Daugavpils (Latvian: Daugpils, Daugovpils) is a state city in Latvia.
Its total area is 72.48 km2 and the population in 2020 was 82,046. It is
the second largest city in Latvia by population after Riga. Daugavpils
is located in the southeast of the country by the Daugava River. The
city is located on the southeastern edge of the East Latvian lowland.
Most of the city is located in the bed of the ancient Daugava, which is
narrow in its territory. The city is located on both banks of the
Daugava, both in Latgale and Selia. The length of the river in the city
territory is approximately 16 km. Daugavpils is the largest city of the
Latgale planning region, an industrial and educational center, as well
as an important cultural, sports and recreational center. The city is
also an important center of socio-economic development in the Baltics.
It was first mentioned in historical sources in 1275, while city
rights were granted to it in 1582. During its existence, the city had
several names: Dinaburga (until 1893), briefly Borisoglebsk (Russian:
Борисоглебск; 1656—1667) and Dvinska (1893—1920). In 1956, Daugavpils
added the town of Griva on the left bank of the Daugava.
The
current chairman of Daugavpils city council is Andrejs Elksniņš. The
Daugavpils City Council has 15 members who are elected for four years in
municipal elections. Daugavpils University, branches of several Riga
universities, 7 vocational schools and 16 general education schools
operate in the city. The Consulates General of the Russian Federation
and the Republic of Belarus are located in Daugavpils.
The city is divided into two parts by railway lines; in the southern
part they are crossed by the 18 Novembra overpass. To the west of the
tracks is the historical center and most of the attractions, to the east
is the Holy Hill and the shot foundry, and st. 18 Novembra leads to
another (partially) pre-revolutionary, but uninteresting district, New
Structure.
The historical center is located between the Dvina
River and the station, the main street (partially pedestrian) is st.
Rigas. There is no embankment on the banks of the Dvina, but there is a
protective embankment, erected back in the 1830s, which protects the
city center from floods. From the embankment there is a view of the
Dvina and the left bank districts of the city - Griva.
Tourist
Information Center, Rigas, 22. ☎ +371 65422818
1 Dinaburg Fortress. The main attraction of the city, the fortress
was built from the beginning of the 19th century in accordance with the
latest ideas of Russian military art. By 1878, the fortress was
completely built and became one of the largest structures of this type
on the western border of Russia. On January 14, 1893, the city of
Dinaburg was renamed Dvinsk, and the fortress also began to be called
Dvinskaya.
With the development of military affairs, it lost its
strategic importance, and since 1897 it turned into a warehouse
fortress, becoming an arsenal for storing guns. As a result, the
military left the fortress only in 1993. Over the past 20 years, almost
nothing has changed in it: communist slogans can still be seen in the
decaying warehouses, and someone still lives in the residential garrison
buildings, although the fortress is officially recognized as a monument
of national significance. Despite the abandonment of recent decades, the
classic ensemble of buildings has been well preserved. It is worth going
around the inside of the fortress along the perimeter, admiring the view
from the bastions and assessing the defense system of the central
entrance: the road to it has several closed turns, which excluded the
use of artillery by the enemy.
In the central part of the
fortress, next to the residential area, there is a square with a
fountain of real nine-pound cannons “The Glory of Russian Weapons”,
installed for the 100th anniversary of the War of 1812.
Center
ensemble. A noticeable part of the center of Daugavpils are red-brick
residential and industrial buildings of the 19th and early 20th
centuries. In addition, in the city center you can find nice eclecticism
(Rigas street, 61, State Bank building at Gimnazias 12) and Art Nouveau
(Saules street 41 and 55). In general, the ensemble of the center looks
cozy and solid. Few buildings of the Latvian, Soviet and modern eras do
not violate this integrity.
2 House of Unity (Vienības nams,
1937), Rigas 22. A heavy functionalist building that dominates the
historical center and occupies an entire block between Rigas and Saules
streets. The building houses city institutions - the Daugavpils Theater,
the city information center, the central library, as well as numerous
shops and cafes.
Holy Hill (Jaunbūve). A hill in the eastern part
of the center, where 4 temples of different faiths are located at a
short distance:
3 Boris and Gleb Cathedral (Orthodox, 1905), 2
Tautas. The 10-domed cathedral of basilica design was built as a
garrison church and is now the largest Orthodox cathedral in the
country.
