OGRE’S CHURCHES
During the Christmas season, churches are traditionally filled with a particularly large crowd of people. Houses of worship are filled both with parishioners attending festive services and with cultural enthusiasts who flock to Christmas concerts. The unique architecture of churches is also noteworthy. The expressive silhouettes of church towers in the snow-covered city landscape are a popular theme for Christmas postcards.
“The scent of gingerbread follows me
Along the quiet, empty street it comes,
I stop, it snows so brightly
And in the church, the bells begin to ring.”
(I. Zandere)
During the Christmas season, churches are traditionally filled with a particularly large crowd of people. Houses of worship are filled both with parishioners attending festive services and with cultural enthusiasts who flock to Christmas concerts. The unique architecture of churches is also noteworthy. The expressive silhouettes of church towers in the snow-covered city landscape are a popular theme for Christmas postcards. Furthermore, churches not only serve as gathering places for congregations but are also popular attractions for urban environment admirers. Ogre has several churches with active congregations, so in the spirit of Christmas, we offer a brief insight into the history of Ogre’s houses of worship.
The inhabitants of the Ogre territory once belonged to the Ikšķile-Salaspils congregation. 19. century After the railway opened in 1861, the interest of Riga vacationers increased Ogre’s population, which grew significantly in the summers. Initially, services in Ogre were organized at Špīss’s guesthouse on specific Sundays.
In late 1908, Ogre’s summer residents decided to build a chapel. The Ikšķile-Salaspils congregation, under the care of pastor Voldemārs fon Hūns at the time, purchased a plot of land at the site of the current Lutheran church and commissioned a design for the church building – a wooden structure stylistically similar to Swiss regional architecture. The chapel designed by architect Edgars Frīzendorfs was named the Forest Chapel and had 300 seats. It was consecrated on June 6, 1910, and operated as a seasonal branch of the Ikšķile-Salaspils congregation. 1915. the building burned down.
1927. The Ogre summer resort district congregation was founded, which, after Ogre was granted town rights, was named the Ogre Town Congregation. The elected congregation committee carried out preparatory work for the construction of the new church. The foundation stone of the building was laid in 1928, and the church was consecrated on August 31, 1930. Its architect is Haralds Kundziņš. The construction of the church cost approximately 45,000 lats. It has 422 seats, 50 of which are in the organ loft, and about one hundred standing places. The church bell is adorned with the inscription “I call the living, I mourn the dead. For Ogre Town Church at Christmas”, it was made in Švenns’ bell foundry in Riga. The church’s altarpiece, based on K. Hūns’ work “The Second Coming of Christ”, was created by artist Šēnbergs, and it is an art monument of local significance. The organ was installed in the church in 1940.
During World War II, some shrapnel caused minor damage to the church building’s exterior wall, but overall it remained intact. As a result of Soviet occupation repressions, the number of congregation members decreased from 450 to 50, and pastor Arturs Krauklis was exiled to Siberia. Catholic and Baptist congregations also began holding services in the church, which helped pay the heavy tax burden – 800 rubles per year.
20th century 60. New industrial enterprises emerged in Ogre, attracting people both from other regions of Latvia, such as Latgale, and from other parts of the Soviet Union, therefore, the number of members of various confessions’ congregations increased during this time.
The Catholic congregation in Ogre has existed since 1935. At that time, services were held on the second floor of the police building. 1979. On April 22, with Provost Antons Mičulītis overcoming various challenges, a Catholic congregation was re-established in Ogre, which until the 20th century 90. century, operated in the Lutheran church, helping not only with tax payments but also with various practical maintenance and improvement works for the building. The Roman Catholic Church at the corner of Upes and Meža Prospect was built and consecrated in 1997. The central altar of the new Catholic church, made of mahogany, is a donation from the St. Mary Magdalene Church congregation. It was crafted in 1901 and is a cultural monument of national significance.
The Baptist Daugmale congregation began operating in Ogre in the 20th century 70. and, like the Catholic parish, rented space in the Lutheran church. 20. century 90. century, the congregation acquired two pre-war summer houses – at Vidus Prospect 12 (in 1993) and Vidus Prospect 15 (in 1996). The latter of the buildings was used for many years by the sanatorium “Ogre”, where the administration and classrooms were located, and where sanatorium residents acquired school knowledge. As the number of congregation members grew, there was a need for larger premises, so in 2002, construction of a separate building began next to the former sanatorium building. The new house of worship was opened in 2010.
Near the Lutheran church at Krasta Street 15 is the St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Orthodox Church. The Orthodox congregation in Ogre was registered in 1992. The building where services were held was the 20th century 30. that had been extensively renovated over time and changed owners several times. With the support of the parish and the Riga Orthodox Church synod, it was completely rebuilt to create the current church. St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Church was consecrated in 2001.
Two of Ogre’s churches were built on the sites of former summer houses, while Ogre’s first church, unlike many other towns, is not located in the city center. The atypical location of the churches and the stories of their construction to some extent testify to Ogre’s history as a resort town.
“OGRE KANGARI” HIKING TRAIL
We invite you to explore the hiking trail to better discover the hills of Ogre. View the photo gallery and read the story on the museum's website or Facebook page. By looking at historical images, you can compare how the city has changed over time. We have marked the route in the "BalticMaps" map browser. The “GPX” file is convenient to use with the LVM GEO mobile app. The total length of the hiking trail marked on the map is 14 kilometers (7 kilometers in Pārogre and 7 kilometers in Ogre center and Jaunogre). The hiking trail winds through both the urban part of the city (with asphalt, cobblestone, and gravel surfaces) and green areas (park paths and pedestrian-trodden forest trails without special amenities).
