Riga (Rīgas)

Riga Aerial View

 

Location: Map

 

Description of Riga

Riga is the capital and the largest city of Latvia. It is the largest city in the Baltic States and home to more than a third of the population of Latvia, and is the largest cultural, educational, political, financial, commercial and industrial center of the Baltic Sea region. The city is located in the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava River. It has an area of ​​307.17 km² and is located on a sandy plain between 1 and 10 meters above sea level.

Riga was founded in 1201 and is a former member of the Hanseatic League. The historic center of Riga, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, stands out for its art nouveau architecture and its 19th century wooden buildings. The city was designated European Capital of Culture in 2014, together with Umeå in Sweden. The city is communicated by air thanks to Riga International Airport, the largest airport in the Baltic States.

Riga is a member of Eurocities, the union of the Baltic cities (UBC) and the Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU).

 

Travel Destinations in Riga

There are a lot of interesting things in Riga. The standard tourist program consists of long walks through the Old Town with a stop at the Dome Cathedral and St. Peter's Church, exploring the adjacent boulevards with the Freedom Monument, Art Nouveau houses in the Albertas iela area, and maybe the high-rise Academy of Sciences with the central market located nearby, although this final part is unlikely to arouse enthusiasm among those who are looking for European cleanliness and accuracy. Of course, you can’t neglect all of the above, however, you won’t get a complete picture of the city in this way, but you will see only the very, very center, while the historical districts of Riga occupy a good half of the modern city.

Although Riga has a rich medieval history, there are few objects older than the 17th century in it: these are several churches of the Old Town, fragments of the city walls with the only surviving (Powder) tower, the Eck convention and one of the "three brothers" - a complex of medieval houses, two of which were built when the Middle Ages in the Baltics irrevocably ended. On the contrary, a lot has been preserved from the 17th century - this is the famous facade of the house of the Blackheads (however, destroyed during the war and only recently restored), and multi-storey merchant houses with sharp roofs (Menzendorf, Dannenstern), and purely baroque mansions like the Reitern house, and, finally, auxiliary buildings such as barns and warehouses. Riga Castle has preserved layers from different eras. It is based on the buildings of the 16th century, but visually it is perceived as something from the Swedish time, which is greatly facilitated by the forburg attached at that time.

Walking around the Old Town, you will surely notice a bunch of multi-storey buildings built no earlier than the end of the 19th century. During this period, Riga experienced a powerful construction boom, which affected, among other things, the historical center. The buildings of the large and small merchant guilds are made in the Neo-Gothic style, the famous house with black cats (named after the sculptures standing on the roof) is a wonderful monument of Art Nouveau, and all this fits well into the landscape, although it has nothing to do with old Riga. The true antiquity of the Old Town is now hidden in narrow streets and cobblestone pavements, but the architecture here is very different, including modern.

At the turn of the XIX and XX centuries. were built in Riga in different ways, but from this variety their own style, which was later called the Riga Art Nouveau, steadily stands out. Most of all, it resembles German Art Nouveau (“Jugend”), although rich stucco and classical sculptures, more typical of Austria-Hungary, play a significant role in it. The most famous modern houses are on the streets of Alberta iela and Elizabetes iela parallel to it, where a prestigious district with cozy restaurants and cafes has been formed. Slightly less refined, but no less interesting hundred-year-old buildings are scattered throughout the St. Petersburg suburb: you can walk there for hours, discovering new and new corners.

In addition to multi-storey residential buildings, churches were also built in Riga, and a variety of them. For example, in the Moscow suburb, a kilometer from each other, you will find several Orthodox churches (including the Old Believers), Catholic and Lutheran churches, as well as the ruins of a synagogue and a Stalinist skyscraper, which is also in a sense a temple - only not of religion, but of science. They built in different styles, from wood and stone, and this diversity is one of the main features of Riga. Interesting neo-gothic temples should be looked for in the St. Petersburg suburb, and another gallery of temples of different faiths is located in the Agenskalns area in Zadvinje.

Wooden houses are also an important part of Riga. In the St. Petersburg outskirts, they sometimes wedged into high-rise buildings, violating the harmony and severity of long, straight and like two drops of water similar to old Petersburg streets. Ordinary wooden buildings of a hundred years ago - in the Moscow suburb, interesting wooden mansions are found on Kalnciema iela and adjacent streets in the Agenskalns area (aka the Kalnciems quarter). There are many authentic wooden buildings in the former workers' quarter of Sarkandaugava in the northern part of the right bank.

Finally, the last, but no less important component of pre-revolutionary Riga is the old plants and factories. When tourists get tired of the spiers on the traditional panorama of the Old City, Riga can brand its old water towers, which are found in every district and are very colorful. Even more colorful are the industrial buildings stretching along the railroad along the perimeter of the Petersburg outskirts and even going beyond it, like the old buildings of the car building (RVR) and electrical engineering (VEF) factories, where among the many utilitarian buildings you can find, for example, a luxurious neo-Gothic building of the old building VEF with a statue of Zeus on the facade.

The main legacy of the first Latvian Republic in Riga is the Freedom Monument. It sets the tone for the entire interwar Latvian architecture: dim, monotonous and a little heavy, more gravitating towards modernism than to the geometric forms of functionalism and Bauhaus. The most notable architectural monument of this period is the central market, and small forms are most fully represented by villas in the Mežaparks area.

The Soviet period brought several new elements to the Riga landscape at once. Firstly, all the central bridges across the Daugava were built: without their unusual shapes and wonderful lighting reflected in the dark water, it is no longer possible to imagine the panorama of Old Riga. The attitude towards the Stalinist skyscraper of the Academy of Sciences in Riga is reserved, and it stands in the middle of outright slums, but it has become the high-rise dominant of the city - along with a bizarre and very high (368.5 m) TV tower. In recent years, the skyline of the city has been replenished with the building of the national library and several glass skyscrapers, which gradually form an ensemble on the previously low-rise and discreet left bank of the Daugava.

There are observation platforms on the tower of St. Peter's Church and in the building of the Academy of Sciences, as well as on the TV tower, but it stands a little away from the center of Riga.

 

Streets and squares

Livu Square (lat. Līvu Laukums)
Livu Square (received this name in 2000) appeared in 1950 according to the project of P. Seletsky on the site of the buildings destroyed during the Second World War, and was originally called the “Square near the Philharmonic”. In 1974, according to the project of Karlis Barons, the square was reconstructed, paths and specially equipped recreation areas appeared, and in the central part there was a pool with a fountain (now it is not working).

Albert Square (lat. Alberta laukums)
The history of the city begins with it - one of the first settlements on the territory of Riga, where the Livs lived, was located here. The square was located in a bend of the river, in the harbor of which in 1201 the ships of the founder of Riga, Bishop Albert, landed. Later, the port was moved, the river, which had become shallow over time, was covered up, and a post station and stables were set up on the site of its harbor. In 1889, a square was laid out on the site of the former post office building, which in 1923 was renamed Albert Square.

