BSR Cultural Pearl 2024 Rūjiena in Latvia wraps up its title year

Last year the town of Rūjiena enjoyed a lot of attention both locally and internationally as it carried the title of the BSR Cultural Pearl 2024. Over the course of the year, numerous events were held in the town and its vicinity aimed at strengthening local community and fostering its social resilience. The diverse creative and educational activities facilitated intergenerational collaboration, engagement and emergence of new local initiatives that would play a significant role for the town and the community in the future.

During the year spent by the town in the status of BSR Cultural Pearl, the Cultural Department of Valmiera Municipality worked with the residents of Rūjiena mounting an almost year-long extensive programme to implement Culture and Resilience Action plan. Wrapping up a year, it is worth a mention that these events and activities have resulted in a valuable discussion of potentially creating a council of residents in Valmiera municipality. With setting up a community centre in mind, some practical measures have already been taken toward utilisation of the historical buildings and yard at 8 Rīgas Street. Over the course of the last year, the residents of Rūjiena have forged collaborative interaction with culture workers from towns on the Estonian side of the border and actively taken part in intergenerational activities held by the Ascendum Association. Various activities were successfully organised in collaboration with Rūjiena Association, Rūjiena Centre for Culture, Rūjiena Folk School and Rūjiena Secondary School. Some of the most significant events included Rūjiena Ice Cream Festival, during which the town was presented with the BSR Cultural Pearl Award; the Youth Day programme featuring a disco; trips to the Latvian-Estonian border area, culminating with the ‘Postcards from the Border Area’ at the Unguriņi crossing point, as well as the quiz series ‘Meet Your Neighbour’.

Culture is an instrument we can use to consolidate the community and highlight significant urgent problems. Culture is not just a concert or a theatre show. It is a story of encounters, of a dialogue in any of its variety of forms…

Cultural project manager for Valmiera Municipality Madara Seile says: ‘For Rūjiena, the year spent as a Cultural Pearl was exciting and packed with events. Over 22 activities were held during this time, aimed at involving as many diverse social groups from Rūjiena and its vicinity as possible. We are definitely keen to see some of the initiatives continued in 2025, including, for example, new editions of the ‘Meet Your Neighbour’ quiz or a tour of the ‘Postcards from the Border Area’ exhibition in Valmiera Municipality and hopefully in Estonia as well. We would like to carry on the work initiated by the Ascendum Association involving forging new friendships between the seniors and young people of Rūjiena. Culture is an instrument we can use to consolidate the community and highlight significant urgent problems. Culture is not just a concert or a theatre show. It is a story of encounters, of a dialogue in any of its variety of forms.’

In the context of the Cultural Pearl title, the town’s name also got a frequent mention at international events, both in Jakobstad (Pietarsaari) in Finland or at the Annual Conference of the Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC) network in the German city of Kiel and in Svendborg (Denmark). The key benefit for Rūjiena today and moving forward is the town’s involvement in the network of the Baltic Sea Region towns and municipalities, a boost for cooperation and knowledge exchange.

Crucially, everything that has been accomplished during the BSR Cultural Pearl title year will have continuity and a long-term impact. There are already grounds for speaking of community-friendly activities that will be carried on: the quizzes, projects uniting seniors and young people. A council of socially engaged residents will be set up.

Rūjiena demonstrated that the power of culture can be harnessed to strengthen individuals’ sense of belonging, foster community cohesion, and ultimately build resilience. This is especially crucial in today’s climate of uncertainty, where we face numerous challenges.

Author: Vidzeme Planning Region