The Book “Saiminīka Prāca” Brings Craftspeople Together

On 30 September, a heartfelt presentation of the craft book “Saiminīka Prāca”, prepared by the “Austra” Craftspeople’s Association, took place at Sala Primary School in Preiļi Municipality. The event was attended by the association’s founders Anita Puncule, Anita Vjakse and Uldis Čerpakovsis, craftspeople from the Preiļi area, pupils and teachers of Sala Primary School, representatives of the Preiļi Municipal Council, and a large number of interested guests. The event was embellished by performances from Sala Primary School’s young dancers, the “Dzeipureņš” folklore group, and singer Džeina Gavare. 

The book “Saiminīka Prāca” contains information about the craftspeople identified so far, their contact details, descriptions of their work, and photographs. It is intended that this book will never be completed—it will always be supplemented with new information about new craftspeople who, through their initiative and creativity, will contribute to the sustainability of the crafts sector and its transmission to future generations. 

Those present expressed their delight at the well-chosen title of the book, which uses the Latgalian word prāca, meaning work. Many therefore shared childhood memories of hearing their mother or grandmother use this word in everyday life, and discussed the nuances of the meaning of prāca. 

Anita Puncule noted that, through the book “Saiminīka Prāca”, its creators wish to teach children about beauty above all and pass it on, because a book does not always have to stand on a library shelf. Since the book can be expanded, the aim is to find and compile information about 100 “golden” people—skilled craftspeople—by Latvia’s centenary. 

Not only the content of the book is unique, but also its design—it was made from plywood by Jānis Ziemelis: “This is my vision of a contemporary craft book that could fit into modern society and highlight the skills that we possess and that have been preserved in our region. I am delighted that the book has been completed and that the ideas have taken material form!” In identifying the craftspeople, Inese Anina carried out a great deal of work, while Džeina Gavare captured many of the creations in photographs. 

Ineta Liepniece, head of the Preiļi Municipality Entrepreneurship Centre and a municipal councillor, noted that before the establishment of the “Austra” Craftspeople’s Association, there had been a huge interruption in the development of crafts in the Preiļi area for many years, and expressed her delight that the association’s first project had been so successful.

Valija Vaivode, a representative of the Viduslatgale Cross-Municipality Foundation, acknowledged that, thanks to the craftspeople’s association and this book, people would know how to find the right craftsperson for their needs. Although Latgale is distinguished by its craftspeople, previously it had not always been clear whom exactly to approach. 

The Preiļi Municipal Council was represented by Deputy Chair of the Council Juris Erts, who also took the opportunity to congratulate the teachers of Sala Primary School on Teachers’ Day. He noted that talent alone was not enough; there also had to be prāca, or work: “The people whose pages appear in this book are not only talented, but have also invested a great deal of work. And it is very good that, after many years, craftspeople have finally come together again and established an association, or brotherhood.” Juris Erts thanked those who had contributed to bringing the craftspeople together, and also revealed that, after the restoration of Preiļi Castle, there would be room there for craftspeople from our municipality as well. 

The book was created as part of the project “Identifying Ancient Craft Skills and Their Masters in the Crafts Sector for the Development of Small Businesses in Preiļi Municipality”, thanks to the small-grant project competition “Residents Create Their Own Environment – 2016”, organised by the Viduslatgale Cross-Municipality Foundation with financial support from the Preiļi Municipality government.