Trapene Local History Centre Preserves Parish History and Memory of Poet Ojārs Vācietis
The local history centre in Trapene parish, Smiltene municipality, features an exhibition on poet Ojārs Vācietis, the parish's history and notable locals. Visits must be arranged in advance by phone or email.
A local history centre in Trapene parish, in Latvia's Smiltene municipality, holds records of the childhood and school years of poet Ojārs Vācietis, as well as of the parish's history and of people whose work left a mark on Latvian culture. The centre is presented in the series "7 places where Smiltene municipality's stories are kept" by the municipality's Business and Tourism Department.
The poet's exhibition
Vācietis spent his childhood and school years in Trapene, and this connection is reflected in both the exhibition and the memorial sites. The exhibition covers the poet's family, childhood and school days. Visitors can listen to recordings in which Vācietis himself reads his poetry. An interactive painting, "A Meeting with the Poet", creates the impression that he is briefly present again.
Near Trapene Primary School stands a stone dedicated to Vācietis, which visitors are invited to warm with their hands.
Parish history and local figures
The centre keeps evidence from several eras: the years of independent Latvia, the Second World War, the post-war period and the deportations carried out during the Soviet occupation. Documents and photographs present history through people's lives and fates.
The exhibitions also introduce other natives of the area: writer and poet Linards Laicens, brothers Ādolfs and Jānis Grests, and graphic artist Edvīns Andersons. A separate story is devoted to Bormaņmuiža manor and its park. Old tools show the daily life of earlier generations.
A visit can end with linden-blossom tea made from the flowers of century-old lime trees. The trees growing in the park are linked to Linards Laicens.
Practical information
The local history house opened in 1960 on the initiative of teacher H. Ausekls. The centre is located in Trapene parish, at "Vairogi". Visits must be arranged in advance by calling +371 25413243 or emailing the centre.
