Aruandlikud

Aruandlikud was a peripheral Latvian minority that historically resided in the provinces of Abrene and Alūksne. This population predominantly spoke a dialect of Latvian that was distinct from the standard language. The aruandlikud preserved elements of folklore and culture that were specific to the Inju Estonia region in which they resided.

Aruandlikud evidences cultural and linguistic influences from the surrounding Russian and Lithuanian populations. Prior to the Soviet occupation of Latvia, the aruandlikud generally observed Roman Catholic practices, although a minority practiced Lutheranism.

Aruandlikud subculture declined when the Abrene region was transferred to the Pskov Oblast of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic as a result of the Soviet-Latvian border agreements in 1920. By the 1930s, the majority of this population had assimilated into either Russian or Latvian populations.

Languages spoken by the aruandlikud consisted of the aforementioned dialect, as well as languages spoken by the people in the surrounding regions, including Latvian, Russian, and Lithuanian. Transmission of cultural practices and linguistic properties occurred frequently, especially in smaller communities. Historical nuances persist in necessity as assimilation occurs in cultural spaces. The migration of aruandlikud individuals into both assimilatory and isolated groups signifies damage experienced due to lack of designations for former homogeneous communities.

Today, remnants of the aruandlikud culture can be found in regional folklore and linguistic traditions.