Herder Square (lat. Herdera laukums)
It first appeared on the map of Riga in 1650 and until 1864 was called Malaya Vesovaya because of the location of small city scales on it. In 1864, in honor of the centenary of the arrival of Johann Gottfried Herder in Riga, the square was renamed (a monument to the German enlightener was also erected on it). The Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation is located on the square.

Jekaba Square (lat. Jēkaba laukums)
Jacob's Square, which was called Yakovlevskaya Square during the Russian Empire, appeared in the 17th century after the ramparts were filled. At the end of the 18th century, it became a place of rest; in the 19th century, military exercises and parades took place on it (it was then called Parade Ground). In 1905, according to the project of Georg Kufaldt, the square was reconstructed (later, the layout was supplemented according to the project of A. Zeydaks) and in 1950 it was renamed Chernyshevsky Square. Jacob's Square got its name back in 1987.

Pils Square (lat. Pils laukums)
The square was formed in 1783 on the site of a former moat in front of the Riga Castle. In 1817, in honor of Russia's victory in the Patriotic War of 1812, the Victory Column was erected on the square, consecrated in the presence of Tsar Alexander I (in 1915, the metal part of the column was taken to Russia, and the stone part of the monument was removed in 1938). In 1928, the square was renamed in honor of the first president of the Republic of Latvia, Janis Čakste, but in 1941 it was called the Pioneers' Square, due to the location of the Palace of Pioneers and Schoolchildren in the Riga Castle. In 1942-1944, the square was given back its name Pils, and in 1944 it was renamed Pionerskaya again. The historical name Pils reappeared only in 1987.

Town Hall Square (lat. Rātslaukums)
Formed in the second half of the 13th century, the Town Hall Square was the central city square. There was a market, city scales and craft workshops, holidays, competitions, processions, dances, as well as punishments of criminals (the Pillory was located on the square), to attend which everyone was invited by the bell of St. Jacob's Church. Later, the market was moved, residential buildings were built and opposite the House of the Blackheads - the Riga City Hall. In the center of the square, on the site of a former artesian well, a statue of the patron saint of Riga, St. Roland, was erected.

Square of the Latvian Riflemen
It is located on the banks of the Daugava in front of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia (formerly the Museum of the Red Latvian Riflemen), which in 1970 separated part of the former vast Town Hall Square. A monument to the Latvian Riflemen is erected on the square. In Soviet times, rallies and official events were held on the square. Subsequently, the granite slabs around the monument were replaced with cobblestones.

Dome Square (lat. Doma laukums)
Dome Square was created at the end of the 19th century. In 1936, after the demolition of several houses, May 15 Square was formed (in honor of the coup d'état of President Ulmanis in 1934), which in 1940 was merged with Domskaya, giving them the name June 17 Square (the date the Red Army units entered the city). In 1943, the former May 15 Square was renamed Albert Bukshofden Square, later they were united again under the name Domskaya, but in 1944 they were renamed June 17 Square. Since 1987, Domskaya Square has finally acquired its current name. Seven streets of Old Riga lead to it and in the center of the square there is a brass rondo with information that Riga is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and is under the protection of this organization.

Embankment November 11 (11.novembra krastmala). The Daugava embankment was the city's main port in the 14th century. Until the 17th century, a wooden embankment was used for loading / unloading river ships (because the river near the coast was too shallow for sea ones). In the 18th century, the length of the embankment was only 3.2 km, and the pontoon bridge built in 1701 served as a pier for ships. In 1825, the last wooden embankment was built, in 1875-1876, after reconstruction, its surface was lined with red-hot granite. In 1944, the embankment was blown up by the retreating Germans and was restored until 1949. The port was placed closer to the mouth of the Daugava, and the embankment now serves as a place of rest

 

Buildings

Riga Castle (Rīgas pils, President's Castle).
House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) , Kalku iela 1. ☎ +371 670 44300. €3, €1.50 students.
Great Guild (Lielā ģilde).
Small Guild (Mazā ģilde).
Three Brothers (Trīs brāļi).
Palace (house) of Peter the Great (Pētera I nams (palasts)).
House with black cats (Kaķu nams), Meistaru iela 7-11.
Powder Tower (Pulvertornis) , Smilšu iela 20.
Jekaba barracks (Jēkaba kazarma).
Seimas building (House of the Knights, Saeimas nams, Bruņinieku nams).
Swedish Gate (Zviedru vārti).
Protective walls of Riga (Rīgas aizsargmūri).

Old Warehouses

 

Gardens and parks

Bastion Hill (Bastejkalns).
Vermanes Garden (Vērmaņdārzs).
Park "Arcadia" (Arkadijas dārzs).
Kronvalda park.
Park Dzeguzhkalns (Dzegužkalns).
Grizinkalns Park (Grīziņkalns).
Park Ziedondarzs (Ziedoņdārzs).
Victory Park (Uzvaras parks).

 

Church architecture

Dome Cathedral (Doma baznīca)  (Dome Square, 1). €3.
Saint Peter's Cathedral (Svētā Pētera baznīca).
Church of St. John (Svētā Jāņa baznīca).
Cathedral of St. Jacob (Church of St. Jacob, Rīgas sv.Jēkaba katedrāle), st. Kloster, d.2.
Church of the Sorrowful Mother of God (Rīgas Sāpju Dievmātes baznīca).
Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ (Katedrāle).
Anglican Church of the Holy Redeemer (Anglikāņu baznīca).

 

Monuments

Freedom Monument (Brīvības piemineklis). Symbol of independence of Latvia. The monument was built according to the design of the sculptor K. Zale and the architect E. Shtalberg, and was solemnly opened on November 18, 1935. The Statue of Liberty (works by sculptor R. Mirsmeden), crowning the 42-meter monument, holds three gilded stars in its hands, symbolizing the historically cultural regions of Latvia - Kurzeme, Latgale and Vidzeme and personifies the unity of the state. The foot of the monument is decorated with 13 sculptural compositions: Freedom, Mother Latvia, Lachplesis, Breaking Chains, Vaidelotis, Labor, Guardians of the Fatherland, Song Festival, etc.

