Daugavpils of history. Birthplace of grandma.

ln Daugavpils, (Dunaburg), Latgale, Latvia, city of ritas birth, a Castle was built there between 1273 ard 1277 by the  German Livonian Order---Crusaders---on lands nominally control led by Grand Duke of Lithuania Traidenis. At that time Latvia was known as Livonia. Livonia Knights had Christianity brought to Latvia in late 12th and early 13th centuries. Livonia was part of the Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. lt was a Roman Catholic Nation for centuries.The Knights established Riga in 1201 and built medieval cathedrals there. With the Swedish Rule Latvia became predominantly Lutheran. Latgale however retained its Roman Catholicism, because of the Polish/Lithuanian Commonwealth Roots.

In the 1600's when the first sacred buildings were planned in Aglona, Latvia was part of a country called Livonia, of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. The first wooden church had been built in 1670 by the Dominicans. In 1699 they built a monastery. The wooden structure burned down and the current brick church and monastery was built between 1768 and 1780. The church was consecrated in 1800. The church is located in an area where Roman catholicism is still very strong. It was made as a minor Basilica by Pope John the 2nd in 1980 and was dedicated as the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin mary.  The shrine was visited by Pope John Paul II in September 1993 and over 300,000 pilgrims assembled at that time. lt is the seat of Roman Catholicism in Latvia and thousands of pilgrims come to it on foot for the August 15th feast day of Assumption of Mary.

Algonas Gymnasia. - It also has a Catholic boys high-school associated with it called Algonas Gymnasia. The school was a preparatory college boarding school. Stanislvs Belkovskis and John Garancis graduated from there.

Manor Rusona on Lake Rusons in Latgale, Latvia.
Latvian Ruhshona: lake Rushton's or Rušonas muiza. School: Skudrisu/Latvian Skudrishu

Part of it was converted into a school called Skudrisu or the Latvian name (Skudrishu). My grandma's family lived upstairs, since her dad was the principal. The school staff also lived there. It was also the hiding place for them during ww2.

It was a small manor house, was of past Polish Gentry, on Lake Rushons, in Latgale, Latvia. It had a stucco wall,  ceramic tile roof, parquet floors, tall arched lead glass windows, complete with electricity, indoor plumbing, telephone service, central heating system and was quite an exception to surrounding farmhouses in the area. It had been made into an elementary school. Its ballroom became the school hall, its kitchen a place for a hot lunch program and the upstairs was given for his residence and office. The house had a 600-tree apple orchard.The last Rusons muiza was built in 1904 and served as a hunting lodge for the polish nobility.

St. Michael the Archangel.

Across the apple orchard of the manor Rusona. Church where my grandma was baptized in secret.

On the other side of the orchard was a small church by the name of  St. Michael the Archangel. The church had been a part of manor house buildings/Complex in the past. The first church on that site was built in the 16th Century, and is the oldest church in Latgale. It was burned down during the Polish Swedish war. The new wooden church was built by Jesuits in 1677. Its construction was supported by manor house owner Sokolovsk Korab.  In 1766 another wooden church was built on site. The current church was built in 1816 funded by the manor house owner. (Discrepancy found, however uncertain about it) by Lveta Selecka or Leva Saleckas.

In its past it had a monastery attached to it, and monks were buried in the basement. It used to have five cemeteries. It even has its own ghost. The ghost is a priest or monk in a long cassock who walks around carrying a bible. The ghost does not speak. He would appear and disappear. People have recently seen him in the 20th century. One monk became a ghost who walked around with a bible. He did not talk.