Information about Liepaja
In brief
1253 Liepaja mentioned in records for the first time as Liva village – Liiva dorp in Liiv language (Liiv meaning sand).
1625 Friedrich, Duke of Kurland grants Liepaja city rights
1697 Excavation of Liepaja port canal
1876 Liepaja – Romni (Ukraine) railway opened
1890 Liepaja port modernised and enlarged
1893 Russian Tsar Alexander III lays the cornerstone of largest Tsar army navy base and port – after 10 years Karosta Canal and military town are completed
1914 110 000 people live in Liepaja
1919 For six months Liepaja becomes the capital of Latvia
1940 Liepaja becomes a significant USSR naval port
1967 Liepaja port commercial activities stopped, Liepaja becomes “a closed city”
1992 Liepaja port resumes commercial activities, first foreign ship disembarks
1994 Last Soviet army troops leave Liepaja
1997 Special Economic Zone established in Liepaja, facilitating attraction of investments and development of Liepaja economy
2003 Liepaja and Latvia votes for joining the European Union
