Memorial site of J. Lapiņš, the author of the first Latvian flag
Memorial site
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Located in “Lejas Pintuļi”, Veselava parish, Priekuļi municipality.
A memorial to Jānis Lapiņš, the author of the Latvian flag, is visible.
The creation of the Latvian national flag took place during World War I. In 1915, when creating the flags of the Latvian rifle battalions, individual artists proposed red, white and red colors for the flag designs. After the design of the educator and journalist Jānis Lapiņš, the red, white and red flag was made in the second half of 1916 by his student, Marianna Straumane, a teacher at the Valmiera refugee shelter.
This is the first known and actually made Latvian national flag, which has survived to this day.
In 2014, a memorial site for the pre-flag author Jānis Lapiņš was opened in “Lejas Pintuļi” of Veselava parish, Priekuļi region.
The first known authentic Latvian national flag, which was smuggled into Russia and carefully hidden during the Soviet and German occupations, is currently kept in the Cēsis History and Art Museum . It was donated in 1997 by their daughter Lija Poga.
Used sources and references:
http://visit.priekuli.lv/objekts/latvijas-pirmskaroga-autora-j-lapina-pieminas-vieta/
http://www.priekuli.lv/novads/biedribas-un-interesu-klubi/1261-pieminas-vieta-veselava-janim-lapinam
https://www.historia.lv/jaunumi/veselava-atklata-pieminas-vieta-pirma-latvijas-karoga-autoram-jlapinam
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