Gulbene


Gulbene is a town in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is an administrative center of Gulbene Municipality.
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History

Historical documents first mention the 1224 land division act between the Order of the Sword Brothers and the Archbishop of Riga. In the 14th century, the Archbishop built a stone castle around which a populated place was formed.
The Evangelical Lutheran church was built on the ancient Latgalian castle mound in place of the later Middle Age brick castle from 1838.–1843. The church is built in the classical style.
Vecgulbene estate complex was built in the middle and second half of the 19th century not far off the church. The most significant buildings are the White Palace, the Red Palace and the magazine granary. Both palaces have been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Since 1924 the elementary school of the city occupies the Red Palace. Since 2004 Stradu pagasta pārvalde occupies part of the palace.
After the construction of the Stukmani to Valka narrow-gauge railway in 1903 and subsequent broad-gauge line construction during World War I, Vecgulbene was established as an important railway junction, and in 1920 it was given the rights of a small village. During the first period of Latvian independence, besides those employed by the railways, small business, trades and crafts were the most important economic activities in the town. Gulbene was heavily damaged during the last years of World War II. After the war, during the Soviet occupation, Gulbene initially became a district, and later, in 1950, a regional centre. In the 1960s and 1970s branches of several major industrial companies were established in the city. Local enterprise was mainly involved with wood processing.
The most architecturally significant building in the area is the passenger building at Gulbene railway station, built in 1926 by the well-known professor of architecture Peteris Feders. It is one of the largest and most magnificent railway station buildings in Latvia.

1999 massacre

On 22nd February, 1999 3 children & a staff were hacked to death & another staff member left with serious injuries after an attack with a meat cleaver by a 19-year-old Alexander Koryakov. All of the victims were Russian speakers. This attack was one of the worst attacks in Latvian history. The trial began on 29 November 1999, and Koryakov was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Geography

There is one major town in the Gulbene municipality, and the region is separated into 13 smaller rural parishes. Gulbene is being developed as an environmentally-friendly territory.

Climate

Gulbene has a humid continental climate. Gulbene has a cold and long winter, a warm and short summer, and a fleeting spring and autumn. Winters are often below. In the cold waves of 1940, 1956, 1978, 1985 and 1987, there were low temperatures below, and even extremely cold weather approaching. In mid-summer there will be warm weather exceeding, and sometimes there will be high temperatures exceeding. The monthly averages range from to, whereas all-time extremes range from on 16 January 1940 to on 11 August 1992.

Demographics

Within existing limits, according to CSB data.

Tourism

The Gulbenes Regional History and Art Museum displays one of the most valuable relics of Latvian museums – a chair designed by Julius Madernieks made in the 1920s. Julius Madernieks was the founder of Latvian professional applied art born in Vecgulbenes parish and being notable person in city Gulbene.

Sports

The Gulbene municipality's biggest rivers are currently popular locations for nature tourism and water-sports, but once these were famous places for harvesting river-pearls. Cycling is enjoyed on local country paths.
Gulbene has a basketball team, Gulbenes Buki, playing in the higher division of the Latvian basketball league.

Media

The Gulbene region is served by a newspaper, Dzirkstele.

Twin towns

Notable people