A Bride’s Attire

The Abrene folk costume was made in 1991 in Riga. It was brought to the Latvian Song Festival in Canada by members of the “Rotaļa” dance group from Latvia, with the idea of selling the costume at the festival’s bazaar to raise pocket money to visit relatives. Latvian-Canadian Ingrīda Mazutis decided that one can never have too many folk costumes, and bought it. Laima, one of Ingrīda’s daughters, took a fancy to the Abrene folk costume; she recalls: “I was immediately attracted to it because it was different from other folk costumes – it was white, noble, festive. I also saw it as a silent demonstration against what had been illegally taken from Latvia – the territory of Abrene.” The folk costume was worn at various Latvian community events in Ottawa, Canada. Laima wore the Abrene folk costume when marrying her husband, Uldis Dimiševskis. 

When Laima moved to Latvia in 2005, the Abrene folk costume had found its way back to Latvia. “The next very meaningful event that I wore this folk costume to was when I took part in the Latvian Song and Dance Festival in 2013. It was a great feeling to stand on the Mežaparks stage in my Abrene folk costume – I felt I belonged, and it was a great, festive feeling!”