Winners of the Lielā Talka community competition have been announced ahead of this weekend’s “Big clean-up” event across Latvia.
- 15,500 people participated in the final vote for the competition finalists.
- The 19th annual official Lielā Talka will take place on Saturday, April 25.
- The ‘Talka’ tradition is now officially recognized as part of the Latvian National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Regional Competition Winners
The competition recognized community leaders and groups across all Latvian regions. In Latgale, the award was won by Ivo Brūvers, and in Sēlija, by Ilona Šulte.
The Saldus Secondary School team took the award for Kurzeme, while Līga Sama and the Pļavnieki Neighborhood Association won in Riga. Madara Mažajeva was named the winner in Vidzeme, and Māris Strautnieks won in Zemgale.
Organizer Vita Jaunzeme stated that applications were received from individual volunteers, associations, and work groups from throughout the country. Jaunzeme noted that the active public involvement in the voting confirms that the “Talka tribe is strong and powerful.”
Awards and Recognition
Each winner will receive the “Talka Tribe Award,” a specialized statuette created by artist Ieva Strazdiņa, along with prizes from competition sponsors. The official award ceremony is scheduled for May 15.
Lielā Talka Event and Heritage
The public is invited to participate in the Lielā Talka on Saturday, April 25, to clean up the environment or improve landscapes within their local communities. This marks the 19th time the official spring event has been held.
The Council of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Latvian National Cultural Centre (LNKC) has formally added the ‘Talka’ tradition—a communal effort to clean locations, typically in the spring—to the Latvian National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
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