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88-434: Saunags is at the same latitude as Gothenburg ( Sweden ) and the same longitude as Turku ( Finland ), both important ancient regional trading and cultural centres. Although far from large towns and sparsely populated, this coastal area had strategic importance in many wars because of its proximity to Irbe Strait , the main sea route to Riga . As a result, the nearby seabed is dotted with medieval to modern shipwrecks. During

176-415: A mansard roof , which was considered by authorities as just a large garret or attic, not a second story. Often ill-equipped and without indoor plumbing, dachas were nevertheless a solution for millions of working-class families, to have their own form of summer retreat. Having a piece of land also offered an opportunity for city dwellers to indulge themselves in growing their own fruits and vegetables. In

264-556: A novelette entitled Dachniki (1885), about newlywed city-dwellers living a 'simple' summer life of walks in the countryside. Following the Russian Revolution , most dachas were nationalised . Some were converted into vacation homes for factory workers, while others, usually of better quality, were distributed among the prominent functionaries of the Communist Party and the newly emerged cultural and scientific elite. All but

352-486: A big problem for the Moscow region and that they come from several different nearby regions. Because of drug abuse becoming more prevalent, poppies are now being stolen from dachas more often. That is why growing more than two poppy plants is now considered a crime. In 2008, unknown men robbed 10 dachas, including the famous "Zelyonaya budka" ( Russian : Зелёная Будка , lit.   'Green Booth') that belonged to

440-472: A coastal environment, Saunags is home to a very large lime tree on Niglini estate, and a group of very large black alder ( Alnus glutinosa ) trees on Kalnbunkas estate. According to a Latvian registry listing all great or largest trees, Saunags is the only locality with two species large trees in one place. The village can be accessed by car from the main asphalted road or via the old forest road connecting Saunags with Vaide and Pitrags . There are signs on

528-466: A dacha in a village usually are lower costs, greater land area, and larger distances between houses. The disadvantages may include lower-quality utilities, less security, and typically a farther distance to travel. The means of transportation for people to get to their dachas, besides cars, are " water trams ", buses, and electric trains (colloquially called " elektrichka "). Due to the large number of people traveling to dachas at weekends (especially during

616-566: A dacha in the Karelian Isthmus , as part of a cooperative society called Ozero , and one in Sochi . In modern times, the rise of a new class in the Russian society (the ' new Russians ') has added a new dimension to the concept of dacha. (Some wealthy Russians prefer the term 'cottage' for their country homes.) With construction costs often reaching into the millions of U.S. dollars, the dachas of

704-454: A few dachas remained the property of the state and the right to use them was usually revoked when a dacha occupant was dismissed or fell out of favour with the rulers of the state. Building new dachas required permission from senior officials and was rarely granted during the early years of the Soviet Union. The seniormost Soviet leaders all had their own dachas, and Joseph Stalin 's favourite

792-478: A key value of dachnik culture. Keeping historical food shortages in mind, they take great pride in growing their own food rather than buying it at a store. The period after World War II saw moderate growth in dacha development. Since there was no actual law banning the construction of dachas, people began occupying unused plots of land near cities and towns, growing gardens and building sheds, huts, and more prominent dwellings that served as dachas. As time passed,

880-509: A long history in this trade and maritime-oriented city, the name Gothenburg is or was (in the case of German) used for the city. Variations of the official German/English name Gothenburg in the city's 1621 charter existed or exist in many languages. The French form of the city name is Gothembourg , but in French texts, the Swedish name Göteborg is more frequent. In 2003, the city decided to promote

968-421: A spade or a spading fork. In autumn the grown potatoes and other crops are gathered and transported to the city where they are stored in cellars, dugouts (usually located on unused plots of ground), or in personal automobile garages. Many Russians prefer to grow vegetables themselves because of the widespread belief in the excessive use of agrochemicals in the vegetables from supermarkets and grocery stores, and

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1056-465: Is The Göteborg Opera. It was completed in 1994. The architect Jan Izikowitz was inspired by the landscape and described his vision as "Something that makes your mind float over the squiggling landscape like the wings of a seagull." Feskekörka , or Fiskhallen , is an indoor fishmarket by the Rosenlundskanalen in central Gothenburg. Feskekörkan was opened on 1   November 1874 and its name from

