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“modern” institutions were used by Latgalian intellectuals for transformation of local peasants without modern
identity to modern nation with its own identity. Latvian Catholic clergy, mostly Latgalians themselves, began to
play leading role in promoting of this national Latgalian development. Such narratives were popular among Latgalian
intellectuals in exile but after restoration of Latvian Republic these ideas came back to Latvia.
Language was widely used by Latgalian intellectuals in exile in their polemic with Latvian émigré activists. In
1968 J. Lelis in the second Acta Latgalica volume wrote Latgalian can be recognized as dialect, but dialect with
great features and developed literature tradition 1 . Other émigré intellectual V. Zeps proposed compromise viewpoint.
In his book, devoted to Latgalian literature in exile, wrote, that “there is only one Latvian literature and one
Latvian language, but there two languages of Latvians – the first one is based on Low-Latvian dialects, the second
one – on Upper-Latvian dialects. The first language is Latvian and the second one is Latgalian” 2 .
The next Latgalian revival started in Latvia. In March, 1991 local intellectuals from Balva, ludza, Kraslava
and Daugavpīls declared necessity of organization of special institution for studies in Latgalian history, language
and culture. Latgales Pētniecības institūts was established in 1991 and among its founders were local intellectuals
who also proposed to continue publication in Latvia of famous diaspora yearbook Acta Latgalica. In the 1990s
LPI organized some conferences, seminars, published some books in Latgalian problematic, including three volumes
of Acta Latgalica. Nowdays Latgalian identity and concept of Latgale as lieux de memoire cultivates by
intellectuals from Eastern Latvia. Local historians tried to develop lieux de memoire Latgalian image in general
Latvian context.
Actually modern Latgalian intellectuals proposed such perception of Latgale as lieux de memoire which is
organically integrated, on one hand, to general Latvian identity project, and, on another hand, to historical studies
in Latvia in general 3 . They proposed such images of Latgale which are freely understandable for local and
for intellectuals from Riga. That is why in the center of their studies processes of national formation in Latgale.
For example, Genovefa Barkovska analyzes in one of her works how intellectuals in Daugavpīls in the early 20th
century developed Latgalian and Latvian identities when other identity projects were still actual 4 . Henrihs Soms
is engaged in studies of German factor in Latgalian past. It is very interesting that he analyzes role of Gustaf
Manteuffel in the categories of Latgalian historical narrative 5 . It is very important in general and national historiographical
contexts, especially Polish, because intellectuals from Poland denied Latgalian identity of numerous
local historical figures and understand them as representative of Polish historical tradition only. This aspect demonstrates
that Latgalian intellectuals are engaged in search for their own national symbols and heroes, instead of
common with neighbors.
Probably concepts of modern Latgalian intellectuals became official and local intelligentsia determines vectors
of development of Latgalian studies. In the same time history demonstrates other perception of Latgale as lieux de
memoire, which evolutioned from national identity concepts to marginal projects.
Polish tradition of history writing, like Latvian one, historically formatted and developed as nationalistic. Poles
lived in different parts of three European Empires and they hadn’t their own Polish territorial district. tsarstvo
Pol’skoe which formally existed in Russian Empire didn’t occupy all lands populated by Poles. They lived also in
the territories of modern Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia and Lithuania. As for Latvia, majority of Poles on its territories
lived in the Eastern Latvia. This region is famous in Polish tradition as inflanty Polskie. As for inflanty this word
appeared in the Polish language under German influence and meant livland. Poland firstly got this region in 1667.
Polish administration placed in Dźwinów or German Dünaburg.
Polish historians developed concept according which local pre-Polish aristocracy was assimilated and integrated
in Polish szlachta. That is why family of Manteuffels which in Latgalian historiography glorified for its
positive role in development of local Latvian identity, in Polish is understood as Polish dynasty. For example Polish
intellectuals cultivated narrative about progressive role of Polish (and often they absolutize his Polishness, belongness
to Polish culture) baron Gustaw Manteuffl in development of Latgalian culture. In the same time Polish
1 LELIS, 1968.
2 ZEPS, 1962, 1995.
3 VALEINIS, 1999; KURSĪTE, 1999; ZEILE, 1999; BUDŽE, 1999.
4 BARKOVSKA, 2003, 14 – 20.
5 SOMS, 2003, 45 – 49.
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