Mazirbe

Livonian culture centre in Mazirbe during annual meeting.

Mazirbe (Livonian: Irē or Piški Īra, German: Klein-Irben) is a village place in Kolka parish, Dundaga municipality, Latvia 18 km southwest of Kolka. It is one of twelve Livonian villages on Līvõd rānda - the Livonian Coast. Mazirbe is the cultural capital of the Livonians.

The modern Livonian flag (introduced in the 1920s) is green for the forests, white for the sandy beaches of the coast, and blue for the sea. It has flown over the Livonian People's House (a cultural centre) since the cutural awakening known as the Atmoda. The Livonian People's House (Latvian: Lībiešu tautas nams or Līvu tautas nams, Livonian: Līvõd rovkuodā), built in 1938 with the support of linguistic cousins in Hungary, Finland and Estonia, is located in the village centre. Inside is a small museum showing photos of past generations of Livonians. On the first Sunday of August there is a Livonian gathering here, culminating in a procession to the beach where a wreath is cast into the sea in remembrance of fishermen who have met watery deaths. A camp for young people where only Livonian is spoken is held for a week beforehand. The Mazirbe plague stone is a unique feature of the village.

See also

• Livonian people

References

• Viksna AA (March 1972). "[Mazirbe plague stone—historical-medical monument in Latvia]" (in Russian). Zh. Mikrobiol. Epidemiol. Immunobiol. 49 (3): 140–1. PMID 4553059. 

Coordinates: 57°40.60′N 22°19′E / 57.6767°N 22.317°E / 57.6767; 22.317