Misiņkalns (Brass Hill)

Misiņkalns (Brass Hill) open-air stage around 1930

Place of Misiņkalns (Brass Hill) open-air stage in 2015

Continuing the road that leads down from Avotu (Springwater) Street, you have to go uphill from the Kurshinsky bridge along Brīvības (Freedom) Street to get to the Town Park in Misiņkalns (Brass Hill).

Misiņkalns was already mentioned in the Minutes of the May 11, 1896 Town Council meetings as a place of entertainment for the people of Aizpute. On that day, it was decided how to organize the celebration of the day of the coronation of imperial majesty in Aizpute [May 14], namely "in the evening of the second day from 4 to 9 there will be folk entertainment in the forest of Misinkalns”.

Until the Agrarian Reform, Misiņkalns (Brass Hill) was located in the territory of Aizpute Castle Parish and was the property of Castle Manor. On June 30, 1920, the Town Council wrote to the Ministry of Agriculture, the Central Land Management Committee, the Forest Department that it had decided to turn Misinkalns into a park for the benefit of all residents.

On September 23, 1924, Aleksandrs Zvanītājs, a Senior Surveyor of the Land Survey Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, informed the Aizpute Town Council that "within the town of Aizpute on Misiņkalns (height 96 m above sea level) a trigonometric network class I signal "Aizpute" has been built". It was a trigonometric tower built at the highest point of Misinkalns (Brass Hill).

On May 7, 1929, the then Mayor wrote to the Aizpute Chief Forest Officer about the arbitrary damage found in the guard park "Misiņkalns" (Brass Hill).

"Although the Guard Park "Misiņkalns" was transferred to the management and supervision of the Aizpute Town Council, it was not possible for the Council to hire a special guard due to its limited resources. Last winter, due to the severe cold and unemployment, the Town Council had to distribute fuel reserves to many of the most deprived families. However, it was not possible for the Council to meet all the requests of the poor due to this type of benefit. As it turns out, many poor people have committed arbitrary destruction of Misinkalns by cutting down several large trees and many thicker bushes.

.. Aizpute Town Council, if it were not otherwise possible, would be willing to pay the assessed value of the cut trees and plant new ones in a larger number instead of the cut trees.”

Here, on July 14, 1929, the 2nd concert of the Lower-Kurzeme Song Festival took place in Aizpute. According to the local press, “Teodors Reiters has been invited as chief conductor, who has already given his consent.. A total of 1000 seats will be allocated for the festival. The stage in Mednieki (Hunter) Square will be decorated with greens and flags, as well as 2 honorary gates will be put up.”

In 1920, the well-planned improvement of Misiņkalns (Brass Hill) Park was started only after the Council changed after May 15, 1934 and Misiņkalns was renamed Vadoņkalns (Leader’s Hill). In 1935, a plot of 30,357 ha was allocated to the municipality for the needs of the Town Park, and in the spring, improvement works began.

The construction of the nationally designed stage shown in the photo was completed in the last days of July 1937, in preparation for the 3rd Aizpute District Song Festival, which took place on August 1. On July 30 the newspaper “Kurzemes vārds” (Word of Kurzeme) states that everybody is currently in a hurry to complete the new stage. For the Song Festival, footpaths were set up in the Vadoņkalns (Leader’s Hill) Nature Park, alleys were planted, Gulbju (Swan) Pond was excavated and other improvement works were carried out.

Only on February 10, 1938, A. Vācietis, the Construction Inspector of the Aizpute District Construction Department of the Ministry of the Interior, sent to the Aizpute Town Council the "Aizpute Town’s Wooden Music Stage Construction Project in Aizpute Vadoņkalns (Leader’s Hill)" So first it was built, then the construction project approved...

In June 1938, an event area was built, the event area was planned, as well as gravel was brought to Gulbju (Swan) Island. The stairs of the Gulbju (Swan) Pond were built and a boat was bought.

The name "Vadoņkalns" (Leader’s Hill) did not get customised in the colloquial language of local Aizpute people. It was and remained Misiņkalns (Brass Hill), which quickly became a favorite and well-kept place of recreation and social events for the townspeople.

Nowadays, Misiņkalns (Brass Hill) is a popular place for walks, new trees are regularly planted and hiking trails are maintained in the territory of Misiņkalns (Brass Hill) Nature Park. Twice a year motocross competition take place on Misiņkalns motorcycle track. The location of the former open-air stage is evidenced by an asphalted area surrounded by mighty trees with wooden podiums for singers and a lawn with rows of benches for spectators.

On the hill above the stage there is an alley planted and a memorial stone in memory of the repressed Aizpute people.

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