubled by high unemployment, street crime and drug problems. It is today a neighbourhood in the northern outskirts of Liepāja in Latvia, occupying a third of the area of the city. Nowadays the place is a very popular place for tourists and artists, since there are unique sights and interesting places, such as the scenic seascapes with partially blasted fortresses on the Baltic shore.
More info here