Latgalians

Latgalians, or Latgalieši, are an ethnolinguistic group primarily in Latvia's eastern Latgale region. They are considered a subgroup of Latvians, sharing a common Baltic ancestry, but they maintain distinct linguistic and cultural traits that set them apart from Latvians in other regions. They speak Latgalian, a Baltic language variety closely related to Latvian. Latgalian has a long literary tradition and is used in regional media, education, and daily life alongside Standard Latvian. The status of Latgalian as a separate language versus a dialect of Latvian remains a matter of scholarly and political debate, but it is widely recognized as a distinct linguistic variety in Latgale.

Geographically, Latgale is in eastern Latvia and is known for its lakes, rivers, and distinctive rural and urban communities. Latgalian culture includes distinctive folk songs, crafts, religious customs, and polyphonic singing. Historically, Latgalians emerged as a recognizable community in the medieval and early modern periods. They were integrated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and later incorporated into the Russian Empire. In the 20th century, Latgalian identity experienced revival during Latvia's independence and after the Soviet period, with renewed support for Latgalian language and culture.

Religion among Latgalians is predominantly Roman Catholic, with minority Lutheran and Orthodox communities. Today, Latgalians constitute one of Latvia's main ethnolinguistic groups. In Latgale, the Latgalian language and culture continue to play a central role in local identity, education, media, and cultural life, while many Latgalian speakers also use Standard Latvian in official contexts.