4 Martin Luther's Church (Lutheran, 1893). The red-brick
neo-Gothic temple is one of the dominant features of the area; the
height of the spire is 52 meters.
5 Church of the Blessed Virgin
Mary (Roman Catholic). The white neo-Baroque church (1902-1905) with two
58-meter towers resembles a smaller basilica in Aglona - one of the best
churches in Latgale.
6 Prayer of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and
St. Nicholas (Old Believer, 1908-1928), st. Pushkin. An unusual building
in the Art Nouveau style with elements of pseudo-Russian style, for some
reason painted pink.
7 Church of St. Peter in chains (1845-48),
Rigas, 39. The small Catholic church looks like an unsuccessful
imitation of the Cathedral of St. Peter's in Rome: from the entrance
there is a colonnade on both sides, above which a disproportionately
large dome rises.
8 Sundial (1910) (in the park of Daugavpils
University). The lines of the watch dial correspond to the geographical
latitude of Daugavpils – 56˚. The author of the watch is Arkady Yaskov,
a physics teacher at the Dvina Real School.
9 Church of Alexander
Nevsky (1897) (garrison cemetery, Mezciems district). The only
significant attraction located at a considerable distance from the
center. A wooden church in neo-Russian style and with a hexagonal drum
(1897) is not an ordinary architectural monument for the Baltics.
1 Local History and Art Museum, Rigas, 8. 10:00 – 16:00 seven days a
week. 0.25 lats. It is located in an early Art Nouveau building (“house
with eagles”) and contains an art hall with paintings by M. Rothko, as
well as an uninteresting exhibition on the history and culture of
Latgale.
2 Shot foundry, Varsavas 28. Wed–Fri 10:00–15:00, Sat–Sun
10:00–17:00. The oldest operating shot factory in Europe, notable for
its 40-meter tower (molten lead is poured from the top of the tower,
which takes on a spherical shape during the flight). In the factory
building there is an exhibition telling about the history of hunting
weapons and ammunition and shot casting. Tours of the plant are offered
every two hours on weekdays.
3 Art Center named after. Marka Rotko
(Daugavpils Marka Rotko mākslas centrs) , Mihaila iela 3 (in the
arsenal on the territory of the Dinaburg fortress). ✉ ☎ +371 654 30279,
+371654 30253. Tue–Sun 11:00–19:00, Tue and Sun until 17:00. Permanent
exhibition: €5. The collection contains originals and reproductions of
paintings by Mark Rothko, who was born in 1903 in Dvinsk. The exhibition
reflects different periods of the artist’s work. Collections of
graphics, ceramics, and textiles are also shown here; There are regular
temporary exhibitions. Next to the exhibition hall is the Arsenāls cafe.
Oct 2015
4 Latvian house, 22 Rigas (entrance from Saules street).
Wed 11:00–18:00, Sat 11:00–16:00. presents tools and household items
from the Daugavpils region of the 19th century, as well as the
furnishings of a city apartment.
5 Latgale Zoo, Vienibas 27. Wed–Sun
10:00–18:00. 0.40 Ls.
6 Center for Pottery Art, 18 Novembra, 8. ☎
+371 654-253-02 - registration for master classes. Wed–Sat 12:00–18:00,
Wednesdays from 12:00 to 14:00 - pottery master class. master classes of
ceramists, lectures and exhibitions are held, you can attend a
sightseeing tour with a demonstration of the work of potters. The
exhibition features characteristic Baltic raki ceramics, which are
matured in a leaven made from rye flour.
By plane
The nearest airports are Riga and Vilnius (220 km). It is
planned to create a modern passenger airport in Daugavpils.
By
train
In the past, Daugavpils was a large railway junction at the
intersection of the St. Petersburg–Warsaw and Riga–Vitebsk main lines.
After the collapse of the USSR, the number of passenger trains steadily
decreased and, as of 2015, had dropped to almost zero. The Riga-Minsk
night train runs through the station every two days. Diesels arrive from
Riga 3-4 times a day (the journey takes 3-4 hours). On weekends,
electric trains run to Vilnius twice a day. There is no passenger
service towards Rezekne.
Train Station. A modest station from the
Stalin period. The inside is clean and empty: only a scoreboard, a cash
register and a waiting room that is not in demand. To the north of the
station there is a pedestrian crossing over the tracks, allowing access
to the shot mill and further to the eastern part of the city.
