Centenary of the Republic of Latvia

The Centenary of the Republic of Latvia is going to be the biggest event in the history of modern Latvia. More than 800 wide range celebratory events and festivities will take place from May 2017 to January 2021 in Latvia and 70 countries worldwide.

The Celebrations will commemorate the most important events and personalities related to founding and strengthening of the State.

Everyone who calls Latvia home and feels a sense of belonging to this country is invited to participate. We encourage each and every person living in Latvia to contribute their good deeds as gifts to our nation. In anticipation of Latvia’s birthday, we will follow the common birthday rituals of an individual. A festive feeling should enter every home. To achieve this, everyone is invited to take part – individuals, public authorities, municipalities, institutional and non-governmental organizations, enterprises, the Diaspora.

The ideas dedicated to Latvia and corresponding with the goals of the Celebration can be shared to the open calendar of Centenary events on the digital platform http://lv100.lv/en/.

The Celebrations are made to strengthen our current values and to create new lasting values for the future, with particular attention towards the regions, children and youth. Latvia’s cultural space will be nurtured with such projects as Cultural School Bag, National Encyclopaedia, 16 new feature films, several new tourism routes in Latvia, etc

Funding for Latvia’s Centenary
State budget funding for the Latvia’s Centenary events from 2017 to 2019 is 22.3 million Euros or 0,06 % of the total public spending within three years, or about 3 Euros per capita per year. The financial resources for the implementation of the Latvia’s Centenary Celebrations can be broken down into several categories: state funding, local government funding, international funding, and private funding.

The plan of Latvia’s Centenary events was drafted in collaboration of all ministries, municipalities, state and municipalities’ cooperation partners, many institutions, non-governmental organizations, and society.

Opening of Latvia’s Centenary Celebrations
The opening of Latvia’s Centenary Celebrations will take place on May 4 with the Ministry of the Interior’s campaign Embrace Latvia. During the campaign, the oaks will be planted in the border counties and along the border as a symbolic guard of Latvian strength and wisdom. On May 4, the White Tablecloth Celebration will be celebrated in Latvia and Latvian communities worldwide in order to commemorate the Restoration of Latvian Independence. On May 5 and 6, the Centenary of the first Latgalian Congress will be commemorated with wide range of events. During the first Latgalian Congress a century ago, Latgale made a huge step towards independent State of Latvia by expressing their will to unite with Vidzeme and Kurzeme.