1144-463: Is a public science centre that opened in 2001, the largest of its kind in Scandinavia. It is divided into six sections, each containing experimental workshops and a collection of reptiles, fish, and insects. Universeum occasionally host debates between Swedish secondary-school students and Nobel Prize laureates or other scholars. The most noted attraction is the amusement park Liseberg , located in

1232-449: Is a seasonal or year-round second home, often located in the exurbs of post-Soviet countries, including Russia . A cottage ( коттедж , kottedzh ) or shack serving as a family's main or only home, or an outbuilding, is not considered a dacha, although some dachas recently have been converted to year-round residences and vice versa. The noun "dacha", coming from verb "davat" ( to give ), originally referred to land allotted by

1320-467: Is called Kungsportsavenyn (commonly known as Avenyn , "The Avenue"). It is about 1 km (0.6 mi) long and starts at Götaplatsen – which is the location of the Gothenburg Museum of Art , the city's theatre, and the city library, as well as the concert hall – and stretches all the way to Kungsportsplatsen in the old city centre of Gothenburg, crossing a canal and a small park. The Avenyn

1408-530: Is especially connected to, and appreciated in, Gothenburg because the city was founded by King Gustavus Adolphus. One of Gothenburg's most popular natural tourist attractions is the southern Gothenburg archipelago , which is a set of several islands that can be reached by ferry boats mainly operating from Saltholmen . Within the archipelago are the Älvsborg fortress , Vinga and Styrsö islands. Dacha A dacha ( Belarusian , Ukrainian and Russian: дача , IPA: [ˈdatɕə] )

1496-499: Is isolated from the rest of the city. Bergsjön is another Million Programme suburb north of Gothenburg, it has 14,000 inhabitants. Biskopsgården is the biggest multicultural suburb on the island of Hisingen , which is a part of Gothenburg but separated from the city by the river. Gothenburg has an oceanic climate ( Cfb according to the Köppen climate classification ). Despite its northerly latitude, temperatures are quite mild throughout

1584-606: Is marked by a stone near the north end of the Älvsborg Bridge in the Färjenäs Park . The church was built in 1603 and destroyed in 1611. The city was heavily influenced by the Dutch, Germans, and Scots, and Dutch planners and engineers were contracted to construct the city as they had the skills needed to drain and build in the marshy areas chosen for the city. The town was designed like Dutch cities such as Amsterdam , Batavia ( Jakarta ) and New Amsterdam ( Manhattan ). The planning of

1672-612: Is now the largest port in the Nordic countries. The presence of the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology has led Gothenburg to become home to many students. Volvo was founded in Gothenburg in 1927, with both the original Volvo Group and the separate Volvo Car Corporation still headquartered on the island of Hisingen in the city. Other key companies in the area are AstraZeneca , Ericsson , and SKF . Gothenburg

1760-532: Is served by Göteborg Landvetter Airport 25 km (16 mi) southeast of the city centre. The smaller Göteborg City Airport , 15 km (9.3 mi) from the city centre, was closed to regular airline traffic in 2015. The city hosts the Gothia Cup , the world's largest youth football tournament, and the Göteborg Basketball Festival, Europe's largest youth basketball tournament, alongside some of

1848-430: Is still used occasionally by local residents. According to a local legend, there is a Medieval burial ground on the outskirts of the village in the direction of Vaide , however archeological works conducted in 2012 did not find any burials there (except for pets). Next to this site lay the ruins of the first Soviet military base built by troops of Baltic Military District soon after World War II. Although situated in

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1936-637: The Chalmers University of Technology . In 1841, the Scotsman Alexander Keiller founded the Götaverken shipbuilding company that was in business until 1989. His son James Keiller donated Keiller Park to the city in 1906. The Gothenburg coat of arms was based on the lion of the coat of arms of Sweden , symbolically holding a shield with the national emblem, the Three Crowns , to defend

2024-797: The Crimean war the British navy landed and burned down a military outpost of the Russian Empire here. During the First World War the Russian navy placed a large number of naval mines offshore, the largest such emplacement at that point in Baltic Sea history. This led to many German ships being destroyed here. During the Second World War , German guns located here and opposite at Saaremaa island controlled

2112-686: The Federal Property Agency of Russia continues to own numerous estates throughout the country that are leased, often on non-market terms, to government officials. The President of Russia has official dacha residences in Novo-Ogaryovo and Zavidovo . Gosdachas in Komarovo and Peredelkino , Zhukovka , Barvikha , and Usovo and Rublyovka in Moscow are populated by many Soviet -era intellectuals and artists. Russian President Vladimir Putin has

