Small parish in eastern Latvia fights to preserve Latgalian traditions amid depopulation
In Ludza municipality's Salnova parish near the Russian border, cultural organizer Valentina Kirsanova has led local cultural life for over four decades, battling declining population, transport shortages and administrative centralization to keep ten amateur art collectives alive.
Cultural life on the border
Salnova parish, part of Ludza municipality, lies almost directly on Latvia's border and is home to roughly 500 residents. The birth rate has fallen sharply — the annual Ritupe festival once welcomed around 40 newborns, but this year only 17. While the nearest town, Karsava, is a ten-minute drive away, the local bus runs just once a week, making the town nearly unreachable for residents without a car.
Despite these challenges, Salnova's culture house is considered one of the richest in the Latgale region in terms of amateur art groups, hosting ten active collectives including vocal ensembles, dance groups and an ethnographic ensemble. Cultural life there has been led since 1982 by Valentina Kirsanova, who started as head of the artistic department before becoming director of the culture house.
Centralization takes its toll
Kirsanova says recent shifts in cultural policy and the centralization of culture houses under a single Ludza municipality culture center have left her feeling burned out. Salnova's culture house no longer exists as an independent unit, and its folk dance collective has been discontinued. She argues small culture houses need a dedicated local staff member who knows residents personally, rather than one manager overseeing multiple venues.
She also voices concern about globalization eroding local traditions — for instance, small rural collectives are judged by the same criteria as Riga-based groups at national song festivals, despite vastly different resources. Some traditions, like the mask-based carnival, are naturally disappearing and being replaced by new formats, such as the "Miss & Mister Ritupe" event.
Seeking independence
With support from the NGO "Kuzuls" and LEADER funding, Salnova has acquired better sound equipment, restored the Kukova church, and plans to buy tents, heaters and a generator for outdoor events. The culture house also cooperates with the local library, the owners of Salnova manor, and the youth center "Puga." Kirsanova hopes transport access to the parish could eventually improve as well.
