Editing Liepāja (section)

== Culture ==
[[File:Inner yard of Zivju iela 3 in Liepāja.jpg|thumb|Rome Garden]]
Liepāja is known as a city rich in deep cultural and historical traditions, and has a very important place in the cultural landscape of Latvia and the region. Liepāja is home to both state and municipal institutions, as well as the University of Liepāja and privately funded artistic groups and departments. The city has a remarkable legacy in terms of its historical cultural environment, buildings, monuments, visual art collections, museums and libraries. Liepāja has a strong tradition of [[performing arts]] and intangible cultural heritage – [[craft]]s, folk art, traditional culture – in both Latvian and minority groups. Cultural tourism and creative industries are developing. There is a strong cultural education base (in its professional forms). Certain sectors are relatively underdeveloped in Liepāja (fine arts, literature, declining cinema, etc.).

Liepāja took part in the competition for the [[European Capital of Culture|European Capital of Culture (ECOC)]] status in 2014, but on 15 September 2009 the [[European Commission]] jury recommended that [[Riga]] be awarded the status.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Press corner |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/home/en |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=European Commission – European Commission }}</ref> Having taken part in the competition for the European Capital of Culture status in 2027, on 10 May 2022 the jury awarded the status to Liepāja.<ref name=":4" />

=== Symbols ===
[[File:Spoku koks (2).jpg|thumb|"Spoku koks" (Ghost tree), an object dedicated to the Latvian rock group [[Līvi (band)|Līvi]].]]

Liepāja has three officially approved symbols: a [[coat of arms]], a [[flag]] and an [[anthem]]. The coat of arms was adopted four days after the jurisdiction gained [[city rights]] on 18 March 1625,<ref name="siteliepaja"/> and the present version is introduced in 1925;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/wiki/Liep%C4%81ja|title=Liepāja|website=Heraldry of the World|access-date=2023-10-02}}</ref> while the flag was first officially proclaimed in 1938 with the ''Law on the Flag of the City of Liepāja''. The coat of arms of Liepāja is described as: "on a silver background, the lion of [[Courland]] with a divided tail, who leans upon a [[tilia|linden]] ({{langx|lv|Liepa}}) tree with its forelegs". The flag of Liepāja has the coat of arms in the center, with red in the top half and green in the bottom.<ref name="siteliepaja"/> The anthem ''The City where the Wind is Born'' (''Pilsētā, kurā piedzimst vējš'') was approved in 1999 and premiered in the first hour of 2000. [[Imants Kalniņš]] wrote the song "In the City where the Wind is Born" in 1973, dedicating it to Liepāja and the people of Liepāja, with lyrics by [[Māris Čaklais]]. It was first performed by Austra Pumpure, and even then the song gained the status of an unofficial anthem of Liepāja residents. Liepāja also has its own special dish – 'Liepājas menciņi' (smoked, dried [[cod]] with potatoes, onions and [[dill]] in [[Cream|heavy cream]], fried in a ceramic pot), which is based on an ancient recipe from South Courland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://liepaja.travel/edinasana/liepajas-ipasais-ediens-ar-kurzemes-smeki-liepajas-mencini/|title=Liepājas īpašais ēdiens ar Kurzemes smeķi – "Liepājas menciņi"|last=catchsmartsolution.com|first=CatchSmart {{!}}|access-date=2022-08-14|language=lv-LV}}</ref> Dried, smoked or lightly dried codfish was used in the diet of the coastal inhabitants of [[Courland]] – [[Livonians]] and [[Curonians]] – even before the arrival of German settlers in the 13th century.

The use of Liepāja's symbols is regulated by the Binding Regulations adopted by the City Council on 25 February 1999.

=== Music ===
[[File:Baltu vienības dienas pasākumi Liepājā (29269901903).jpg|thumb|upright|Interior of the [[Holy Trinity Cathedral, Liepāja|Holy Trinity Cathedral]]]]
Liepāja is known as the music capital of Latvia. The Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, the oldest orchestra in the Baltic States, performs in Liepāja. It remains the only professional orchestra in Latvia outside Riga.<ref name="orchestra" /> Liepāja is home to bands such as [[Līvi (band)|Līvi]], [[Credo (band)|Credo]], [[2xBBM]] and [[Tumsa]], as well as composers such as [[Zigmars Liepiņš]], [[Jānis Lūsēns]] and [[Uldis Marhilēvičs]]. Music festivals such as Summer Sound, International Star Festival, VIA Baltica Festival, International Organ Music Festival and others are organised.<ref name=":6" /> From 1964 to 2006, Liepājas Dzintars, the longest-running and most tradition-rich popular music festival in Latvia, was held in the ''Pūt, vējiņi'' concert garden.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Liepājas dzintars" |url=https://enciklopedija.lv/skirklis/59570 |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=enciklopedija.lv }}</ref>