2200-576: The Göteborgs Konsthall , Gothenburg Museum of Art , and several museums of sea and navigation history, natural history, the sciences, and East India. Aeroseum , close to the Göteborg City Airport, is an aircraft museum in a former military underground air force base. The Volvo museum has exhibits of the history of Volvo and the development from 1927 until today. Products shown include cars, trucks, marine engines, and buses. Universeum

2288-518: The Industrial Revolution to Russia brought about a rapid growth in the urban population, and wealthy urban residents increasingly desired to escape the heavily polluted cities, at least temporarily. By the end of the 19th century, the dacha became a favorite summer retreat for the upper and middle classes of Russian society. In the tsarist era, dachas tended to have pleasure gardens, but were not used much for growing food. Maxim Gorky wrote

2376-572: The Irbe Strait . After World War II, this area became the Soviet western border. There remains a Soviet Border Troops tower, projector light base, and small security house (the only one still standing). An old road, located behind the dunes parallel to the coast, connects Dižsaunags with the former lighthouse (as the light is dismantled, the tower now functions as the Saunagciema navigational sign) in

2464-639: The National Romantic style, was rich in architectural achievements. Masthugg Church is a noted example of the style of this period. In the early 1920s, on the city's 300th anniversary, the Götaplatsen square with its Neoclassical look was built. After this, the predominant style in Gothenburg and rest of Sweden was Functionalism which especially dominated the suburbs such as Västra Frölunda and Bergsjön . The Swedish functionalist architect Uno Åhrén served as city planner from 1932 through 1943. In

2552-519: The Nordic Classicism law court. The main canal of Gothenburg also flanks the square. The Gothenburg Central Station is in the centre of the city, next to Nordstan and Drottningtorget. The building has been renovated and expanded numerous times since the grand opening in October 1858. In 2003, a major reconstruction was finished which brought the 19th-century building into the 21st century expanding

2640-452: The North Sea and Atlantic , situated on the west coast in a very narrow strip of Swedish territory between Danish Halland in the south and Norwegian Bohuslän in the north. After several failed attempts, Gothenburg was successfully founded in 1621 by King Gustavus Adolphus (Gustaf II Adolf). The site of the first church built in Gothenburg, subsequently destroyed by Danish invaders,

2728-504: The University of Gothenburg in 2008. The Gothenburg municipality has also reverted to the use of the English name in international contexts. In 2009, Göteborg & Co , the municipal destination management organisation of Gothenburg launched a new promotional logo for Gothenburg spelled "Go:teborg". Since the name "Göteborg" contains the Swedish letter "ö" , they planned to make the name more "international" and "up to date" by turning

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2816-400: The nouveau-riche tastes of their owners—and feature ostentatious items such as marble statues, fountains and exotic plants. Some have state-of-the-art sporting facilities such as an indoor swimming pool, multiple tennis courts and stables for race horses. A few privately owned estates even have small forests and lakes. Wealthy Russians have also bought up many of the tsarist-era dachas of

2904-565: The tsar to his nobles; and indeed the dacha in Soviet times is similar to the allotment in some Western countries – a piece of land allotted, normally free, to citizens by the local government for gardening or growing vegetables for personal consumption. With time the name for the land was applied to the building on it. In some cases, owners occupy their dachas for part of the year and rent them to urban residents as summer retreats. People living in dachas are colloquially called dachniki ( дачники );

2992-407: The "ö" sideways. As of 2015 , the name was spelled "Go:teborg" on logos on various signs around the city. In March 2021, the city removed the "Go:teborg" branding from its English communications and switched back to using the logo with "Gothenburg". In the early modern period , the configuration of Sweden's borders made Gothenburg strategically critical as the only Swedish gateway to Skagerrak ,

3080-674: The 17th century when the city was founded, since all but the military and royal houses were built of wood. Some structures which do survive from this early phase in the city's history are Kronhuset and the Torstenson Palace , and the fortresses Skansen Kronan and Skansen Lejonet . The first major architecturally interesting period is the 18th century when the East India Company made Gothenburg an important trade city. Imposing stone houses in Neo-Classical style were erected around

