Arvid Ratnieks
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Was such a thing as anecdotes popular in Latgale in the past?
I remember that only from my childhood, the anecdotes were mostly political. If it was Khrushchev’s time, then people told anecdotes about Khrushchev, if Brezhnev’s – then about …
Researcher: Dr. philol. Valentīns Lukaševičs, Daugavpils Universitāte
Categories: Arvid Ratnieks
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How did children play, what games did they play when being small?
I don’t know what small kids were doing, but at the time, since I remember myself, well, what were we doing? There was such an interesting small gadget, I don’t know, it must have been …
Researcher: Dr. philol. Valentīns Lukaševičs, Daugavpils Universitāte
Categories: Arvid Ratnieks
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What were the entertainments in a rural family and leisure evenings?
I remember my childhood in the countryside, when there was no electricity yet. We had to buy kerosene. Kerosene was not very expensive in the soviet times, but we still did not use it too often. And …
Researcher: Dr. philol. Valentīns Lukaševičs, Daugavpils Universitāte
Categories: Arvid Ratnieks
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Have you ever happened to participate in Christmas mummery?
Oh, I have happened a lot – since I was a child. Usually, it was not organized. Usually is happened like this – either in some house, or at some neighbour’s, or mainly, if we were …
Researcher: Dr. philol. Valentīns Lukaševičs, Daugavpils Universitāte
Categories: Arvid Ratnieks
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How was Christmas celebrated?
Christmas in Latgale is more associated with church festivals. Usually, people got up early. The mass at the church was always held in the morning. I don’t know where from the tradition has …
Researcher: Dr. philol. Valentīns Lukaševičs, Daugavpils Universitāte
Categories: Arvid Ratnieks
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How was Jāņi [Līgo, Midsummer night festival] celebrated?
You know, Jāņi was celebrated also during the soviet times, though all that present-day, I would call it, the modern Latvian propaganda – that Jāņi could not be celebrated, that it was not …
Researcher: Dr. philol. Valentīns Lukaševičs, Daugavpils Universitāte
Categories: Arvid Ratnieks
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What food and drinks were offered at wedding?
Weddings have always been important events in Latgale. There used to be two types of weddings. The more refined ones were called – for two tables, when the wedding began at the bride’s …
Researcher: Dr. philol. Valentīns Lukaševičs, Daugavpils Universitāte
Categories: Arvid Ratnieks
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Have you ever heard and experienced such a phenomenon as večerinka [spending evenings together]?
I have heard about vecherinkas from my parents, who told me about the first Latvian times when they were young. Then such events were organized on Saturdays or on public holidays as open-air parties …
Researcher: Dr. philol. Valentīns Lukaševičs, Daugavpils Universitāte
Categories: Arvid Ratnieks
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Joint work. How did it go? What is the situation now?
It was so. I’ll start from the end. A man once asked me: “What do you like most in joint work?” For me the best thing in the joint work is the moment when the hostess says: “ …
Researcher: Dr. philol. Valentīns Lukaševičs, Daugavpils Universitāte
Categories: Arvid Ratnieks
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Did people in Soviet times experience any problems related church attendance?
People have problems with attending church at present, too. People themselves create problems. As far as I have observed, one man told me about a great sinner, that now the most active churchgoers …
Researcher: Dr. philol. Valentīns Lukaševičs, Daugavpils Universitāte
Categories: Arvid Ratnieks