By
bus
Riga-Daugavpils buses depart approximately every hour and a half
(10 per day, 8.90 €) and although they take longer than electric trains
(4 hours), they are a good alternative to rail transport. Many buses
(but not all) have Wi-Fi. Bus schedules are shown on this page.
Bus station. The bus station is located in a two-story building adjacent
to Central Park. On the ground floor there are cash registers and a
buffet with pies and sausages, on the second there is a 24-hour bistro,
which offers not only coffee and cakes, but also soups, cutlets, and
simple salads. Prices are very reasonable (soup - 0.60 Ls)
On the
ship
There is no passenger service on the Dvina.
There are also nice Tatra trams running around Daugavpils and, more
recently, 71-631 (50 euro cents, payment to the conductor). From the
Holy Hill to the fortress you can take route No. 3, but its interval is
25 minutes, and part of the route is single-track. In general, the city
center is small, and most attractions are within walking distance.
There are also buses and minibuses, which a traveler is unlikely to
need. Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive; a trip around the center
costs 2 lats.
Chili Pica. Two pizzerias are branches of a popular Riga chain:
1 70 Cietoksna. 10-24.
2 4 Kandavas. 10-24.
3 Cafeteria
Koloboks, 68 Mihoelsa. 09-19.
4 Mia Italia, Rigas 76. 10-24.
5 Cafeteria Šokoladņa, 63 Rigas. 10-21.
6 Cafe Dvinskas sēta, 27b
Valnu. 10-23. Cafe in a rustic style: wooden furniture, pots, grips and
other utensils on the walls.
7 Happy Panda, 9 Rigas. Chinese
restaurant
8 Restaurant Klondaika, 60 Cietoksna. Mexican restaurant,
branch of the Riga chain
9 SĀTA (Vienibas 17). 10-19. Cafeteria-shop
of Latgalian culture, decorated like a country house. The menu includes
homemade baked goods, herbal teas; In the store you can buy Latgalian
ceramics and socks with national ornaments.
Club Taller, 59 Viestura.
1 Hotel Duets, st. 2.Precu, 1. ✉ ☎ +371 65435607. 20 Ls. Located
across the tracks opposite the train station. One of the best hotels in
the city in terms of price/quality ratio. Well-equipped room, fast Wi-Fi
and good breakfast.
2 Good Stay Hotel Dinaburg *** (Dobeles 39).
Located east of the center. Visitors praise the helpful staff and
criticize the meager breakfast.
3 Park Hotel Latgola, Ģimnāzijas,
46. ☎ +371 65404900.
4 Hotel Rebir, st. Vienības, 19. ☎ +371
65421857.
5 Villa Ksenija, st. Varsavas, 17 (next to the TV tower).
☎ +371 65434317. Mini-hotel with six rooms is located in an eclectic
mansion built in 1876.
6 Centre Hotel Apartments White Parrot, st.
Teatra, 15. ✉ ☎ +371 28287673. €50. Apart-hotel in the city center.
Daugavpils had different names in its history: Dinaburga (1275-1893),
Borisoglebsk (1656-1667) and Dvinska (1893-1920). The oldest Daugavpils
was located on the present-day Naujenes castle hill, which controlled
the trade routes along the Daugava and was subject to Visvaldi, king of
Jersika. The Dinaburg Castle of the Livonian Order was built on
Pilskalnis in 1275. In 1558, with the intention of borrowing money for
the war with Russia, the Livonian Order mortgaged the castle to the King
of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund II Augustus, and in 1566
Dinaburga became the center of the Pārdaugava Duchy's district according
to the rules of the Polish-Lithuanian Union.
During the Livonian
War, Tsar Ivan IV of Russia conquered and completely destroyed the old
Dinaburg Castle in 1577 and ordered a new fortress to be built on the
site of present-day Daugavpils. According to the terms of the Yamzapolsk
Peace Treaty in 1582, Russia renounced Dinaburg, in the same year the
city built near the fortress acquired the rights of Magdeburg.
1656—1667. During the Second Northern War, Russian Tsar Alexei
Mikhailovich captured the city and had it renamed Borisoglebsk. After
the conclusion of the Armistice of Andrusova, Dinaburg was recovered by
the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and in 1677 it became the
administrative center of the Inflantia Voivodeship, the meeting place of
the Inflantia Seimik and the residence of the bishops of Latgale-Pilten.
In 1772, after the first partition of Poland, Latgale was added to the
Pskov Governorate of Russia, and in 1796 to the Governorate of Belarus.