Monument to the Latvian Red Riflemen (lat. Latviešu sarkano strēlnieku piemineklis). The monument to the Latvian Red Riflemen, designed by sculptor V. Albergs, architects D. Driba and G. Lusis-Grinberg, was opened in 1971, a year after the opening of the Museum of Latvian Riflemen, located on the same square. Later, the word "red" was removed from the name of the monument.
Monument to the writer Rudolf Blaumanis in the park along the city canal. Sculptor Teodors Zalkalns, installed in 1929.
The monument to the Bremen Town Musicians (lat. Brēmenes muzikantu piemineklis) was created by the Bremen sculptor K. Baumgartel and presented to Riga by the sister city of Bremen. The sculptural composition is a plot from the fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm, when the Bremen town musicians looked into the window to the forest robbers - at the very bottom there is a donkey, on the back of which there is a dog supporting a cat, on which a rooster sits. There is a belief that if you rub the nose of each of the animals and make wishes, they will certainly come true. The most cherished will be performed by a rooster, which is very difficult to reach. According to another version, each subsequent character increases the chances of fulfilling one of the most secret desires.
Big Kristaps (lat. Lielais Kristaps). The wooden sculpture of Big Kristaps, personifying St. Christopher, an assistant in illness, was carved by the sculptor M. Brinkman in 1682. People put flowers and coins to the sculpture of the giant, seafarers' wives brought their personal beads, ribbons and necklaces to Kristaps to protect their husbands (some of them are kept in the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation). It was believed that Big Kristaps would save from illness and adversity, and when something hurts, then you need to tie this place with a ribbon, and then tie this ribbon to a sculpture that will take over the disease. A copy of the giant was installed on the embankment in 2001.
The monument to the Russian General Field Marshal Mikhail Barklajam de Tolli (lat. Piemineklis Krievijas ģenerālfeldmaršalam Mihaelam Barklajam de Tolli), whose ancestors settled in Riga in the 17th century, was erected in 1913, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the victory over Napoleon. In 1915, the monument by the Berlin sculptor W. Wandschneider was dismantled, and restored only in 2001 at the expense of the Riga businessman E. Gomberg.
Monument to the mayor of Riga, George Armitsted ("Lady with a Dog") (lat. Piemineklis Džordžam Armitstedam ("Dāma ar suni")), on which the mayor of the city of Riga (1901-1912) is depicted with his life partner Cecilia Pihlau and a chow-chow dog, was made by the sculptor A. Varpa and installed at the expense of the Riga businessman E. Gomberg in 2006 in honor of the arrival of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in Riga.

 

Other attractions

Courtyard of the Convention (lat. Konventa Sēta)
John's Compound (Jāņa sēta).
Riga TV Tower (Rigas televīzijas tornis).
(lat. Rīgas televīzijas tornis)

Berg Bazaar (lat. Berga Bazars)
Central Market (lat. Rīgas Centrāltirgus)
Riga Russian Theatre. M. Chekhov.
(lat. Mihaila Čehova Rīgas Krievu teātris)
National Opera.
(lat. Latvijas Nacional Opera)

The building of the Academy of Sciences of Latvia
Laima watch (lat. Laimas pulkstenis)

Museum of the Occupation

Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts

Saint Roland Statue

Latvian National Opera

Central Market

Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation

Latvian National Theatre (Latvijas Nacionālais teātris)

 

Out of the center

Kalnciema quarter (Kalnciema kvartāls) (Around the intersection of Kalnciema and Melnsila streets, on the left bank).

Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum

 

What to do

Swimming pool "Kipsala", Kipsalas street, 5.
Riga Zoo, Mezha Avenue, 1.
Botanical garden, Kandavas street, 2.

Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation, Palasta st., 4.
Museum of the History of Medicine. Paula Stradinya, Antonijas str., 1.
Latvian National Museum of Art, Krishjana Valdemara str., 10a. 6€. The largest collection of Latvian art (and perhaps the only one regularly exhibited) starts with a few rooms representing Baltic German art, but then quickly moves on to works created by ethnic Latvians in the Russian Empire and then after 1917. All the main names and trends are shown, and the paintings are regularly rotated (most of them hang in the storerooms, which can be seen from the basement floor - however, you wouldn’t see much there). For all that, the museum is small, and if you wish, you can see everything in an hour and a half. You can go up to the roof of the building - specially built for the museum in 1903-05 - from where there are good views, including the old city.
Museum of Foreign Art (Riga Stock Exchange Art Museum)  , Domskaya sq. D 2.
Riga Motor Museum , Eisenstein st., 6.
Latvian Museum of Nature , Krishjan Barona st., 4.
Museum of Railway History, Uzvaras boulevard, 2a.
Latvian Fire Museum, Hanzas street, 5. Jan 2023
Riga Porcelain Museum, Kaleju street, 9/11.
Menzendorf's house, Grecinieku street, 18.
Latvian Military Museum, Smilshu street, 20.
Riga Aviation Museum , Marupes region, Skulte, st. Skultes, 35 (Final stop of bus number 43). Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00. 7€.
Art Nouveau Museum, Alberta street, 12.
Museum of the Sun, Valnyu street, 30.
House of the Blackheads, Town Hall Square, 7.
Amber Museum.
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, Rainis boulevard, 7. for free. In 2019, the main building is under renovation; part of the exposition is exhibited in another building.

Film Festival "Great Kristaps".
Cinema "Citadele", 13 January st., 8.
Cinema "Cinamon", Brivibas str., 372.
Cinema gallery “K.Suns”, Krishyan Baron str., 45/47.
Cinema "Splendid Palace" (former cinema "Riga"), Elizabetes str., 61.
Cinema “Multikino”, Mukusalas street, 71.

Riga Opera (National Opera), Aspazijas boulevard, 3.
Riga Russian Theatre. Mikhail Chekhov, Kalku st., 16. ☎ 67-55-24-09. 12:00-19:00, closed 12:00-17:00, break 15:00-16:00.
Latvian Puppet Theatre, 16/18 Krishjan Barona Street.

 

Getting here

By plane
Riga is the largest aviation hub in the Baltics and the base airport for Air Baltic, which operates flights to most of Europe and the CIS. Although Air Baltic positions itself as an airline that sells low-cost tickets, which means that it charges a separate fee for baggage, food and even for check-in at the airport, tickets for direct flights to Riga are usually more expensive for it than for connecting flights. It should be borne in mind that Air Baltic allows very long connections with an interval of more than a day between flights, and this is one of the opportunities to visit Riga, although you will certainly not have enough time for any meaningful tour of the city.

There are several flights a day from Moscow, Petersburg, Vilnius, Tallinn, Helsinki and Stockholm to Riga. Among the low-cost flights, WizzAir offers flights to various points in Western Europe. Ryanair is on the schedule but less active. As of 2015, the Riga airport can even boast of performing one transatlantic flight: an Uzbek Airlines plane from Tashkent to New York makes an intermediate landing here.

Riga Airport (Lidosta, IATA: RIX). The airport is located to the west of the city almost on the border of residential buildings. Although there is only one passenger terminal building, it is divided into five parts, called terminals A-E. You can walk from one to the other in a couple of minutes right inside the building, but this fragmentation leads to the fact that in each of the compartments it is quite crowded, and this configuration is especially unsuccessful for those who fly outside the Schengen area: after passing through passport control, you you will find yourself in a small room, where there is practically nothing to eat, and there are not enough chairs or amenities for everyone. Transit through Riga (especially for flights outside the Schengen area) is below average pleasure. If you have a long connection and have a visa, feel free to go to the city.
The departure area of ​​the Riga airport is known for unreasonably high prices even for coffee, not to mention other food, which, however, is not enough here. The most basic thing to eat is pizza in Terminal A and sushi in Terminal B, while other cafes will only offer you cakes and sandwiches. In the reception area, the situation is somewhat better: there is a TGI Friday restaurant and a large, but unobtrusive Lido on the 2nd floor above the reception desks. Prices are the same as in the city (€ 5-10 for lunch), plus a great view of the airfield. Those arriving in Riga will find it useful to have a tourist information kiosk in a small hall, where they get through the customs. The kiosk sells tickets for public transport and city maps, and it works late. At the exit from the airport building there will be a Narvesen kiosk with the opportunity to buy a local SIM card or press if you need it for some reason. Luggage storage is located in the arrival hall: € 1.50 for every 8 hours up to a day, € 3 for every next 24 hours (2015). There is free Wi-Fi throughout the airport building, but sometimes it can be congested.

