A Folk Costume for a Long Jumper

Nīca folk costume. Made in Latvia in the 1930s.

This folk costume belonged to Zinaīda Zāgars (née Liepiņa, 1907–2000), an outstanding athlete during Latvia’s first independence. As a long jumper, she repeatedly won Latvian championship titles and broke Latvian records in several athletic disciplines. In 1944 Zinaīda became a refugee and eventually emigrated to her new home in the USA. Zinaīda wore the folk costume she had taken with her when participating in various Latvian events, including song festivals. Her daughter Ileana inherited the folk costume. The folk costume briefly visited Latvia again in 1998, when Ileana took part in the Latvian Song and Dance Festival with the Los Angeles Latvian Choir.

Donated by Ileana Zāgars-Jones; from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2016.1).

Zinaīda Zāgars and her daughter Ileana in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, USA; 1950. Donated by Ileana Zāgars-Jones. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.