Ludza District

Ludza District (Latvian: Ludzas rajons) was an administrative division of Latvia, located in Latgale region, in the country's east.

Districts were eliminated during the administrative-territorial reform in 2009.

Towns of Ludza District

Provinces and parishes of Ludza District

Coordinates: 56°33′N 27°43′E / 56.550°N 27.717°E / 56.550; 27.717

Ludza

Ludza ( pronunciation ) is a town in the Latgalia region of eastern Latvia. It is located on the main Riga - Moscow road, part of European route E22, and only 30 km from the Latvian-Russian border. The population as of 2011 was 8,931.

History

Ludza, the oldest town in Latvia, was first mentioned in Russian chronicles dating to 1173 or 1177. In 1399 the Livonian Order built a stone fortress atop an older Latgalian fortress and used Ludza as an eastern outpost in Livonia. Ludza Castle ruins can be visited nowadays. After the dissolution of the Livonian Order in 1561, Ludza was incorporated to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and became part of Wenden Voivodeship. After the first partition of Poland in 1772 was taken over by the Russian Empire and added to Vitebsk governorate. Ludza received town rights in 1777 from Catherine II of Russia.

Until July 1, 2009 Ludza was the administrative centre of Ludza District. On July 1, 2009 due to the introduction of the new administrative division in Latvia it became the centre of Ludza municipality.

Ludza River

Coordinates: 57°12′51″N 28°8′19″E / 57.21417°N 28.13861°E / 57.21417; 28.13861

The Ludza (Latvian: Ludza, Russian: Лжа, Lzha) is a 156 kilometres (97 mi) long river in Ludza, Cibla, and Kārsava municipalities of Latvia and in Krasnogorodsky and Pytalovsky Districts of Pskov Oblast of Russia. It is a right tributary of the Utroya.

The source of the Ludza is Lake Lielais Ludzas near the town of Ludza, Latvia. The river flows east, turns north and a part of it forms the international border between Latvia and Russia. Further north, it turns northeast and departs to the Russian side, forming the border between Krasnogorosdky and Pytalovsky Districts of Pskov Oblast. In Russia, the Ludza is known as the Lzha. Even further north, the Lzha turns north and joins the Utroya close to the village of Khudyaki.

References