Murals of Latvian poets on four buildings in Kandava for the centenary of Latvia’s independence.

The article about the project:
https://tv3.lv/zinas/latvija/sabiedriba/kandavas-vecpilsetas-nami-tikusi-pie-skaistas-davanas-to-sienas-rota-dzejas-rindas/
"The old town buildings of Kandava have received a beautiful gift – their walls are now adorned with lines of poetry.

For Latvia’s centenary, Kandava prepared an original present. Walking through the old town, anyone can now read verses by prominent Latvian poets painted on the façades of the buildings. The idea has been very well received, and several more houses will be decorated.

“My grandmother left me Latvia itself; she didn’t tell me to love it, she had no worries about it,” wrote Uldis Auseklis. His lines, along with verses by four other beloved poets, now adorn the walls of Kandava’s old town buildings. Perhaps this is one of the most wonderful gifts, not only for the country’s centenary but also for the residents of Kandava themselves.

The idea of painting poetry on the walls came from Antra Gaisa, a former resident of Riga who fell in love with Kandava so much that she moved there. When selecting which poems would appear on the façades, the main criterion was that the poetry should tell a story about Latvia.

“Kandava is already very romantic and poetic with its promenade and seven bridges, even without any poems, and these verses on the buildings make it even more poetic. The idea began to take shape with the country’s birthday in mind, so all the poems were chosen with Latvia as the theme,” explains Gaisa.

Antra herself researched Latvian-themed poems, and currently, the poetry of Knuts Skujenieks, Guntars Račs, Maija Laukmane, Leons Briežs, and Uldis Auseklis brings joy to the residents on the walls of five buildings. “I read a lot, because I pursued this idea and made suggestions; I went through a very, very large number of poets. Everything I found, I proposed to the committee, and the committee decided which verses would appear on the walls,” says Gaisa.

“Fantastic! As far as we know, nowhere else in Latvia is there anything like this. It really attracts people here; you can see groups standing, reading, and looking at the walls,” says Kandava resident Uldis.

The façade paintings cost €50,000, with €20,000 co-financed by the European Union.

The Chairperson of the Kandava Municipality Council, Inga Priede (LZP), points out: “We have received great feedback; people are thankful and really like it. It is also a way to beautify these gray, gloomy façades. We also have plans to paint three more buildings in Kandava; we have already selected them, found sponsors, and will start work in the spring.”

It is known that the next poets whose works will decorate Kandava’s walls will be Laimonis Vāczemnieks, Ojārs Vācietis, and Kārlis Skalbe."

TV Broadcast about the project in Latvian Television

https://replay.lsm.lv/lv/skaties/ieraksts/ltv/139553/dzeja-uz-maju-sienam