Thematic Issue of the Journal Letonica Published: ‘Experience in the City: Narratives, Memories, and Place Heritage’

The latest thematic issue of the interdisciplinary academic journal Letonica, published by the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia (ILFA), is dedicated to the theme “Experience in the City: Narratives, Memories, and Place Heritage.” It brings together 13 scholarly articles by 15 researchers.

As editor and ILFA leading researcher Gatis Ozoliņš notes in his introduction:

“The significance of urban studies has grown considerably since 2007, when for the first time more people worldwide lived in cities than in rural areas. New communities have emerged in cities, no longer bound by kinship but by knowledge, shared living space, economic interests, and the dynamics of public urban practices. With few exceptions, Latvian urban studies have so far paid little attention to the city from the perspective of its inhabitants, using ethnographic methods. Such an innovative initiative is the ILFA project ‘Experience in the City: Narratives, Memories, and Place Heritage’ (No. lzp-2020/1-0096), supported by the Latvian Council of Science, carried out between 2021 and 2023.”

The project also included the Krišjānis Barons Conference 2022 “Experience in the City” at the National Library of Latvia. While the main focus was on the stories, identities, and local heritage of residents of Pārdaugava in Riga, the broader aim was to document and interpret urban narratives as key elements of city culture, history, and development.

Contributors to the issue include researchers from five institutions:

• Elīna Gailīte, Rita Grīnvalde, Justīne Jaudzema, Aigars Lielbārdis, Gatis Ozoliņš, Una Smilgaine, Kārlis Vērdiņš, Ieva Vīvere (ILFA)

• Sigita Ignatjeva, Anda Kuduma (Riga Technical University Liepāja Academy)

• Angelika Juško-Štekele, Olga Senkāne (Rēzekne Academy of Technologies)

• Janīna Kursīte, Ingus Barovskis (University of Latvia, Faculty of Humanities)

• Otto Ķenga (Latvian Academy of Culture)

Literary editors: Signe Raudive and Laine Kristberga (English).
Design: Tatjana Raičiņeca.
The issue has been published with the support of the University of Latvia and the Latvian Council of Science.

About Letonica
Launched in 1998, Letonica is an interdisciplinary academic journal publishing original research in the humanities and social sciences. All submissions undergo anonymous peer review. The journal is indexed in Scopus, ERIH PLUS, and EBSCO.

In 2023, six issues were published, including four thematic issues and three in English. The latest issue for 2024, “Experience in the City: Narratives, Memories, and Place Heritage”, is now available.

The journal is available online in open access: Letonica archive
Print copies can be purchased in major Latvian bookstores, at the Friends Room of the National Library of Latvia, and at ILFA (Mūkusalas iela 3, Riga). More information: ILFA Publishing