In 1802, Dinaburga became a district town of Vitebsk province. Due to
the threat of Napoleon's attack in 1810-1833. a new Daugavpils fortress
was built.
In 1836, the Petersburg-Warsaw highway was built
through Dinaburg, and in 1860, the Petersburg-Warsaw railway line.
During the Russification of the Baltic in 1893, the Russian Emperor
Alexander III Romanov ordered Dinaburg to be renamed Dvinsk.
During the operation for the liberation of Latgale, after the battles of
Daugavpils in 1920, the city was freed from the bigots and it got the
name Daugavpils.
During the occupation of Latvia, on June 17,
1940, the city was occupied by the troops of the Soviet Union from the
Griva side, and in June 1941, the city was occupied by the troops of
Nazi Germany. On August 27, 1944, Daugavpils was again occupied by the
Red Army and until October 1944 some administrative institutions of the
Latvian SSR were located there. During the fighting, 52% of the city's
buildings were destroyed.
In 1956, Daugavpils added the
independent city of Grivas. In 1989, the Vienības bridge connecting the
two banks of the Daugava was opened.
The territory of Daugavpils city is completely bordered by
Augšdaugava county and its six parishes: Līksna parishes in the north,
Naujenes parishes in the northeast and east, Tabore parishes in the
southeast, Lauces parishes in the south, Kalkūnes parishes in the west
and Svente parishes in the northwest.
The main part of the city
(also the largest in terms of territory) is located on the right bank of
the Daugava - between the river and the Great Hive lake in a low plain.
The administrative territory of the city is divided into several
microdistricts. There are 20 microdistricts on the right bank of the
Daugava (including the historical center of the city and Daugavpils
fortress). Daugavpils railway station is located 218 km from Riga, while
the distance to Riga via A6 is 232 km. The distance to the border of
Lithuania is 25 km, to the border of Belarus 35 km, and to the border of
Russia 120 km.
The territory of the city of Daugavpils is conditionally divided into
25 microdistricts, 20 of which are located on the right bank of the
Daugava, and five on the left. Kalkūnu microdistrict is an exclave in
the territory of the Upper Daugava district.
Center
Fortress
Cherepova
Railwayman
Amber
Esplanade
Ezermala
Gayok
Mouth
New Forstadt
New construction
New Hives
Judovka
Turkeys
Crosses
Chemistry
Liginishki
Little Hives
Mezhciems
Lower bodies
Rugeli
Old Forstadt
Old hives
Middle pogulanka
Vizbuli
The terrain of the city is mostly flat with some hills, as the city
territory is located in the southeastern part of the East Latvian
Lowland. Most of the city is included in the Jersika plain, but the
northeastern part is slightly included in the Dagda hill, the
southeastern part in the Upper Daugava depression, the southeastern part
in the Skrudaliene hill, and the southwestern part in the Ilūkste hill.
The surface height in the northern suburb of Daugavpils is about 120 m
above sea level, which decreases towards the Daugava.
The concave
surface of the bedrock, formed by over 300 million-year-old Middle and
Upper Devonian sandstones, lies at a depth of 250 m. Quaternary system
rocks have been deposited on the bedrock, the formation of which was
related to geological processes and the development of the Daugava
valley. To the north of the Daugava, limnoglacial sediments and eolian
sediments have formed - sand, as well as peat in some parts of the
territory. In the southern part of the city on both sides of the
Daugava, alluvial sediments have been deposited - sand, gravel and
siltstones, as well as limnoglacial clays from the end of the ice age,
which were used to build the city over several centuries. The clay
layers are located just below the ground, sometimes even 3 m deep.
Land under water in the city of Daugavpils occupies 921.1 ha or 13%
of the city's territory. Water objects are part of the Daugava basin
area. The largest water course of the city, the Daugava, flows in the
southern part of the city (~16 km), dividing the city into two parts. In
the city, the width of the river bed is from 200 to 220 m, but during
spring floods it can increase from 300 to 360 m. Other smaller rivers
that flow in the administrative territory of Daugavpils and flow into
the Daugava (Lauces and Šunica rivers) depend on the hydrological regime
of the Daugava River. There are several water objects - lakes and
artificial water bodies in the city: the Great Hive Lake, which receives
water through a channel from the Small Hive Lake, which is located on
the northeastern border of the city. Šunezers, Zirgezers, Platinka
(Plotičku) lake, Gubišče lake, Stropiņš (Stropok lake), Great and Small
Trikātes lakes are also located in the city territory.