3168-416: The 1950s, the big stadium Ullevi was built when Sweden hosted the 1958 FIFA World Cup . The modern architecture of the city has been formed by such architects as Gert Wingårdh , who started as a Post-modernist in the 1980s. Gustaf Adolf Square is a town square located in central Gothenburg. Noted buildings on the square include Gothenburg City Hall (formerly the stock exchange, opened in 1849) and

3256-447: The 1960s to 1985, legal limitations were especially strict: only single-story summer houses without permanent heating and with living areas less than 25 m (269 sq ft) were allowed as second housing (though older dachas that did not meet these requirements continued to exist). In the 1980s, planners loosened the rules, and since 1990 all such limitations have been eliminated. As of 2019, about 62% of Russians visit dachas in

3344-740: The 1990s, there was great unemployment in Russia and other post-Soviet states, and salaries in factories and research institutes that still functioned were sometimes not paid for many months. In these hard times potatoes grown in garden plots saved many people from hunger, and fruit and berries helped prevent vitamin deficiency . Due to the rapid increase in urbanization in Russia, many village houses are currently being sold for use as dachas. Many Russian villages now have dachniki as temporary residents. Some villages have been fully transformed into dacha settlements, while some older dacha settlements often look like more permanent lodgings. The advantages of purchasing

3432-407: The 19th century, the first comprehensive town plan after the founding of city was created, which led to the construction of the main street, Kungsportsavenyen . Perhaps the most significant type of houses of the city, Landshövdingehusen , were built in the end of the 19th century – three-storey houses with the first floor in stone and the other two in wood. The early 20th century, characterized by

3520-472: The Russian Federation continues to own State dachas ( gosdacha ) used by the president and other officials. They were extremely popular in the Soviet Union. As regulations severely restricted the size and type of dacha buildings for ordinary people during the Soviet period, permitted features such as large attics or glazed verandas became extremely widespread and often oversized. In the period from

3608-425: The Soviet era, and consist of numerous small land plots. They were initially intended only as recreation getaways of city dwellers and for growing small gardens for food. Dachas originated as small country estates given as a gift by the tsar, and have been popular among the Russian upper- and middle-classes ever since. During the Soviet era, many dachas were state-owned, and were given to the people. The government of

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3696-475: The United States increased, Gothenburg became Sweden's main point of departure for these travellers. The impact of Gothenburg as a main port of embarkation for Swedish emigrants is reflected by Gothenburg, Nebraska , a small Swedish settlement in the United States. With the 19th century, Gothenburg evolved into a modern industrial city that continued on into the 20th century. The population increased tenfold in

3784-447: The aristocracy, and Soviet-era dachas of artists and intellectuals. Theft is not unusual for dachas. Usually, the dachas are either without surveillance or only one single guard taking care of the entire property. In an attempt to prevent these thefts, dacha owners often take everything valuable back to their apartments in the city at the end of summer. Typically dishes, tools and clothes are stolen. Homeless people and criminals often use

3872-562: The building's resemblance to a Gothic church. The Gothenburg city hall is in the Beaux-Arts architectural style. The Gothenburg Synagogue at Stora Nygatan, near Drottningtorget, was built in 1855 according to the designs of the German architect August Krüger. The Gunnebo House is a country house located to the south of Gothenburg, in Mölndal. It was built in a neoclassical architecture towards

3960-539: The canals. One example from this period is the East India House, which today houses the Göteborg City Museum . In the 19th century, the wealthy bourgeoisie began to move outside the city walls which had protected the city. The style now was an eclectic, academic, somewhat overdecorated style which the middle-class favoured. The working class lived in the overcrowded city district Haga in wooden houses. In

4048-518: The capacity for trains, travellers, and shopping. Not far from the central station is the Skanskaskrapan , or more commonly known as "The Lipstick". It is 86 m (282 ft) high with 22 floors and coloured in red-white stripes. The skyscraper was designed by Ralph Erskine and built by Skanska in the late 1980s as the headquarters for the company. By the shore of the Göta Älv at Lilla Bommen

4136-537: The central part of the city. It is the largest amusement park in Scandinavia by number of rides, and was chosen as one of the top ten amusement parks in the world (2005) by Forbes . It is the most popular attraction in Sweden by number of visitors per year (more than 3 million). There are a number of independent theatre ensembles in the city, besides institutions such as Gothenburg City Theatre , Backa Theatre (youth theatre), and Folkteatern . The main boulevard

