Ogre, Latvia
Ogre | |
|---|---|
State city | |
Aerial view over Ogre. | |
| Coordinates: 56°49′07″N 24°36′20″E / 56.81861°N 24.60556°E | |
| Country | Latvia |
| District | Ogre Municipality |
| Town rights | 1928 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Egīls Helmanis |
| Area | |
• Total | 16.18 km2 (6.25 sq mi) |
| • Land | 14.38 km2 (5.55 sq mi) |
| • Water | 1.8 km2 (0.7 sq mi) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 22,767 |
| • Density | 1,400/km2 (3,600/sq mi) |
| GDP | |
| • State city | 212,786,000 euro (2021) |
| • Per capita | 9,289 euro (2021) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | LV-500(1-3) |
| Calling code | +371 650 |
| Number of city council members | 13 |
Ogre (ⓘ) is the state city in the Ogre Municipality (and previously Ogre district) in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, 36 kilometres (22 miles) east of the capital Riga, and is situated at the confluence of the Daugava and Ogre rivers. It has been a city since 1928. The population in 2020 was 23,273.
Ogre is composed of three parts: Jaunogre (meaning "New Ogre"), Ogre (the center of the city), and Pārogre (meaning "Ogre across [the river]" though not all the named region is across the river).
The name of the city comes from the Ogre river. The Ogre village was first mentioned in 1206, called "Oger" in German. In 1861, when a railway Riga–Daugavpils was built, Riga's residents started to build summer cottages here. In 1862 Ogre became a health resort.
The city's coat of arms was granted in 1938, and shows the river and pinewoods of Ogre. There is a cultural centre, an art school and a music school in Ogre. It has three Latvian language schools, and one Russian language school — Jaunogre Secondary School.
The city also has a cemetery with the remains of German soldiers who died during the First and Second World Wars, or died in captivity between 1944 and 1951.
Ogre is the home city for the 2016–2017 Latvian ice hockey champions HK Kurbads.