How to get there:
City bus number 22. In the center it stops at the bus station and railway station (central market). Travel time: 25 minutes, interval of movement: 10-15 minutes, does not go after midnight. You can buy a ticket from the driver, but it is more advisable to do this before boarding - for example, at the ticket machine at the bus stop. See also Transport.
Minibus number 222 goes to the railway station. The payment system is the same as on the bus.
The Airport Express minibus runs twice an hour and differs from regular public transport in that it travels around the city center, stopping at major hotels. The final one is the bus station. Ticket: € 5 (2015) from the driver, can be bought in advance via the Internet. There is Wi-Fi.
Baltic Taxi: green cars are carried by the counter or by a special voucher, which must be bought for € 14 on the airline's website no later than a day before the trip. The voucher covers any trip within the city and is justified in the event that you do not want or do not have the opportunity to order a taxi by phone. When ordering a taxi from the city to the center, it will hardly cost more than € 10.

If you arrived at the airport ahead of time and do not know what to do, you can go to the aviation museum created by local enthusiasts, where old planes and helicopters, mostly Soviet ones, are exhibited: from the terminal exit to the left, 400 m along the fence, Mon – Fri 9: 00 - 18:00.

By train
Trains in Riga are mostly suburban. There are only three distant ones: to Moscow (16 hours), Minsk (12 hours) and St. Petersburg (16 hours), all at night. The Moscow and St. Petersburg trains are of the Latvian formation (LDz company), the Minsk train is of the Belarusian one. All trains are registered electronically, i.e. a ticket can be bought through the Russian Railways website and simply printed. Tickets are also sold at ticket offices at Riga and Daugavpils train stations.

 

Each of these trains has less than ten carriages, but all classes of service are represented in them - from the general carriage to the CB. The pricing policy is the same as in Russia, i.e. take a ticket in advance - up to 30% cheaper, and less than 10 days before departure - 10-15% more expensive than the basic fare, which for Moscow is approximately € 35/70/135. There is no common carriage in the Minsk train, reserved seats and compartments cost € 34 and € 52, respectively (2015). If the Minsk train has a certain meaning, then you can fly to Moscow and St. Petersburg for about the same money by plane, unless, of course, you want to travel overnight in a common carriage - and this is the most classic common carriage based on a reserved seat. The rest of the cars are also of Russian type, some have Wi-Fi (only in Latvia). The Moscow train seems to have a restaurant car.

If you want to go by train to Vilnius or just somewhere in the direction of Lithuania - forget about it. You can go to Tallinn with a change in Valga, which will take from 8 hours (by bus, about twice as fast). In the direction of Tartu, the train is comparable to a bus, 2-3 times a day, on the way 5 hours with a change in the same Valga.

Railway station (Centrālā stacija). The station is located a stone's throw from the Old Town and looks more like a shopping center from the outside. A hall with suburban and long-distance ticket offices is hidden among the numerous shops and cafes. In the basement, there is an automatic locker, there is also a manual locker: € 2/3 for 24 hours depending on the size of the luggage (2015). From the central hall you can go through one of the tunnels leading to the central market. The most useful tunnels B and C, between which there is an inexpensive cafe Pelmeni XL, as well as a cozy dining room Kļavas lapa - an analogue of Lido, only cheaper. There are dozens of places where you can drink coffee in a cozy atmosphere. An Origo shopping center with a Rimi supermarket and many other outlets is attached to the station. City cards, other printed materials and SIM-cards for mobile communication can be purchased at the points of the Narvesen trade network (there are several of them in the station building).

By car
From Riga you can go anywhere in Latvia and the Baltic States: to Tallinn 308 km along the E67 highway, to Vilnius 300 km, to Kaunas 260 km, to Klaipeda - 309 km via the E77 highway. Riga is connected to Moscow by a direct highway E22 (920 km). The highway to St. Petersburg (600 km) goes through Pskov (300 km).

By bus
Bus service is the main one within Latvia, and the Baltics as a whole. Buses to Tallinn (4.5 hours) and Vilnius (4 hours) run on average every 2 hours. They differ in the level of comfort, but most often they belong to the Lux Express group, less often to the Ecolines. Tallinn buses stop in Pärnu. Buses to Vilnius sometimes call in Panevezys, but often go without stopping at all. Ticket prices start at € 10 and go up to € 20-25 at peak times, especially if you want to travel in comfort. All buses are large and modern, most often equipped with sockets and Wi-Fi.

There are no direct buses to Estonia except Tallinn. You can get to Tartu (4 hours) and Narva (7 hours) by buses to St. Petersburg (11-12 hours), there are also St. Petersburg buses through Pskov, and there are at least 3 of them a day. In the direction of Lithuania, in addition to numerous buses to Vilnius, direct buses go to Palanga-Klaipeda and Siauliai several times a day, but they are served by local carriers. A night bus to Moscow (15 hours) runs daily, at a price comparable to a common train carriage.

Bus Station (Autoosta), Prāgas 1. Riga Bus Station is compactly located behind the railway station, between the railway embankment and the city canal, next to the central market and a stone's throw from the Old Town. In the timetable, it is designated as Rīgas SAO (Starptautiskā Autoosta) or Riga Coach Station and is the final destination of all intercity buses (some international buses go to the airport, making a stop at the central bus station). On the ground floor there are a couple of food outlets, of which only a pastry shop deserves attention, as well as shops, cash desks and a round-the-clock storage room (€ 0.60 for the first hour, then € 0.30 / h). There is no waiting room, very few seats. If you need to pass the time, head up to the second floor for an old-fashioned inexpensive dining room. Its windows offer a rather unusual view of the central market and the dark water in the canal.

Minibuses parking. The minibus berth, designated in the timetable as Rīgas MTS (Maršruta Taksometru Stacija), is located on Satekles iela across the street from the railway station. At the beginning of 2015, there are already more urban minibuses here than intercity ones. Nevertheless, minibuses still operate flights to some surrounding cities and, in principle, may be in demand by travelers. Each direction has its own berth, the schedule is also posted there.

