As of January 1, 2026, the remaining loan from the city of Rezekne, intended for the construction of a monumental cultural ensemble in the regional center of Latgale, amounted to 7,271,415 euros. This amount is clearly unmanageable for a budget supported by a continuously decreasing population.
This is why the draft Law on the establishment of the Latgale GORS embassy has emerged.
On Wealth
In fact, an embassy is usually referred to as something located in a foreign country. And, if you think about it, here we have a phenomenon just like that.
In a former post-Soviet district center, with bankrupt factories and a poor, predominantly Russian-speaking population, a huge complex was built. By the way, it was designed during the "fat years" for inexpensive heating — from the gas coming from Russia.
Architects Uldis Balodis and Daiga Bikše won a competition in 2008 aimed at embodying Latgale traditions in architecture. The funding at that time was quite modest — 19.9 million euros, of which 7.5 million euros came from the European Regional Development Fund.
Why is this needed?
"The Latgale GORS embassy plays an important role in implementing cultural policy not only for the Latgale region but for the entire country and ensuring public access to professional art," proclaims the Ministry of Culture in the annotation to the draft law.
From it, we can learn, by the way, that the Ministry of Finance was already concerned about the fate of the masterpiece in 2024 and allocated 5 million euros to Rezekne. At that time, a temporary administration was in charge, but the following year, the long-serving mayor Alexander Bartashevich was back in control, and the interest of official Riga in the provincial center somehow cooled down. Finally, Alexander Anatolyevich was denied access to state secrets — and was removed from office, so now it is possible again to engage in the revival of the treasury of spirit.
When profit is bad
Moreover, on the well-known platform Manabalss.lv, 10,968 signatures have been collected for the initiative "Hands off GORS – we will not give the concert hall to a private tenant."
In particular, it states: "Private management is inherently profit-oriented, which can lead to a simplification of cultural content, the dominance of more commercially profitable but less significant in artistic and social terms events. This may reduce the share of quality, educational, experimental, and significant events for Latgale identity, as well as diminish cultural diversity."
Currently, the building houses the Dziga chapel, the Graidi men's choir, the Vīteri folk ensemble, and dance groups. Lectures, creative workshops, master classes, etc., are held.
All of this, of course, is wonderful — but why should taxpayers from all over the country finance the artificial maintenance of some fictitious identity that, in reality, does not exist in Rezekne? If it did exist, GORS would be overflowing with voluntary, grassroots financial support.
Instead, there will be a municipal LLC Austrumlatvijas koncertzāle, with annual state funding. In 2027, for example, 727,000 euros will be allocated. And what about other cultural centers in towns and villages — they probably also now require separate legislation. Cultural expenses are indeed a costly affair these days...
For reference
The word GORS in the name "Latgale GORS embassy" in Rezekne translates from the Latgalian language as "spirit" (in literary Latvian — gars).