4224-518: The century, from 13,000 (1800) to 130,000 (1900). In the 20th century, major companies that developed included SKF (1907) and Volvo (1927). Gothenburg is located on the west coast, in southwestern Sweden, about halfway between the capital cities of Copenhagen (Denmark) and Oslo (Norway). The location at the mouth of the Göta älv, which feeds into the Kattegat , an arm of the North Sea, has helped

4312-558: The city against its enemies. In the Treaty of Roskilde (1658), Denmark–Norway ceded the Danish province of Halland, in the south, and the Norwegian province of Bohus County or Bohuslän in the north, which left Gothenburg less exposed. Gothenburg grew into a significant port and trade centre on the west coast, because it was the only city on the west coast that, along with Marstrand , was granted

4400-495: The city grow in significance as a trading city . The archipelago of Gothenburg consists of rough, barren rocks and cliffs, which also is typical for the coast of Bohuslän. Due to the Gulf Stream , the city has a mild climate and moderately heavy precipitation. It is the second-largest city in Sweden after its capital Stockholm . The Gothenburg Metropolitan Area ( Stor-Göteborg ) has 1,080,980 inhabitants (2023) and extends to

4488-500: The country's elite bear no resemblance to the small dachas of the Soviet era. Comparable in size and décor to mansions and palaces , they become an elaborate display of social status, wealth and power. Most dachas of the elite are constructed with brick and concrete, unlike the middle-class dachas that are mostly constructed with wood. These new symbols of prosperity are designed by professional architects, usually in eclectic style —that older dachniks look down upon as reflecting

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4576-516: The dacha experiences they had during the Soviet era. Dacha plots are usually not more than 600 m (6,500 sq ft) in area; in some cases over 1,200 or 1,500 m (13,000 or 16,000 sq ft), but nearly never exceeding 0.96 ha (2.4 acres). They therefore are too small to grow any large amount of fruits and vegetables, thus sometimes they are also grown on separate dedicated plots of ground nearby. In Soviet times and sometimes now, such dedicated plots of ground were often made of

4664-554: The dachas in autumn and winter when the owners are absent. Occasionally minors light unsupervised dachas on fire as entertainment. Thieves also break into dachas with the intention of stealing non-ferrous metal , like gold, copper and silver. This happened to the leader of LDPR , Igor Lebedev , in 2000. Two men broke into his dacha in Odintsovo District after which they were stopped by police officers. The Moscow City Police press claims that collectors of non-ferrous metal are

4752-430: The direction of Vaide . Along the route is Akacijas estate and a few abandoned German and Soviet military bunkers. During World War II and after, this narrow road was used as a military supply route by Soviet border guards, as well as coast guards servicing the lighthouse. A coastal narrow gauge railway was planned here linking Pitrags and Mazirbe , but was left unfinished during World War I. This historic forest road

4840-417: The dune and skeleton wooden pier still remains. The other large estates are Jaunpakalni (include former Pakalni, Kalnbunkas and part of former Niglini), Krumini and Niglini. There is a small private Ethnographic Museum on Jaunpakalni estate, which includes restored old boat "Pakalni" used for fishing for over 50 years in local waters (viewings are by appointment only). Former fishermen barn, where all chandlery

4928-560: The end of the 18th century. Created in the early 1900s was the Vasa Church . It is located in Vasastan and is built of granite in a neo-Romanesque style. Karlatornet , a skyscraper set to be fully completed in 2025, stands as the tallest building in the Nordics, reaching a height of 246 meters. Another noted construction is Brudaremossen TV Tower , one of the few partially guyed towers in

5016-526: The famous Russian poet Anna Akhmatova in the settlement Litfonda in Komarovo . In 2002, the United States citizen Yakov Tilipman, who was representing the interests of the "Kremlyovskaya group", was shot in the protected gardening association "Yagodka" ( Russian : Ягодка , lit.   'Berry') in Opalikha in the Krasnogorsk region of Moscow. In 2008, robbers in camouflage uniforms climbed over

5104-484: The fifth-largest in the Nordic countries . It is situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, with a population of approximately 600,000 in the city proper and about 1.1 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area . King Gustavus Adolphus founded Gothenburg by royal charter in 1621 as a heavily fortified, primarily Dutch, trading colony. In addition to the generous privileges given to his Dutch allies during