 

Each of these trains has less than ten carriages, but all classes of service are represented in them - from the general carriage to the CB. The pricing policy is the same as in Russia, i.e. take a ticket in advance - up to 30% cheaper, and less than 10 days before departure - 10-15% more expensive than the basic fare, which for Moscow is approximately € 35/70/135. There is no common carriage in the Minsk train, reserved seats and compartments cost € 34 and € 52, respectively (2015). If the Minsk train has a certain meaning, then you can fly to Moscow and St. Petersburg for about the same money by plane, unless, of course, you want to travel overnight in a common carriage - and this is the most classic common carriage based on a reserved seat. The rest of the cars are also of Russian type, some have Wi-Fi (only in Latvia). The Moscow train seems to have a restaurant car.

If you want to go by train to Vilnius or just somewhere in the direction of Lithuania - forget about it. You can go to Tallinn with a change in Valga, which will take from 8 hours (by bus, about twice as fast). In the direction of Tartu, the train is comparable to a bus, 2-3 times a day, on the way 5 hours with a change in the same Valga.

Railway station (Centrālā stacija). The station is located a stone's throw from the Old Town and looks more like a shopping center from the outside. A hall with suburban and long-distance ticket offices is hidden among the numerous shops and cafes. In the basement, there is an automatic locker, there is also a manual locker: € 2/3 for 24 hours depending on the size of the luggage (2015). From the central hall you can go through one of the tunnels leading to the central market. The most useful tunnels B and C, between which there is an inexpensive cafe Pelmeni XL, as well as a cozy dining room Kļavas lapa - an analogue of Lido, only cheaper. There are dozens of places where you can drink coffee in a cozy atmosphere. An Origo shopping center with a Rimi supermarket and many other outlets is attached to the station. City cards, other printed materials and SIM-cards for mobile communication can be purchased at the points of the Narvesen trade network (there are several of them in the station building).

By car
From Riga you can go anywhere in Latvia and the Baltic States: to Tallinn 308 km along the E67 highway, to Vilnius 300 km, to Kaunas 260 km, to Klaipeda - 309 km via the E77 highway. Riga is connected to Moscow by a direct highway E22 (920 km). The highway to St. Petersburg (600 km) goes through Pskov (300 km).

By bus
Bus service is the main one within Latvia, and the Baltics as a whole. Buses to Tallinn (4.5 hours) and Vilnius (4 hours) run on average every 2 hours. They differ in the level of comfort, but most often they belong to the Lux Express group, less often to the Ecolines. Tallinn buses stop in Pärnu. Buses to Vilnius sometimes call in Panevezys, but often go without stopping at all. Ticket prices start at € 10 and go up to € 20-25 at peak times, especially if you want to travel in comfort. All buses are large and modern, most often equipped with sockets and Wi-Fi.

There are no direct buses to Estonia except Tallinn. You can get to Tartu (4 hours) and Narva (7 hours) by buses to St. Petersburg (11-12 hours), there are also St. Petersburg buses through Pskov, and there are at least 3 of them a day. In the direction of Lithuania, in addition to numerous buses to Vilnius, direct buses go to Palanga-Klaipeda and Siauliai several times a day, but they are served by local carriers. A night bus to Moscow (15 hours) runs daily, at a price comparable to a common train carriage.

Bus Station (Autoosta), Prāgas 1. Riga Bus Station is compactly located behind the railway station, between the railway embankment and the city canal, next to the central market and a stone's throw from the Old Town. In the timetable, it is designated as Rīgas SAO (Starptautiskā Autoosta) or Riga Coach Station and is the final destination of all intercity buses (some international buses go to the airport, making a stop at the central bus station). On the ground floor there are a couple of food outlets, of which only a pastry shop deserves attention, as well as shops, cash desks and a round-the-clock storage room (€ 0.60 for the first hour, then € 0.30 / h). There is no waiting room, very few seats. If you need to pass the time, head up to the second floor for an old-fashioned inexpensive dining room. Its windows offer a rather unusual view of the central market and the dark water in the canal.

Minibuses parking. The minibus berth, designated in the timetable as Rīgas MTS (Maršruta Taksometru Stacija), is located on Satekles iela across the street from the railway station. At the beginning of 2015, there are already more urban minibuses here than intercity ones. Nevertheless, minibuses still operate flights to some surrounding cities and, in principle, may be in demand by travelers. Each direction has its own berth, the schedule is also posted there.

On the ship
Cruise ships often call in Riga. Regular sea service is limited to the daily Tallink ferry to Stockholm.

Passenger port, Exporta iela 3a. The Riga port passenger terminal is located one kilometer north of the Old Town.

 

Around city

Public transport
There are trams, trolleybuses, buses and minibuses in Riga. All of them belong to the municipal company Rīgas satiksme, on whose website you will find complete timetables, a map and a route planner. Public transport operates from 5 am to midnight. On weekends (night from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday) there are special night buses. Many routes converge in the area of ​​the railway station (stops Stacijas laukums, Centrālā stacija and Centrāltirgus).

The trams are very diverse. The lines include both old Tatras and modern, smooth and quiet low-floor air-conditioned trams. The retro tram of the early 20th century runs in summer (from May to September) on weekends on the Ausekļa iela - Mežaparks route, which roughly coincides with the route of tram number 11: this is a great opportunity not only to ride, but also to see non-tourist areas of the city. The cost of a ticket for a retro tram is € 2.00. Tickets are sold by the driver, smart cards are not valid. For children under the age of 7, the trip is free (2017).

Minibuses (minibuses, minibuses) are currently fully integrated into the route network, depart on schedule, and their difference from the rest of the transport is that they stop on demand and travel, thereby, somewhat faster than buses. Minibus routes are generally longer and connect more distant parts of the city than other modes of transport. Minibuses have three-digit numbers starting with 200. Ordinary city buses have one- and two-digit numbers.

Tickets: The simplest paper one-way ticket can be bought from the driver for € 2 (2020). It is much more profitable to purchase a smart card (e-talons), which can act as a multi-trip ticket (€ 1.15 each) or a daily ticket (€ 5, valid for 24 hours). There are also tickets for 3 days (€ 10), 5 days (€ 15) and monthly passes. The cards are sold at Narvesen kiosks and ticket machines at major stops. "Yellow" smart cards have no collateral value and can be thrown away at the end of their validity period. By default, you will be sold exactly this. There are also “blue” rechargeable smart cards with collateral value, which have a number of advantages, but they do not make sense for those who do not live in Riga permanently.

Regular tickets are not valid on night buses. The journey costs € 2, paid to the driver.

When entering the transport, the smart card must be attached to one of the validators. Single tickets do not imply transfers, i.e. at each entrance to the transport you will have to pay for a new ticket.

By bike
The Riga authorities are encouraging bicycles in every possible way and even created a network of bike paths in the city. Cyclists can be seen here almost all year round, although this does not mean that cycling will be easy and comfortable everywhere: the layout of the streets has largely been preserved from Soviet times, and the bike paths are created by cutting sidewalks or the roadway. There are few equipped bicycle parking lots.

There are many private bike rental companies in the center of Riga. You can also use the city bike rental company Sixt, which has more than 20 stations throughout the city: € 0.90 for every 30 min or € 9 / day (2015). The bike can be picked up at one station and returned at another. Pre-registration is required with a credit card number and mobile phone. Bicycles are removed for the winter.

