Infographic: Facts about Daugavpils. Daugavpils in Figures
News and interesting facts, Russian study abroad experience

Facts about Daugavpils (Infographic)

Daugavpils is a multicultural city with a vibrant history dated back to the 13th century. Geographically located at an important position, the city has always been in the centre of events. We selected the most interesting facts about Daugavpils – its present and past. Download infographic Main figures Founded – 1275 Status of the city […]

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Facts about Daugavpils (Infographic)

News and interesting facts, Russian study abroad experience

Daugavpils is a multicultural city with a vibrant history dated back to the 13th century. Geographically located at an important position, the city has always been in the centre of events. We selected the most interesting facts about Daugavpils – its present and past.

Infographic: Facts about Daugavpils

Download infographic

Main figures

  • Founded – 1275
  • Status of the city – 1582
  • Population (2015) – 97, 000, the second largest city in Latvia
  • Territory – 72.48 km2
  • Reservoir area – 9.75 km2

Geographical position

  • Latitude – 55° 52′ 30″ N (the same as Moscow, Kazan, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow)
  • Longitude – 26° 32′ 8″ E

International traffic

Riga International Airport provides an easy and fast access to Latvia from all main European capital cities.

  • Rome – 3 hrs. 10 min.
  • Amsterdam – 2 hrs. 15 min.
  • Berlin – 1 hr. 35 min.

Flying time from the USA:

  • New York – approximately 11 hrs.
  • Washington – approximately 11 hrs.

Daugavpils is located not far from the borders of a few states. So you can easily travel to the neighbouring states.

Travelling time to the border by motor vehicles:

  • Lithuania – 0.5 hrs.
  • Belarus – 0.5 hrs.
  • Poland – 4 hrs.
  • Estonia – 3 hrs.
  • Russia – 2 hrs.

Travelling time by motor vehicles to:

  • Riga, Latvia’s capital city – 3 hrs.
  • Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital city – 2.5 hrs.
  • Tallinn, Estonia’s capital city – 6.5 hrs.
  • Minsk, Belarus’ capital city – 4 hrs.

Travelling time by train to:

  • Moscow – 12 hrs.
  • Petersburg – 10 hrs.

In Daugavpils there are Consulates General  of:

  • The Russian Federation
  • The Republic of Belarus

Names of the city

In the course of its history the city has changed its name 5 times:

  • Dunaburh – 1275-1656
  • Borisoglebsk – 1656-1667
  • Dinaburg – 1667-1893
  • Dvinsk – 1893-1920
  • Daugavpils – 1920

The city was part of

Being the city of the strategic importance, Daugavpils has been part of different states throughout its history:

  • Livonian Order – 1275-1561
  • Grand Duchy of Lithuania – 1561-1569
  • Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth – 1569-1772
  • Russian Empire – 1772-1917
  • Republic of Latvia – 1920-1940
  • USSR – 1940-1941
  • Nazi Germany – 1941-1944
  • USSR – 1944-1991
  • Republic of Latvia – 1991

Education

Daugavpils is  the centre of culture and education in Latgale, Latvia’s eastern region.

Universities

  • Daugavpils University
  • Riga Technical University, branch
  • Baltic International Academy, branch

Colleges and schools Musical College, Medical College, Technical College

  • Daugavpils Musical College
  • Daugavpils Medical College
  • Daugavpils Technical College
  • Daugavpils Secondary School of Design and Art “Saules skola”
  • Secondary Schools – 13
  • Primary Schools – 6
  • Vocational Schools – 4

Local Mass Media

The city’s mass media primarily operate in the Russian language.

  • TV channels – 1
  • Newspapers – 5 (4 in the Russian language)
  • Magazines – 1
  • Radio stations – 3
  • News websites – 7

Demography

Daugavpils is probably the most Russian city in the European Union!

  • Russians – 50.9%
  • Latvians – 18.2%
  • Poles – 14.1%
  • Belarusians – 7.4%
  • Ukrainians – 2.0%
  • Others – 7.4%

Russian is the language of everyday communication for 80% of the citizens.

Religion

Daugavpils has always been a multinational and multi-confessional city.

  • Russian Orthodox – 26%
  • Old Believers – 19%
  • Catholics – 34%
  • Lutherans – 6%
  • Protestants – 3%
  • Muslims – 1%
  • Jews – 0.2%
  • Atheists and others – 10.8%

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ЭТЮД О ДВИНСКЕ

Etude on Dvinsk by F.Fedorov

The Baltic region is one of the most catastrophe prone regions of the 2nd millennium, especially its second part; it is the centre of attraction of ‘geopolitical’ interests of the European world. Probably the most tragic fate has befallen to the eastern part of the present Latvia and its multi-titled town of Dinaburg – Dvinsk – Daugavpils. During its 730 years long history, the town went through five rather autonomous periods of development, five different lives (German, Polish, Russian, Latvian, Soviet), and at the beginning of the 1990s it entered into the 6th period.

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