Lokstene Shrine of Dievturi

The shrine under construction on 6 March 2016

The project to build a modern shrine for Baltic paganism was initiated and financed by Dagnis Čākurs, owner of the Liepkalni bakery chain. Čākurs explained that as he had grown older, he had become more interested in questions about the soul and mortality. As the Latvian people had supported his business over the years, he wanted to give something in return, and hoped to do so with a house for the national gods and Latvian folk culture. He attributed his interest in Latvian paganism to Valdis Celms, an artist, author and leading member of the Baltic neopagan organization Latvijas Dievturu sadraudze (LDS).[1]

The Lokstene Shrine was constructed on an island owned by Čākurs and is named after the nearby Lokstene castle mound.[2] It is leased by LDS, which began to use the building in the autumn of 2016, before the entire complex was finished.[3][4] The official opening took place on 6 May 2017.[5] Since then, it has hosted regular devotional ceremonies and celebrations, such as family celebrations, celebrations of moral and spiritual values, and celebration of the Latvian national day.[6]

Anita Liepiņa of the literary magazine Jaunā Gaita argued in 2017 that the building deserves to receive state support just like Christian churches receive support for maintenance.[3]

^ Lāce, Antra (8 May 2015). "Dagnis Čākurs: pienācis laiks dot citiem". eLiesma (in Latvian). Retrieved 24 October 2019. ^ "Uz salas Daugavā uzceļ dievturu svētnīcu". Latvijas Avīze. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2019. ^ a b Liepiņa, Anita (2017). "Latvijas Dievturu Sadraudzes (LDS) vieta Latvijā". Jaunā Gaita (in Latvian) (290). Retrieved 24 October 2019. ^ Cite error: The named reference diezina was invoked but never defined (see the help page). ^ Cite error: The named reference skaties was invoked but never defined (see the help page). ^ Pumpure, Sandra (9 May 2017). "Atklāj Lokstenes svētnīcu". Staburags. Retrieved 24 October 2019.