=== Visual arts ===
Liepāja's art scene has a long and rich tradition. The oldest and most outstanding work of art in Liepāja is the altar of St Anne's Church, built in 1697. The most significant work of art of the 18th century is the organ of the [[Holy Trinity Cathedral, Liepāja|Holy Trinity Cathedral]] The interior decoration of the Old Catholic Church is also noteworthy – ornamental formations in plaster (1762) and the altar retable – a typical late Baroque work, paintings of columns, walls and ceilings, stained glass windows. Works of applied art masters are in the [[Liepāja Museum]]. There are 18th-century door sashes from the house at 13 Stendera Street and works by tin foundrymen. The most outstanding sculpture of the 19th century is the sculpture by Fabiani for the chapel in the Old Cemetery, but the sculpture in the city is mainly memorial works. In the Northern Cemetery there is a monument to the memory of the soldiers who died in the [[Latvian War of Independence]], there is also a memorial marker to Colonel [[Oskars Kalpaks]] at his first burial site, and in the Jewish burial section of the Līva Cemetery there is a monument to the memory of the Jewish soldiers who died in the Latvian War of Independence near Liepāja. In Jūrmala Park, there is a [[monument to the sailors and fishermen perished in the sea]] and to the 16 January 1905 rally. Nearby is a monument to the poet [[Mirdza Ķempe]]. Until the restoration of independence, the city had several monuments created during the Soviet occupation, of which the monument to the 1941 defenders of Liepāja remains in place,<ref name=":1" /> but it is being dismantled in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Liepājā demontēs trīs padomju okupācijas laika pieminekļus |url=https://www.liepajniekiem.lv/tv-kurzeme/sizeti/liepaja-demontes-tris-padomju-okupacijas-laika-piemineklus/ |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=liepajniekiem.lv |language=lv}}</ref> Since 1996, the town has been decorated with memorial sculptures to the bed of the River Līva, created in a plenary workshop led by Ģirts Burvis. The Liepāja anthem "In the City where the Wind is Born" is reproduced in [[bronze sculpture]]s along the entire length of Kūrmāja Prospect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=catchsmartsolution.com |first=CatchSmart {{!}} |title=Liepājas himnas tēlu skulptūras |url=https://liepaja.travel/darit-un-redzet/liepajas-himnas-telu-skulpturas/ |access-date=2022-09-11 |language=lv-LV}}</ref> There is a rich tradition of painting.<ref name=":1" />

=== Theatre ===
In 1907 the Liepāja Latvian Dramatic Society was founded. Together with other societies, in March 1907 it established and maintained the Liepāja Latvian Theatre (now [[Liepāja Theatre]]), which is the oldest Latvian professional theatre still in existence. In 1918 the theatre moved to its present premises – the City Theatre on the then Hagedorna (now Teātra) Street.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Liepājas teātris :: Teātra iela 4, Vecliepāja, Liepāja, Kurzemes reģ. :: Vietas.lv |url=http://www.vietas.lv/objekts/liepajas_teatris/ |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=Vietas.lv – Latvijas ceļvedis, Latvijas karte, pilsētas, rajoni, tūrisma un citi interesanti objekti, pasākumi}}</ref>

=== Sports ===
[[File:Olympic centre liepaja.jpg|thumb|Liepāja's Olympic Centre]]In 1998, the first ice hockey rink built in Latvia during the years of independence was opened in Liepāja which has since hosted regular [[ice hockey]] games including two youth [[Ice Hockey World Championships|World championship]] games. [[HK Liepājas Metalurgs]] became the home team of the Olympic Ice Arena. The team won eight [[Latvian Hockey Higher League|Latvian championship]] gold medals, and also won the 2002 [[Eastern European Hockey League]] tournament. Due to problems at the metallurgical company, the hockey team ceased operations in the summer of 2013. In 2014, the [[HK Liepāja]] was founded and they became champions of the [[Latvian Hockey Higher League]] in 2015–16 season.

In January 2014, the [[FK Liepājas Metalurgs]] ceased operations and was replaced by the [[FK Liepāja]], who became Latvian champions in 2015. Their home stadium is the [[Daugava Stadium (Liepāja)|Daugava Stadium]]. Liepāja is home to [[Latvijas Basketbola līga|Latvian Basketball League]] club Betsafe/Liepāja.

On 2 August 2008, a new multipurpose sports arena – Liepāja Olympic Centre was officially opened. It has been established as one of the most modern multipurpose sports and cultural complexes in Latvia. Liepāja regularly hosts various sporting events, such as the [[FIBA Basketball World Cup|World]] and [[EuroBasket|European Basketball Championships]], and the 2009 Women's European Basketball Championship Subgroup A and B matches were played at the Liepāja Olympic Centre. The [[European Rally Championship]] stage "[[Rally Liepāja]]", the International [[Windsurfing]] Competition and others are also held.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Par sporta dzīvi Liepājā |url=https://www.liepaja.lv/par-sporta-dzivi-liepaja/ |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=Par sporta dzīvi Liepājā |language=lv}}</ref>

=== Media ===
Liepāja has a regional newspaper {{lang|lv|Kurzemes vārds}} and a regional TV channel ''TV Kurzeme.'' The city also has several regional Internet [[Web portal|portals]]; there is an [[amateur radio]] community<ref name="amatieri" /> and a citywide wireless [[video monitoring]] system. {{As of|2010}}, digital terrestrial television is fully operational; [[mobile television]] and broadband wireless networks are implemented. All four Latvian mobile operators have stable zones of coverage ([[GSM]] 900/1800, [[UMTS]], 2100 [[Code division multiple access|CDMA450]]) and client service centers in Liepāja.