Return to Vecmilgravis

Last January I took a trip to Vecmilgravis where the Stauers and Sweeders families came together. Irena, my cousin, took me back there last Sunday. What a contrast  Back in January I slogged through a foot of snow in the cemetery to find the graves of three of my kin. This was a perfect spring day, so I took flowers to pay my respects.  The town was abuzz in the park where a children's festival was happening.  This park and cultural center was built in 1913 by a local philanthropist, Augusts Dombrovskis.  According to Irene, Vecmilgravis was a bustling town, with lots of culture and an expanding economy. Our relatives were mostly small business owners, grocers, tavern keepers, and the like.  What remains after the Soviet era are apartment buildings where family dwellings once stood. There's a clear division between the Russians and Latvians in this country, clearly evident in this community.  

   portrait of Augusts Dombrovskis

   Tower built in 2013 commemorating 100th anniversary

View from tower of the park

Soviet block apartments off in distance

Local musicians entertain kids and adults