5192-474: The forest road marking the borders of Saunags. There is a bus stop “Saunags” on Riga-Mazirbe bus route. Also, there are biking and hiking routes passing Saunags both on the coast and via forest road. Most of the land in this area, as well as neighbouring areas, for many centuries, until 1918 belonged to the Baron Osten-Sacken family, a fairly important local Baltic-German noble dynasty. Their main seat

5280-913: The government. The 1980s saw the peak of the dacha boom, with nearly all affluent families—over a third of families in urban areas—having a dacha of their own. Dacha houses built since the late 1980s are significantly larger than older ones because legal size restrictions were liberalized, and new dacha areas became fields of relatively big houses on tiny land plots. Tracts between lines of dacha land plots are usually unimproved or improved with crushed stone, and narrow (often about 6 m (20 ft) between fences) enough that two cars can hardly pass each other by. Dachas also started to be found in other Eastern Bloc countries, especially in East Germany (where it remains quite current even after German reunification ), and in Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia . In

5368-450: The higher costs of the vegetables in stores and bazaars , especially among the older part of the population. Also, growing one's own food supplies is a long-lived Russian tradition practised even by many affluent Russians. It is seen as a way to have a connection to the land, to be self-sufficient, and for many, to find some escape from a capitalist economy. While a large portion of urban Russians grow some vegetables in their dacha gardens,

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5456-498: The largest annual events in Scandinavia. The Gothenburg Film Festival , held in January since 1979, is the leading Scandinavian film festival and attracts over 155,000 visitors each year. In summer, a wide variety of music festivals are held in the city, including the popular Way Out West Festival . The city was named Göteborg in the city's charter in 1621 and simultaneously given the German and English name Gothenburg. The Swedish name

5544-576: The last 20 years). In the 19th century fourth estate appeared - Kruhming (now Krumini). In the past, Saunags was mainly populated by fishermen and farmers; today, historic wooden properties are mainly used as summer houses (or dachas ). Akacijas estate (former Rupnieki) is the site of former local store as well as fish processing and salting plant owned by Kārlis Tilmanis, well known canned fish brand in Latvia between two World Wars. Tilmanis family fled by fishing boat to Sweden in 1945. Only ice storage inside

5632-755: The municipalities of Ale , Alingsås , Göteborg, Härryda , Kungälv , Lerum , Lilla Edet , Mölndal , Partille , Stenungsund , Tjörn , Öckerö within Västra Götaland County , and Kungsbacka within Halland County . Angered , a suburb outside Gothenburg, consists of Hjällbo, Eriksbo, Rannebergen, Hammarkullen, Gårdsten, and Lövgärdet. It is a Million Programme part of Gothenburg, like Rosengård in Malmö and Botkyrka in Stockholm. Angered had about 50,000 inhabitants in 2015. It lies north of Gothenburg and

5720-662: The name Göteborg in international contexts, a decision which was reversed six years later. However, the traditional forms ("Gothenburg" in English, or Gotemburgo in Spanish and Portuguese) are sometimes replaced with the use of the Swedish Göteborg , for example by The Göteborg Opera and the Göteborg Ballet. However, Göteborgs universitet , previously designated as the Göteborg University in English, changed its name to

5808-401: The number of squatters grew and the government had no choice but to officially recognise their right to amateur farming. The 1955 legislation introduced a new type of legal person into the Soviet juridical system , a gardeners' partnership ( садоводческое товарищество , sadovodcheskoye tovarishchestvo ), similar to community gardens in other countries. The gardeners' partnership received

5896-567: The ongoing Thirty Years' War , e.g. tax relaxation, he also attracted significant numbers of his German and Scottish allies to populate his only town on the western coast; this trading status was furthered by the founding of the Swedish East India Company . At a key strategic location at the mouth of the Göta älv , where Scandinavia's largest drainage basin enters the sea, the Port of Gothenburg