Forests
are located in the northern part - Mežciema district, Stropi, Križu
district and in the eastern district of the city - Ruģeļi, Cherepova
forest massif. The forests in the northern territory of the city pass
further into the territories of Līksna and Naujenes parishes. The total
area of forests within the administrative boundaries of the city is
1,630 ha, of which approximately 300 ha are owned by natural persons
after the restoration of their property rights. Urban forests, by
species composition, are mainly mixed coniferous forests (spruce, pine),
some deciduous trees. Separate ecosystems of rare trees, flora and fauna
can be found in forest areas. Based on the book published by the
Institute of Biology in 1985, 898 rare plant species were found in the
city territory. Rare species of bats winter in the forts of the
Daugavpils fortress. From the point of view of bat protection, the
Daugavpils forts are of outstanding importance not only in Latvia, but
also in Europe. All 5 bat species found in Daugavpils forts are on the
list of protected species.
The city of Daugavpils is under the influence of a moderate climate.
Relatively cool summers and moderate winters are observed, when frost
alternates with frost. The location of the city determines that the city
has a more continental climate compared to the rest of the country.
Winters are colder and summers hotter. The coldest month is January and
the warmest month is July, the average frost-free period is 143 days.
The highest recorded air temperature at the Daugavpils observation
station is +35.1 ºC, observed on July 13, 1959. On the other hand, the
lowest air temperature (-43.2 ºC) was recorded on February 8, 1956,
which is the lowest temperature recorded in Latvia.
Half of all
days of the year in the city are cloudy, mainly from November to
February. There are fewer clouds from April to July. The month with the
highest relative humidity is November, and the month with the lowest
relative humidity is May. The rainiest month is July, and the driest is
April.
The prevailing winds in the city are south-west, west –
about 20%, south – 14%. In winter, southerly winds prevail. Northeast
winds are typical for spring, up to 17% in May. In summer, westerly
winds blow the most, and in autumn, southwesterly winds. The windiest
months are January and December, and it blows mainly from the southwest
(January) and the south (December). During the normal period, the
calmest wind is in July and August. The average number of particularly
windy days (more than 14 m/s) is 14 days a year, and the highest number
of windy days is 30.
The first accurate data on the population of Daugavpils dates from
the time when the city, together with Latgali, was annexed to Russia
after the first partition of Poland. In 1784, 3,573 inhabitants lived in
the city, almost half of whom - 1,540 - were Jews. Non-nationals entered
and settled in Latgale and Augšzeme as early as the 18th century.
Rapid population growth in the city began in the second half of the
19th century, especially after the opening of the Zemgale-Rītupe and
Riga-Indra railways in the 1960s, when Daugavpils became an important
railway junction where 5 major railway lines intersected. In the 20
years from 1840, the population had doubled, and in the 50 years from
1863 to 1913, it had increased fivefold. In 1897, the largest ethnic
groups in Daugavpils were Jews (46%), Russians (30%) and Poles (16%),
while the share of Latvians was only 1.8%,
Daugavpils was
devastated during the First World War, and the population rapidly
decreased by four times. Due to the close proximity of the battle front,
already at the beginning of the war, part of the population was expelled
from the city, but a large majority of the population left the city
voluntarily. After the ravages of the war, however, it recovered as the
most important economic, cultural and administrative center of
south-eastern Latvia, and the share of Latvians increased rapidly. In
1925, Latvians were 27% of the total population, 19% Poles, 17%
Russians, 3% Ukrainians, 1% Germans also lived there. In 1935, the
proportion of Latvians was 33.6%, but Jews 24.6%, Russians 20.4% and
Poles 18.2%.
The population also decreased during the years of
the Second World War. In 1944, a large part of the city was destroyed.
After the Second World War, there was a large mechanical increase of the
population and the ethnic composition of the city changed significantly.
Large factories were being built in the city, and most of the workers
were immigrants from Belarus and Russia, but Latvians often left for
other regions of Latvia. The addition of Griva in 1953 did not
significantly change the total population of Daugavpils. The share of
Jews has decreased the most in recent decades (from 1989-1994, it almost
doubled, due to Jewish emigration to Israel).
In terms of
population, Daugavpils is the second largest city in Latvia after Riga.
