Rūjiena – BSR Cultural Pearl 2024, has started the implementation of its Culture and Resilience action plan. The first event engaging local community – a clean-up day, took place

On Saturday, 27 April 2024, the first event from the Rūjiena’s Culture and Resilience action plan took place – a clean-up day to start working on the revitalization on the courtyard based in 8 Rīga Street, with the plan to develop it into a new meeting place for the community.

There is a plan together make this yard a meeting place for everyone. Create a small community garden with the bed of beets – the main ingredient of the famous Rūjiena salad, is foreseen also as a place for exhibitions, concerts, meet-up to exchange new recipes or get an advice – these are just a few ideas of what could citizens could do together in the courtyard of Rīga Street 8.

At the corner of Rīga and Upes streets in Rūjiena there is a special courtyard which is surrounded by the old buildings built at the end of the 19th century. Until the end of the Second World War, the residents of Rūjiena called the building at 8 Rīga Street the Meijer House, and during the Soviet years – the Arīš Homestead. The residents of Rūjiena are currently thinking about how to name the courtyard and invited to vote for the ideas.

On the day of the big clean-up, on 27 April, the locals worked hard in the yard of Rīga Street 8, starting the creation of this new community meeting place.