5984-1202: The perception in some parts of society that urban Russians are becoming increasingly self-sufficient is a myth, and only some 15 percent of vegetables are grown by urban dwellers. The most common dacha fruits in cool temperate regions of Russia are apple , blackcurrant , redcurrant , gooseberry , raspberry and strawberry (sometimes also sour cherry , downy cherry , rose hips , plum , bird cherry , pear , sea-buckthorn , Actinidia kolomikta , black chokeberry , serviceberry , barberry , sweetberry honeysuckle , blackberry and grape , but many of them are either rare or not hardy enough and require winter protection). Popular vegetables and herbs are potato , cucumber , zucchini , pumpkin , tomato , carrot , red bell peppers (capsicum) , beetroot , cabbage , cauliflower , radish , turnip , onion , garlic , dill , parsley , rhubarb , sorrel , papaver , earth apple , horseradish and others. The state-owned vacation houses allotted for government officials, academicians, military personnel, and other VIPs are called " gosdachas " ( госдача , short for государственная дача gosudarstvennaya dacha — "state dacha"). In modern Russia,

6072-404: The right to permanent use of land exclusively for agricultural purposes and permission to connect to public electrical and water supply networks. In 1958, yet another form of organisation was introduced, a cooperative for dacha construction ( дачно-строительный кооператив , dachno-stroytelniy kooperativ ), which recognised the right of an individual to build a small house on the land leased from

6160-401: The rights to trade with merchants from other countries. In the 18th century, fishing was the most important industry. However, in 1731, the Swedish East India Company was founded, and the city flourished due to its foreign trade with highly profitable commercial expeditions to China. The harbour developed into Sweden's main harbour for trade towards the west, and when Swedish emigration to

6248-418: The streets and canals of Gothenburg closely resembled that of Jakarta, which was built by the Dutch around the same time. The Dutchmen initially won political power, and it was not until 1652, when the last Dutch politician in the city's council died, that Swedes acquired political power over Gothenburg. During the Dutch period, the town followed Dutch town laws and Dutch was proposed as the official language in

6336-421: The summer), traffic typically builds up around large cities, and elektrichka and buses are filled to capacity. Dachas have started appearing in regions of North America that have high concentrations of immigrants from Russia and Ukraine. Russians and Ukrainians from New York, Long Island, and New Jersey have been retreating to their Russian-style dacha homes in the forests of Upstate New York in order to recreate

6424-533: The summer. The first dachas in Russia began to appear during the 17th century, initially referring to small estates in the country that were given to loyal vassals by the tsar . In archaic Russian, the word dacha means something given , from the verb "дать" [dat'] – "to give". During the Age of Enlightenment , Russian aristocracy used their dachas for social and cultural gatherings, which were usually accompanied by masquerade balls and firework displays. The coming of

6512-669: The summer. Winters are cold and windy with temperatures of around −1 to 4 °C (30 to 39 °F), though it rarely drops below −20 °C (−4 °F). Precipitation is regular but generally moderate throughout the year. Snow mainly occurs from December to March, but is not unusual in November and April and can sometimes occur even in October and May. Gothenburg has several parks and nature reserves ranging in size from tens of square meters to hundreds of hectares. It also has many green areas that are not designated as parks or reserves. Selection of parks: Very few buildings are left from

6600-510: The term usually refers not only to dacha dwellers but to a distinctive lifestyle. The Russian term is often said to have no exact counterpart in English. Dachas are common in Russia, and are also widespread in most parts of the former Soviet Union and in some countries of the former Eastern Bloc . Surveys in 1993–1994 suggest about 25% of Russian families living in large cities had dachas. Most dachas are in colonies of dachas and garden plots near large cities. These clusters have existed since

6688-506: The town. Robust city walls were built during the 17th century. In 1807, a decision was made to tear down most of the city's wall. The work started in 1810 and was carried out by 150 soldiers from the Bohus regiment. Along with the Dutch, the town was also heavily influenced by Scots who settled down in Gothenburg. Many became people of high-profile. William Chalmers , the son of a Scottish immigrant, donated his fortunes to set up what later became

6776-434: The unused sections of agricultural fields owned by collective farms . Many small dacha plots, especially those that were recently purchased, are not used for large-scale fruit and vegetable farming. Instead, they are frequently used for gardening and planting exotic plants. Due to custom and the perceived high costs of good equipment, even relatively large plots of land are often cultivated manually using equipment such as

6864-574: The well-known Haga bulle – a large cinnamon roll similar to the kanelbulle . Five Gothenburg restaurants have a star in the 2008 Michelin Guide : 28+ Basement, Fond, Kock & Vin, Fiskekrogen, and Sjömagasinet. The city has a number of star chefs. In 2007, seven Swedish Chef of the Year awards of the previous twelve years had been won by people from Gothenburg. The Gustavus Adolphus pastry , eaten every 6   November in Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus Day ,