Pleasure boats
Nice, though not cheap, way to see Riga from an unusual perspective. From spring to late autumn, small and modern, but stylized at the beginning of the 20th century, ships sail along the canal among the boulevards surrounding the Old Town, go through the tunnel to the Daugava, bypass the Old Town and re-enter the canal. The walk takes about an hour and costs € 18 (2015). If this type of entertainment is not to your liking or is not affordable, just watch the boats from the shore: they fit perfectly into the Riga landscape.

Marina for pleasure boats, Bastion Hill next to the Freedom Monument.

By car
Driving around Riga by car is not a big deal, but as in any big city, finding a parking space can be difficult. During the day and especially during rush hours, the streets are busy, traffic is slow, and in some places there are bus stops without "pockets" or left turns without a dedicated lane and traffic light, which contributes to traffic jams. The quality of the roads is poor, there are one-way traffic on many streets even outside the center, and there are not enough signs.

 

Parking in the Old Town is always paid: the first hour costs about € 4, each next hour costs € 7. Outside the Old Town, you need to pay only on weekdays from 8 to 20 and on Saturdays from 9 to 17, the first hour is € 1.5-2, each next hour is about € 3 (there are several zones with different costs). Payment at a parking machine or from a mobile phone. There are also private guarded parking lots at various prices. The easiest way to park a car for free is in Zadvinje, and then cross the bridge on foot or take 1-2 stops by bus. Hotels in the Old Town do not have their own parking lots, with rare exceptions, and therefore will charge you a considerable bill for parking. Arriving in Riga with a car, it is better to settle further from the center. For unpaid parking, they usually write out a fine and simply leave it on the glass. Evacuation is rarely used.

Taxi
Riga taxis are known for their tendency to cheat customers. Even after the city authorities introduced the maximum permitted tariff (€ 2.13 for a landing and € 0.71 / km), there are enough drivers in the city who are trying to demand much larger amounts from passengers, citing night time, bad weather or something else. The requirement to turn on the meter can meet with strong and even fierce resistance, so try to order a taxi by phone, and not catch on the street, especially since even the official tariff is lower in this case. Avoid cars around the train station and Old Town.

 

Shopping

Riga balm.
Amber products.
Natural linen items
Ceramic products
Cosmetics Dzintars.
Chocolate and sweets Laima.
Riga sprats.

 

Restaurants

Cheap (~3—5€)
Bakery "Mārtiņa Beķereja", st. Marijas, 19
Cafe "Jungle.Lv", st. Marijas, 21
Cafe "Pasaka" ("Fairy Tale"), st. Dzirnavu, 119 (near the railway station)
Cafe-home cooking. A set lunch on weekdays (very satisfying and, most importantly, delicious) for 2.00 LVL. Address: st. Birznieka-Upiša 26 - yellow sign "Mājas virtuve". Located at the other end of the street from the hotel "TALLINK". or Maskavas*
Cafe in the Railway Clinic (Dzelzceļa veselības centrs). Address: st. Gogol, 3 (entrance from the street Timoteya (Timoteja iela)
Dumplings "XL Pelmeņi" at the Central Railway Station (between tunnels A and B, ORIGO CENTRS, Stacijas laukums 2), as well as on the street. Kalku 7. Menu, as well as promotions on the site.

Average cost (~5 €)
LIDO. Worth a visit to get acquainted with the traditional cuisine, try the traditional Latvian bread soup with cream (Maizes zupa).
LIVONIA, (Maskavas 32) A restaurant that has preserved the old style of the Moscow suburb. Free parking, access to WiFi and the opportunity to stay in inexpensive and comfortable hotel rooms.
Two cafe-bistros "Fabrika". Addresses: st. Marijas 23; st. Terbatas 33/35
Tea house Goija (Tea-room GOIJA), Strelnieku 1a (next to Alberta street). ☎ 67333370. 14-24. Tea room, the interior of which is dominated by Moroccan motifs. Large selection of Chinese teas and herbal cocktails. Tea is prepared according to all the rules and served in a special bowl. The only tea house in Riga that does not sell alcohol in principle. Light snacks and exclusive oriental sweets. A special free atmosphere - concerts, meetings and creative parties are often held. In summer, a cozy patio with a fountain is open to visitors. WiFi internet connection.

Expensive
Restaurant Rozengrals. Authentic restaurant

 

Hotels

Cheap
Hostel "The Naughty Squirrel Backpackers", Kaleyu street, 50. ✉ ☎ +371 67220073. from 13€.
Hotel Westa, Negu st., 17 (located in the central part, on the territory of the central market, a 2-minute walk from the Bus Station, 5 minutes from the Railway Station and in close proximity to the Old Town). ✉ ☎ +371 67226232, +37122076168, fax: +371 67221841. Price per person from 14€ per bed in a multi-bed room. Each room has a shower and toilet, free Wi-Fi, internet in the lobby. Additional services: breakfast (not included in the room price), laundry service, parking. High quality service at reasonable prices."

Average cost
Sala Apartments, st. Salatsas, d.1. ☎ +371 28308872. 09:00-20:00. from 35€. Daily rate apartments. Good furniture, household appliances (refrigerator, washing machine, gas stove, microwave, dishes). Clean bed linen, towels. Wi-Fi and cable TV - many channels in Russian. Free secure parking.

 

Connect

For mobile phones, you can buy Zelta Zivtiņa, LMT, Bite and other prepaid cards with a nominal value of 1.49 EUR. Identification documents are not required for the purchase.
Payphones are rare, but still there. There are VOIP payphones at the railway station for calls abroad.
There is an Internet cafe right on the forecourt and in the Old Town. Most Lattelecom telephone booths have WiFi installed. Free Internet in the halls of large hotels and shopping centers.
The telephone number of the Russian reference service is 1180.

 

Precautionary measures

There are scammers in some bars and clubs. The standard method of deception: a tourist is lured into a bar, offered something to drink there, and then the waiter brings a bill for hundreds of euros. It is recommended that you do not buy anything at the bar until you are shown the price of the drink on the printed menu. Special care should be taken in the following establishments: “Foxy Lounge”; "Roxy Club"; "Lord's Pub"; "Puzzle" (formerly "Pink Panther"); "Mary"; "DD Bars"; Saxons; “Doll House” a.k.a “Zig Zag”; "Bar Fly"; "Zephry Bar"; "Mademoiselle Cigar Club"; Nobu Sushi.
Rescue phone number 112
TAXI! Before getting into a taxi, be sure to ask the driver: will a receipt for the trip be provided? If the answer is no, then it is strongly not recommended to get into this taxi. REMEMBER TOURIST: Taxi drivers are required to issue a check to the client for the trip. Feel free to inquire before your trip.
There are two taxi services in the city Yandex.Taxi and Bolt.

 

Etymology

The name of the city comes from the hydronym "Riga", known since 1198 - the former branch of the Daugava River (now defunct). According to one version, this hydronym comes from the name of the Baltic island of Rügen and the Rugs who lived there, who later migrated to the area of \u200b\u200bpresent-day Riga.