In 2023, the city had 78,850 inhabitants. 92% of the city's residents
live in the residential areas of the right bank of the Daugava. The most
densely populated neighborhoods are Jaunbūve, New Forštate and
Chemistry. The dynamics of the population of Daugavpils in the last
decade is negative, there is an observable tendency of the population to
decrease by ~2% per year, the number of people of working age is
decreasing the fastest. The decrease in the population is influenced by
both the negative natural increase and the high external migration of
the population to foreign countries in search of work.
Born in Daugavpils or Daugavpils surroundings:
Andris Ambainis
(1975), mathematician;
Gunārs Bērziņš (1927—1999), cartoonist;
Pēteris Bolšaitis (1937—2021), Latvian chemist, public worker,
translator and patron;
Aleksandrs Cauņa (1988), football player;
Gundars Celitāns (1985), volleyball player;
Boris Cilevich (1956),
physicist, mathematician and politician;
Ilmārs Dzenis (1931), exiled
Latvian singer;
Movša Feigins (1908—1950), chess player;
Grzegorz
Fitelbergs (1879-1953), conductor, composer and violinist;
Romualds
Gibovskis (1962), sculptor, painter;
Henrichs Graftio (1869-1949),
energy engineer, academician;
Eric Grigyan (1964), football player;
Anastasia Grigorieva (1990), wrestler;
Aleksandrs Isakovs (1973),
football player;
Alexander Janek (1891-1970), chemist, philosopher
Maris Jass (1985), hockey player;
Kanstancins Jezavitavs[24]
(1893—1946), public and political worker;
Dmitrijs Jurkevičs (1987),
track and field athlete;
Meletiis Kalistratov (1896-1941), public and
political worker;
Nikolajs Katiševs (1900-1978), army and Latvian
Legion officer;
Igor Kazanov (1963), track and field athlete;
Johann Clapier de Colong (1838-1901), engineer and inventor;
Alexander Kovalevsky (1840-1901), embryologist;
Anatolys Kreipans
(1960), journalist;
Abram Isaac Cook (1865-1935), first Chief Rabbi
of British Palestine;
Wilhelm Lapel (1961), bishop;
Jānis Lucāns
(1937), member of the Latvian Supreme Council and the 5th Saeima;
Ivan Lukyanov (1987), football player;
Oleg Maļukhins (1969),
athlete;
Solomon Michaels (1890-1948), actor, director and political
worker;
Eugene Miller (1867-1939), army general;
Paul Mintz
(1868-1941), lawyer and politician;
Vladimir Mintcs (1872-1945),
surgeon and social worker;
Miroslav Mitrofanov (1966), politician and
journalist;
Jurgis Puchinskis (1973), football player;
Vladislavs
Raginis, Polish army officer, fell during the Polish campaign;
Mark
Rothko (1903-1971), painter;
Alfred Rubik (1935), politician;
Artjoms Rudnevs (1988), football player;
Māris Smirnovs (1976),
football player;
Oskars Strok, (1893-1975), composer;
Venta
Vecumniece (1927—2017), actress and director;
Valdis Zeps
(1932-1996), linguist, professor and writer.
The largest companies registered in Daugavpils by turnover in 2020 were the Daugavpils Locomotive Repair Factory, Latvijas Maiznieks, regional hospital, Axon Cable electric wires and cables factory, Nexis Fibers synthetic fiber manufacturing plant, multi-industry company Lagron, mechanical engineering and electronics company "Ziegler mašīnbūve".
The Latvian Football Premier League club BFC Daugavpils is based in
Daugavpils and plays its home games at the "Celtnieka" stadium.
Previously, the club Dinaburg was also based in Daugavpils, which has
repeatedly won a place in the top four, while FC Daugava became the
Latvian champions in 2012.
Also, the club "Lokomotive" of the
first Polish speedway league (the second strongest speedway league in
the country after the Polish Ekstraliga) is based in Daugavpils. Several
stages of the Speedway Grand Prix took place in Daugavpils. The winner
of the first Latvian Grand Prix in 2006 was the legendary American Greg
Hancock. In the 2014 Latvian Grand Prix, Ķasts Puodžuks, representing
Latvia, won 5th place, which is the best achievement of Latvian athletes
in the Speedway Grand Prix.
HK Dinaburga, a Latvian hockey
championship team based in Daugavpils. From 2005 to 2012, DHK Latgale
was based in the city and reached the semi-finals of the Latvian
championship five times during its existence.