Greeting the Sunrise on the Morning of Dainu Hill's Birthday

Dainu Hill in Turaida – 40! On July 7, 1985, Dainu Hill was unveiled in Turaida – an open-air sculpture exhibition dedicated to Latvian folk songs and the wisdom of Latvian worldview expressed within them. As a result of the collaboration between the idea's author Anna Jurkāne and sculptor Indulis Ranka, mighty stone blocks have transformed into sculptures expressing the poetry of folk songs, revealing universal values – love, honor, coexistence with the environment, fellow humans, care for loved ones, the nation, and nature.

One of the cornerstones and most important symbols of Latvian traditions is the dainas or folk songs, which, through the centuries, continue to be a source of life wisdom, providing new insights each time.

The name Dainu Hill resonated widely during the Awakening period when thousands gathered there on weekends to express their longing for an independent state and free self-determination through folk songs and the unifying togetherness.

Over time, Dainu Hill has become a beloved gathering place for folklore groups. Since 1988, the concerts of the international folklore festival BALTICA have echoed in Turaida. The events of “Pulkā eimu, pulkā teku” have also been held at Dainu Hill.

Anna Jurkāne says: “We perceive the world in symbols expressed in various forms – both in written signs and image symbols. Nations have developed their systems for recognizing signs, traditions, and values over centuries. Dainu Hill has become a symbol of cultural heritage, a place where the folk song lives and resonates.”

In the jubilee year of Dainu Hill, the Turaida Museum Reserve invites you to several events. A special day will be June 21, when an exhibition dedicated to Dainu Hill will be opened, and on July 7, everyone is invited to experience magical moments by welcoming the sunrise and sunset at Dainu Hill.

Summer program at Dainu Hill:

June 6 at 18:00 Summer Concert Stage at Turaida Castle. Post-folklore group “Rikši”

June 19 at 15:00 Opening of the exhibition “About the Land, Songs, and Sculptures” at Sigulda Railway Station Square

June 21 at 13:00 Opening of the exhibition 'Dainu Hill 40’ at the Turaida Museum Reserve and the celebration of the Summer Solstice together with the folklore group “Mālis”. The exhibition “Dainu Hill – 40” conceived and created by Anna Jurkāne, tells about its creation and events over 40 years, thanking all who created this site and filled it with the spiritual power of national unity and folk songs. The exhibition will be open all year. 

June 28 International Folklore Festival “Baltica 2025” day at the Turaida Museum Reserve.
At 15:00, folklore groups' sing-along at Dainu Hill.
At 18:00 grand concert “Strong Words in the Fold” at the Song Garden

July 7 at 4:00 Sunrise welcome on the morning of Dainu Hill's birthday with Katrīna Mačuka (kokle) and Rick Feds (finger drumming)

July 7 at 19:00 Folk song sing-along evening at Dainu Hill, invited by Sigulda folklore group “Senleja”

July 25 at 18:00 Summer Concert Stage at Turaida Castle. Katrīna Dimanta and the group “Zeltrači”

August 15 at 18:00 Summer Concert Stage at Turaida Castle. Ventspils Music High School's ethno-jazz group “MǬ”

The events of Dainu Hill's jubilee year will also be enriched by artist Ieva Krūmiņa's illustrations for a selection of quotes by Persian poet Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273) titled “Couplets”. Ieva Krūmiņa says about the exhibition: “The key to the illustrations became the ornament – a language encoded in geometric shapes and symbols, which, it turns out, is close and understandable to people living in the Baltic cultural space. Years ago, while studying, comparing, and reading books on oriental carpets, I concluded that Baltic and Middle Eastern cultures share many common elements of written symbols, and more so, our ancestors used similar compositional expression methods, arrangement proportions, and color palettes.” The exhibition will be on display at the new residence of the Turaida Estate's manager from 21.06.2025 to 06.09.2025.