The Liv coastline, or Līvõd Rānda stretches along the northwester seashore of Latvia. This is the only place in the world where typical elements of the cultural environment of Livs has been preserved. There is a series of villages between Ovīši and Ģipka along the shores of the Baltic Sea and the Bay of Rīga – Paţīkmō-Lūž-Pizā-Īra-Ūžkilā-Sīkrõg-Kusštrõg-Pitrõg-Sänag-Vaid-Kūolka-Mustānum-Gipkō. During the Soviet occupation, the territory was known as an “iron curtain” or a “closed coastline.”
The Livs or Livonians, like Latvians, are an indigenous population in Latvia, and their ancestors are thought to have lived here starting 5,000 years ago, occupying larges parts of what are Kurzeme and Vidzeme today. Political and social events for this, one of the smallest nations in Europe, have been destructed, but the community has managed to preserve its cultural and historical heritage, its language and its separate ethnic identity.
Where the Latvian language belongs to the Indo-European family of languages, the Liv language is Finno-Ugric and one of the Finnish-related languages in the region around the Baltic Sea. Only a few dozen people still speak the language, but it must be seen as an important part of Europe’s intangible heritage. As the Liv and Latvian languages have co-existed for thousands of years, they have influenced one another, and Latvians who live in traditional Liv territories tend to speak in a specific dialect.
The history of the Livs teaches us that even a nation that is meant for destruction can preserve itself even under the worst conditions – Viking raids, colonisation by others, assimilation, wars, occupation, the genocide of Stalinism and deportations to Siberia. After World War II, the Livs lost their last prerequisites for a normal live – ownership rights to their land and their fishing locations and, thus, their traditional way of life. The community today is commemorated by place names, dialects, ensemble and choral songs, friendship with brotherly nations, local cuisine, the skills of fishermen, folk costumes and celebrations, and the world views and lifestyle of local residents. The Liv (Livonian Association “Līvod Īt” was established in 1923 and remains active today.
Travellers today can climb to the top of the Šlītere or Ovīši lighthouse to view the Liv coastline all the way to Cape Kolka and the Saaremaa Island out in the sea. The local blue hills are part of the ancient shore of the Baltic Ice Sea, separating the coastline lowlands from the Dundaga highlands and being known as one of the most outstanding locations along the Baltic shores for environmental diversity. There is an environmental education centre in Šlītere, though neither of the aforementioned lighthouses is operational today; they are only meant for tourists. Pedestrians and bikers can enjoy specific routes and trails, while boaters will be tempted by the curvy Irbe River.
You can meet real Liv fishermen in the area. Smell the smoked fish, taste traditional foods, look at the diversity of old fences, and learn all about the reticent charm of the local landscape. The Liv People’s Centre in Mazirbe was opened in 1939 with the help of related nationalities, and on the first Saturday of every August, the community gathers for its greatest festival together with representatives of related nations and friends from all around the world. There are also camps for children and young people each summer, and each November the Livs commemorate their blue-white-green flag.
Līvõd rānda kutsūb! / The Liv Coastline welcomes you!
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