On Tuesday, due to a loss of trust, Diana Zirnina, a board member of SIA "Eastern Latvia Concert Hall" and the director of the Latgale concert hall 'Gors', was dismissed, reports LETA.
As reported by the LETA agency in the Rezekne City Council, an extraordinary meeting of the participants of the municipal enterprise "Eastern Latvia Concert Hall" (Austrumlatvijas koncertzāle) took place on Tuesday, where issues regarding the dismissal of Zirnina from her position and the appointment of a new board member were discussed. The meeting also reviewed a functional audit conducted by SIA "Audita akadēmija" and the terms of the delegation agreement.
According to the law on the management of capital shares and capital companies of public persons, Iveta Cipruse was appointed as a board member, who currently serves as the deputy executive director for oversight of capital companies and has headed the audit department for several years. The council explains that Cipruse has the relevant education in financial management, experience in municipal administration, as well as in managing municipal and private enterprises.
The term of office of the newly elected board member cannot exceed one year. The new board member will perform duties until a candidate is appointed on a permanent basis.
According to representatives of the municipality, in the current financial conditions, both for the council itself and for the enterprise, a management approach with an emphasis on financial control, budget planning, risk management, and decision-making based on business analytics is necessary to achieve strategic goals, "thus ensuring the long-term existence of 'Gors', high artistic quality of events, and accessibility of cultural services for residents and guests of Rezekne." From this perspective, the holder of capital shares believes that the enterprise needs a leader with strong competencies in financial management.
"As a municipal leader, I fully support the decision of the executive authority and have repeatedly emphasized that we all must understand: 'Gors' is maintained at the expense of taxpayers, and we must handle these funds as responsibly as possible. Unfortunately, we faced resistance from the director of 'Gors' in our pursuit of a more effective management model," stated the mayor of the city, Alexander Bartashevich.
He noted that the concert hall's expenses are rising while revenues are declining.
"The audit findings indicate a high dependence of the enterprise on municipal funding. The audit also established that in 2024, revenues from core activities decreased by 5.4%, indicating problems with operational efficiency," commented the chairman of the council.
He also explained that at the beginning of January, the municipality will continue its work and invite the Ministry of Culture (MK), as well as other stakeholders, to cooperate for a joint discussion on the further development of the "Eastern Latvia Concert Hall," strengthening sustainable financial management, and achieving the strategic goals of the concert hall while ensuring the participation of all stakeholders in the decision-making process.
As reported to the LETA agency by the advisor to the Minister of Culture, Agnese Lace, Rita Plume, the minister is informed about this decision. Lace emphasized that discussions about the change of management of the 'Gors' concert hall have been ongoing in the public space for more than two weeks, and therefore, in her opinion, such a political reprisal against the director ahead of changes raises concerns.
The Minister of Culture contacted the Minister of Smart Management and Regional Development, Raimonds Chudars. The parties agreed to assess the legality of the decision made by the municipality.
Lace also indicated that last week, the MK contacted the Rezekne municipality, both to request information on the situation and to confirm the ministry's readiness to participate in its resolution; however, no response has yet been received from the municipality.
"'Gors' is and will remain a strategically important regional concert hall and an integral part of the cultural space of Latvia. Making opaque decisions is unacceptable," believes the Minister of Culture.
It was previously reported that after conducting a functional audit of the "Eastern Latvia Concert Hall," the Rezekne City Council is considering the possibility of transforming the Latgale Embassy 'Gors' into an institution or choosing another form of management.
Bartashevich previously stated in the media that two possible scenarios are currently being considered — changing the delegation agreement with the 'Eastern Latvia Concert Hall' or transforming the capital company into an institution. The option of leasing 'Gors' to a private operator is no longer being considered.
However, the municipality is also ready to discuss with the MK the possibility of transferring 'Gors' to the state.
In Bartashevich's opinion, it would be logical for the object to pass into state ownership. "The city of Rezekne is ready to pay off the loans," said the mayor, without specifying the exact amount of remaining payments, only indicating that it could be between three to four million euros.
"It is not our goal to transfer the object to the state, but it is our proposal if they believe that we, as a municipality, cannot ensure proper maintenance or management," said Bartashevich.
In turn, the government decided to instruct the MK, together with the Ministry of Smart Management and Regional Development and the Ministry of Economics, to conduct negotiations with the Rezekne City Council regarding the management of the property located at 4 Pils Street in Rezekne, where the Latgale Embassy 'Gors' is situated, and about the possible participation of the state in ensuring the accessibility of professional art.
In the information message from the MK, which was conceptually supported by the government, a potential threat to the further existence of the Latgale Embassy 'Gors' is indicated.
The ministry draws attention to the risk to the accessibility of professional art in the Latgale region and emphasizes that state, municipal, and European Union funds were invested in the establishment of the Latgale Embassy 'Gors'. The message notes that ensuring access to professional culture in Latgale is a long-term investment in the sustainability of society.
The President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, expressed the opinion that this concert hall is an important center of Latvian and Latgale identity and should remain under public management.
According to data from "Firmas.lv", the turnover of the "Eastern Latvia Concert Hall" in 2024 amounted to 891,763 euros, while losses were 19,002 euros. The owner of the concert hall is the Rezekne City Council.
