The main goal of the competition is the preservation and restoration of cultural and historical monuments of religious communities of Latvia.
From the very start of its operation, the Rietumu Fund has been systematically providing support to religious communities of Latvia. In many such projects, funds are allocated for the repair, restoration and other works aimed at preserving monuments of religious culture.
During recent years the support possibilities of the Fund and its active operation in this field have grown considerably. To make this work more efficient, regulated and open for communities of all confessions, three years ago a decision was taken on allocating such projects into a special programme and taking decisions regarding these on a competitive basis. The Rietumu Charity Fund has also obtained support from the State Inspection for Heritage Protection, thus guaranteeing equal terms for all applicants and the objective consideration of their projects.
“The restoration and preservation of the sacral cultural heritage of Latvia is a very important and notable trend in the Fund’s operation. In the course of last year’s competition, we saw a big response on the part of different confessions, parishioners and just residents of Latvia. This programme has already allowed the restoration or saving of a number of significant cultural and historical objects, which were in an extremely bad condition and needed immediate measures to be taken. We intend to continue working in this area in the future as well,” noted the Chairperson of the Rietumu Charity Fund Inga Shina.
Last year more than 100 applications for financing the reconstruction of historical buildings belonging to different confessions were received within the framework of the project. In the course of the competition, seven projects were selected which received support from the Fund, including: the repair of a roof and a tower of the St. Nicolay Orthodox Church in Daugavpils, the restoration of a lateral altarpiece in the St. Ludovicus Roman Catholic Church in Kraslava, restoration of a bronze chandelier of the 19
th century in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malpils, the repair of damaged wooden structures of a prayer hall of the community of Old Believers in Tiskade, etc.
According to the current competition terms, an application for obtaining a grant can be submitted by any Latvian religious organisation which owns or uses an architectural monument of local or national standing. The total volume of financing within the framework of the competition will amount to EUR 22 000, and for one project – up to EUR 4 500. The applications can be submitted up to 23 May.
Eleonora Gailisha Mass Media and Public Relations
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