On Tuesday, 13 October, a state-of-the-art outdoor sports complex was opened at Itas Kozakēvičas Riga Polish Secondary School, 15 Nīcgales Street, with the support of the Riga Municipality and the Jan Olševski Foundation “Help for Poles in the East”.
Riga Vice Mayor Edvards Ratnieks informs that the total cost of the project is about 916 523 euros. Of these, the co-financing from the Fund is 833 125 euros, as well as the co-financing from the Riga City Council is 83 525 euros: "In recent years, we have purposefully launched a programme for the development of sports infrastructure in educational institutions in Riga to meet modern requirements. As the city of Riga, we are grateful to the Jana Olševska Foundation, with the financial support of which an outdoor multifunctional sports field with a place for long jumps, a runway, an outdoor gym area and bowling or climbing climbing wall, as well as a gymnastics and playground for preschool children of different ages have been established.’
“The opening of a modern sports and recreation complex at Ita Kozakēviča Riga Polish Secondary School is an important event not only for school students and teachers, but also for the entire Polish community in Latvia. This investment shows that the infrastructure serving the needs of Poles living abroad is not only buildings and their equipment, but also a real environment necessary for the development of a new generation, community building and strengthening the Polish presence in Riga. We are glad that thanks to the cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, the Foundation, the Riga Municipality and the School, we managed to create a modern, safe and functional space that will serve students in the coming years," says Mikołaj Falkowski, Chairman of the Board of the Jan Olszhevski Foundation "Help for Poles in the East".
"This year is special for our school because we celebrate 35 years. Therefore, the renovated sports infrastructure is much more than a construction project or a new sports ground. It is a beautiful anniversary gift for our children and young people who fill school with life every day with their energy, talents and dreams. This is where victories will be celebrated, challenges overcome, friendship strengthened, and character shaped. We sincerely thank the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Riga City Council for their trust and financial support. Thanks to this partnership, we can leave a lasting value for future generations of students in our anniversary year," admits Kristīne Barkovska, Acting Director of Ita Kozakēviča Riga Polish Secondary School.
The project was implemented in 2025-2026. Its implementation is the responsibility of Ita Kozakēviča Riga Polish Secondary School and Riga Municipality Property Department.
The project is financed from the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland through the Jan Olshevsky Foundation ‘Assistance to Poles in the East’, within the framework of the ‘Infrastructure Polonijna 2025’ competition.
Within the framework of the works, landscaping works and lighting construction were also carried out, as well as arrangement of the ventilation system of the gym school and replacement of the floor covering of the gym for improvement of sound insulation requirements.
The school was established in 1991 and consists of pre-school, primary and secondary schools. 441 children attend school.
After leaving active politics, former Polish prime minister Jan Olszewski (1930-2019) set up the Foundation "Help for Poles in the East", which supports Polish communities living outside Poland. He is an outstanding figure in Polish history, a lawyer, a politician and an anti-communist opposition figure. Jan Olshevsky played an important role in the creation of modern Poland.
Information prepared by: Ineta Miglāne, Project Coordinator, External Communication Division of Riga City Council, e-mail: ineta.miglane@riga.lv.
