Yesterday, we received a valuable donation from Raimonds Lapkovskis (a former cyclist) — 16 photo albums belonging to his father, Heronīms Lapkovskis. These albums contain unique photographs taken between 1947 and 1981, documenting both sporting life and social activities in various regions of Latvia.
Heronīms Lapkovskis (08.08.1928–11.09.2008) was born in Pilskalne Parish, Ilūkste District. In 1947, he took part in district school competitions in skiing and cycling, and from that moment on became a participant, winner, and laureate of numerous competitions.
In 1953, he became the Daugavpils regional champion in the 30 km ski race. From 1953 to 1956, H. Lapkovskis was a member of the Latvian SSR national skiing team. In 1953, he competed in prestigious championships held in Sverdlovsk. In 1955, in Moscow, he achieved strong results at the USSR Trade Union Spartakiad in skiing and cycling.
From 1989 onward, as a member of the Daugavpils district veterans’ team, he repeatedly won prize places at the Latvian Sports Veterans Union Games in skiing, cycling, and athletics.
Professional activity:
In 1951, he was appointed
Chairman of the Sports Society “Daugava” and from that time
worked as a cycling coach.
For several years, he also served as chairman of Ilūkste FK and SK,
as well as of the Latvian Rural Sports Society “Vārpa.”
From 1974 to 1988,
H. Lapkovskis — as a manager, instructor, and coach —
actively participated in organizing sports activities
in the Ilūkste area and later in the Daugavpils district.
In 1974, he was appointed
cycling coach of the Sports Society “Vārpa” and the Children and Youth Sports School (BJSS).
In 2006, H. Lapkovskis authored the book “Half a Century with a Bicycle”, dedicated to the 120th anniversary of Latvian cycling. The book brings together photographs and commentary reflecting the history of cycling in Ilūkste and the Daugavpils district from 1948 to 2002.
In the near future, we will prepare new publications presenting the contents of the donated photo albums in greater detail, sharing sports moments that are little known to the public yet historically significant.
📸 Photo Gallery
Please note: copying, reproducing, or any other use of the published photographs without the written permission of the Cycling Sports Association “Latvello” is strictly prohibited.
Comments, memories, and viewer discussions related to these photographs can be viewed on the association’s official Facebook page under the respective post.
View comments on Facebook