The well-known alternative name of the river - Rising - is also considered as one of the etymological variants. By the middle of the 16th century, the name Ridzene was fixed behind the river in the Latvian environment. By the end of the 16th century, the “diminutive” name Ridzina began to be used in relation to the small branches and outflows of the Daugava.

According to Professor E. M. Pospelov, the hydronym is associated with the reconstructed Baltic stem ring-, represented in the Lithuanian ringe, ringis - “bend, bow, backwater, backwater”. This base in the form of a ring is widely represented in the toponymy of the ancient Curonian regions. In the Latvian language of Vidzeme, Curonian -in- corresponds to a long -i-, that is, the Baltic stem ring- is represented by the form rig- with the same meaning. According to the bends, the river Rigasupe was named - “river with bends” (now covered), and the oikonym “Riga” was formed from the hydronym.

 

History

Beginning

Since 1150, Gotlandic traders regularly entered the lower reaches of the Western Dvina (German: Düna) to the river Riga (German: Riege), from which the name of the city comes. In the chronicles of Henry of Latvia, lake lacus Riga is mentioned, which was a natural harbor. In later times, this river was filled up, and at present the place where it flowed can only be imagined in the direction of some streets of the old part of the city. Missionary expeditions were repeatedly made to the future place of foundation of Riga, which, however, remained unsuccessful until 1201, when Albert Buxgevden entered the mouth of the river with a group of German crusader knights.

After the laying of the fortress on the right bank of the Daugava, Riga became a well-fortified military and trade center of Livonia. By 1211, through the efforts of the bishop, the Dome Cathedral was laid. In 1225, an elective position of city council appeared in the city, and in 1257, the residence of the Riga archbishops was transferred to Riga from Ikskül Castle. Trade became increasingly important for the city, and in 1282 Riga joined the Hanseatic League.

 

Riga and the Teutonic Order

During the German expansion to the East, the bishops encouraged the settlement of Germans in the territories of the indigenous pagan population. At the same time, the knightly order provided special support to the military settlers: at first it was the Brotherhood of the Warriors of Christ of Livonia (Order of the Sword), which was later attached to the Teutonic (German) Order. After the expulsion of the crusaders from Palestine, the Teutonic Order began to gain a foothold in Eastern Europe, primarily in Prussia and Livonia. The Teutonic Order was a powerful and independent church organization, which soon began to compete with the archbishops of Riga for influence in the region. The Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order was formed, headed by the Landmaster, who reported directly to the Grand Master of the Order.

Conflicts between the Archbishops of Riga and the Teutonic Order often led to armed confrontation. In 1330, as a result of the civil war in Livonia, Riga temporarily lost its independence, but 36 years later it returned it under an agreement between the archbishop and the order in Danzig (1366).

 

Reformation

In 1522, Riga joined the Reformation movement, as a result of which the power of the archbishops began to weaken. The last Archbishop of Riga was William of Brandenburg.

With the beginning of the Livonian War in 1558 and after the collapse of the Livonian Confederation in 1561-1562. Riga did not support the decision of the Archbishop and the Order to join the Commonwealth, but sought the status of a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. The free city of Riga existed for almost two decades. Only when, during the next Russian attack on the city in 1581, it became clear that there was nowhere to wait for help, Riga swore allegiance to the Polish king Stefan Batory.

Forty years of Polish domination, during which the townspeople were subjected to the Counter-Reformation (which led, among other things, to "calendar turmoil"), ended with the conquest of Riga by the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf in 1622. In the Swedish kingdom, Riga was considered the second city after Stockholm, which was due to its strategic importance for protecting the interests of Sweden as the main Baltic power. During this period, the city enjoyed broad self-government. During the Russo-Swedish War of 1656-1658, Riga was besieged by Russian troops.

 

XVIII-XIX centuries

At the beginning of the XVIII century Riga was one of the largest fortresses in Europe. The city was surrounded by powerful walls, which housed five bastions, two ravelins and two trenches (they were surrounded by a deep moat with water). On the opposite bank of the Daugava River there was a separate fort - Kobronschanz, which protected the floating bridge.

During the Northern War (1700-1721) between the Kingdom of Sweden and a coalition of Northern European states (Saxony, Russia, Denmark, the Commonwealth, etc.) for the possession of the Baltic lands and dominance on the Baltic Sea and its coast, the Swedish garrison under the command of General Count Nils Stromberg , who defended the city of Riga in 1709, numbered over 13 thousand people. In order to force the Swedes to peace in this protracted war, the Russian Tsar Peter I decided to intensify military operations in the Baltic states and in early October 1709 ordered Count B.P. Sheremetev to take Riga.

On October 27 (November 6), 1709, Riga was blockaded by the Russian army and by December 2 (13), 1709, it was finally besieged.

On July 4 (15), 1710, after a long military siege, the city of Riga, defended by Swedish troops, was taken by the Russian army under the command of Field Marshal B.P. Sheremetev. The Swedish garrison capitulated. As trophies, the Russian army received all the Swedish artillery left after the siege (561 cannons, 66 mortars, 7 howitzers). The remnants of the garrison surrendered - 5132 people, of which 2905 were sick. On the same day, Count B.P. Sheremetev took the oath of allegiance to Peter I from the citizens of Riga and the Livonian knighthood (nobility).

On July 12 (23), 1710, Field Marshal Count B.P. Sheremetev solemnly entered the city and at its gates received two symbolic golden keys to the city from the Riga City Hall.

The accession of Riga and all of Livonia to Russia was secured by the Treaty of Nystadt between Russia and Sweden, signed on August 30 (September 10), 1721. Russia undertook to pay compensation of 2 million efimki (1.3 million rubles) for the lands ceded from Sweden.

On July 17 (28), 1713, Riga became the center of the Riga province within Russia, in 1783-1796 it was the center of the Riga governorate, in 1796-1918 - the Livonian province.

In 1809, Lieutenant General of the Russian Army I. N. Essen was appointed military governor of Riga. During the Patriotic War of 1812, on the night of July 11-12 (from 23 to 24 according to the old style), 1812, von Essen, based on unverified intelligence reports and succumbing to panic in anticipation of the onset of the French troops, hastily gave the order to burn the Riga suburbs - Petersburg and the Moscow outskirts of Riga, which led to a devastating fire in the city. As a result, 705 residential buildings, 35 public buildings and 4 churches burned down, as well as thousands of people were left homeless.

On October 23, 1812, the Russian General F.O. Paulucci was appointed governor-general of the Baltic region and the military governor of Riga. and many other successful cases.

In 1841, the Riga Porcelain and Faience Factory of M. S. Kuznetsov was opened in Riga.

In 1848-1861, A. A. Suvorov, the grandson of Generalissimo A. V. Suvorov, was the governor-general of the Baltic region and the military governor of Riga.

The second half of the 19th century was the heyday of the city as one of the industrial centers of the Russian Empire.