6952-431: The whole Livonian coast . It is supported by the fact that this is the location of the oldest trees as well as that the house itself is located at the highest point in the area. Curiously, the nearby forest opening, plot of land between Jaunpakalni's sauna building and Akacijas (now part of Niglini estate), was a well-known area for all local Livonian celebrations for centuries (the opening gradually overgrown with trees over

7040-570: The world. The sea, trade, and industrial history of the city are evident in the cultural life of Gothenburg. It is also a popular destination for tourists on the Swedish west coast. Many of the cultural institutions, as well as hospitals and the university, were created by donations from rich merchants and industrialists, for example the Röhsska Museum . On 29   December 2004, the Museum of World Culture opened near Korsvägen . Museums include

7128-698: The year and warmer than places at a similar latitude such as Stockholm ; this is mainly because of the moderating influence of the Gulf Stream . During the summer, daylight extends 18 hours and 5 minutes, but lasts 6 hours and 32 minutes in late December. The climate has become significantly milder in later decades, particularly in summer and winter; July temperatures used to be below Stockholm's 1961–1990 averages, but have since been warmer than that benchmark. Summers are warm and pleasant with average high temperatures of 20 to 22 °C (68 to 72 °F) and lows of 12 to 15 °C (54 to 59 °F), but temperatures of 25–30 °C (77–86 °F) occur on many days during

7216-402: The years before and after World War II , cultivation of garden crops on dacha plots was substantial, because of the failure of the centrally planned Soviet agricultural programme to supply enough fresh produce. Many dacha owners grew crops for market. Since then, growing garden crops has been of lesser importance, but continues to be widespread. Many Russian dacha owners still see gardening as

7304-475: Was Dundaga Castle (former name Dundagen). After 1905 upraising local fishermen were gradually allowed to acquire land plots and their houses from the baron. In 1731 Dundaga manor book stated three estates in Saunags: Buncke Pritiz (present name Kalnbunkas), Melcke Ans (Niglini) and Walke Angeck (Valkas). According to local elders, it is likely that Bunke Pritiz is the first and the oldest settlement on

7392-486: Was created in the 1860s and 1870s as a result of an international architecture contest, and is the product of a period of extensive town planning and remodelling. Avenyn has Gothenburg's highest concentration of pubs and clubs. Gothenburg's largest shopping centre (8th largest in Sweden), Nordstan , is located in central Gothenburg. Gothenburg's Haga district is known for its picturesque wooden houses and its cafés serving

7480-568: Was given after the Göta älv , called Göta River in English, and other cities ending in -borg . Both the Swedish and German/English names were in use before 1621 and had already been used for the previous city founded in 1604 that burned down in 1611. Gothenburg is one of few Swedish cities to still have an official and widely used exonym . The city council of 1641 consisted of four Swedish, three Dutch, three German, and two Scottish members. In Dutch , Scots , English, and German, all languages with

7568-463: Was in Gagra , Abkhazia . New dachas started to be built in larger numbers during the 1930s, and dacha colonies for artists, or soldiers, or various classes of party functionaries, started to form. There were legal size restrictions for dacha houses in the Soviet era. They had to have not more than 25 m (269 sq ft) of living area and be only one story tall. For that reason, they usually had

7656-645: Was kept, as well as winter repair wharf, were located symmetrically on the left and right side accordingly of Kalnbunkas' private seashore approach road. Only foundations now remain, although there are plans in place to re-construct them together with the timber pier. In 2010 Saunags celebrated its 700th birthday (since first mentioned in documents in year 1310). To mark this anniversary some local summer residents followed old Livonian routes by sea on motor yacht "Kolka" from Riga via Ruhnu and Saaremaa islands and Kolka to Saunags, where they disembarked from an anchored boat. A memorial sign with "DIŽSAUNAGS" written on it

7744-450: Was placed on the top of a sand dune nearby, between the two access roads to the beach. Gothenburg Gothenburg ( / ˈ ɡ ɒ θ ən b ɜːr ɡ / ; abbreviated Gbg ; Swedish : Göteborg [jœtɛˈbɔrj] ) is the gubernatorial seat of Västra Götaland County in Sweden . It is the second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm , and

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