In 1861, the Riga-Dinaburg (now Daugavpils) railway was built and the Riga railway station was opened. Then the railway communication of Riga with Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw was established. The city received the status of an important state railway junction. By the end of the century, the Riga seaport had become one of the most important ports of the Russian Empire and was the second largest in terms of cargo turnover after the St. Petersburg seaport.

In 1869, the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works was launched in Riga, which produced railway cars.

In 1872, the first railway bridge across the Daugava River was put into operation, and public transport appeared - omnibuses.

In 1884, the Ilguciem glass factory was opened.

In 1898, on the basis of merchant workshops in Riga, the Russian-Baltic Electrotechnical Plant was created, the predecessor of the Riga State Electrotechnical Plant VEF.

Due to the rapid growth of industry and trade in the city, the population of Riga from 1800 to 1913 increased 80 times, and the area of its territory from 1850 to 1913 increased 10 times.

 

20th century

largest city in the empire
According to the 1881 census in the Baltic provinces of the Russian Empire, more than 33% of the population of the city of Riga identified themselves as Baltic Germans, about 30% as Latvians, 19% as Russians, and 8.5% as Jews. In 1913, already about 40% of the population were Latvians, almost 20% were Russians (including Old Believers), about 13% were Baltic Germans, and about 7% were Jews. A smaller proportion of the population were residents of Polish origin.

In 1914, when refugees poured into the city during the war, the number of residents and the military garrison jumped sharply from 473 thousand to 558 thousand people, and Riga, together with the Riga Patrimonial District, was the third largest city in the Russian Empire for half a year, second only to Petrograd (2.1 million people) and Moscow (1.7 million people), but slightly bypassing Odessa (498 thousand in 1912) (not including Warsaw (885 thousand in 1914) and Lodz (600 thousand . in 1915) in the Kingdom of Poland, as well as Kiev, which by the beginning of 1914 had 595 thousand inhabitants).

 

Industrial growth

From May 1909 to 1915, the Russian-Baltic Carriage Works in Riga produced the first Russian passenger cars of the Russo-Balt brand.

Riga's industrial growth was interrupted by World War I. Since 1915, the city was located near the front line, so about 200 thousand residents (workers with their families) were evacuated along with factories to Central Russia, the Urals and Ukraine. In September 1917, the city was captured by the German army.

 

Riga is the capital of the Republic of Latvia

On November 18, 1918, an independent Republic of Latvia was proclaimed in German-occupied Riga.

During 1919, three different Latvian governments alternately resided in Riga. From January 4 to May 21, the Socialist Soviet Republic of Latvia existed. After its overthrow by the forces of the Baltic Landeswehr and the German volunteer corps, Andrievs Niedra came to power for a short time. Then the power of Karlis Ulmanis was restored, which was able to hold on even after the attack on Riga in the autumn of 1919 by units of the Western Volunteer Army of Bermondt-Avalov.

On August 11, 1920, the Soviet-Latvian peace treaty was signed in Riga, and on March 18, 1921, the Soviet-Polish peace treaty was signed.

On February 3, 1931, the Saeima adopted the Law on the Capital of Latvia. At that moment, there were 40 statistical districts in the city: (1) Old Town, (2) Boulevard, (3) Vidzeme (Esplanade area), (4) Avota, (5) Latgale (Moscow suburb), (6) Grizinkalns, ( 7) Darzini (Duntes street area), (8) Ganibu, (9) Sarkandaugava, (10) port, (11) Vecmilgravis, (12) Jaunmilgravis, (13) Mežaparks, (14) Ciekurkalns, (15) Zemitani, (16) Sils (Teika, Shmerli, Bikernieki Forest, Mezciems), (17) Jugla, (18) Purvciems, (19) Janciems (to the right of the railway from Janyavarty station), (20) Kengarags, (21) Islands (Zakyusala , Lucavsala, Mukusala), (22) Tornakalns, (23) Agenskalns, (24) Kipsala, (25) Zasulauks, (26) Ilguciems, (27) Spilve, (28) Bolderaja, (29) Daugavgriva, (30) Bullu muiža, (31) Kleistes muiža, (32) Lačupe, (33) Anninmuiža, (34) Zolitude, (35) Shampeteris, (36) Bierini, (37) Livciems, (38) Ziepniekkalns, (39) (40) Jaunciems .

 

Riga in pre-war Latvia

April 1919 is considered the founding date of the Riga Electrotechnical Plant VEF.

In the 1930s, the joint-stock company Vairogs (later known as the Riga Carriage Works) was founded, which became the largest manufacturer of cars and railway cars in the Baltic States.

In 1938, there were 385 thousand inhabitants in Riga, of which about 45 thousand were of German origin.

In August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union concluded the so-called Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, in which the territory of Latvia was recognized as a Soviet sphere of influence. Latvia was forced to sign an agreement on friendship and mutual assistance with the USSR, on the basis of which a 25,000-strong contingent of Soviet troops was introduced into Latvia. President Kārlis Ulmanis stated in this regard: “The recently concluded agreement… strengthens security.”

On June 16, 1940, Latvia was forced to accept a new ultimatum from the Soviet government demanding the deployment of an additional military contingent, and already on June 17, units of the Red Army appeared on the streets of Riga. In the uncontested elections that followed soon after, the pro-Soviet "Block of the Working People" ("Darba tautas bloks") took all the seats in the newly created People's Seimas of Latvia. Soon the city of Riga became the capital of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.

 

Riga is the capital of the Latvian SSR

During the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), during the attack on the Soviet Union, Nazi German troops occupied Riga on June 30, 1941. On July 25, 1941, the territory of the Latvian SSR occupied by German troops was declared the General District of Latvia with the center in the city of Riga. The district became part of the Reichskommissariat Ostland. Otto-Heinrich Drechsler was appointed General Commissioner of the district.

29,602 Riga Jews were imprisoned by the Germans in the Riga ghetto (since July 21, 1941), another 6,378 Jews were killed before its creation. Those who escaped executions were imprisoned in the Riga-Kaiserwald camp or deported to other concentration camps in Nazi Germany.

On October 13-15, 1944, with the strikes of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Baltic fronts of the Red Army of the USSR Armed Forces, Riga was liberated from German troops during the Riga offensive operation (September 14 - October 22, 1944). During the operation, 150 thousand Soviet soldiers and officers died. As a result of defensive and offensive battles in 1941 and 1944, the Old Town in Riga was seriously damaged.

There were three camps for German prisoners of war in post-war Riga. German prisoners of war took part in the construction of the Riga shipyard (floating docks for this plant were brought from Germany in 1946). The turbines produced by AEG, necessary for the reconstruction of the Riga power plant, were dismantled and transported from the power plant in Katowice, Poland.

The city received significant economic development in the post-war period. Many industries developed here: mechanical engineering (Riga Carriage Building Plant (RVZ), Riga Bus Factory (RAF), Riga Motor-Building Plant "Sarkana Zvaigzne"), radio electronics (Riga State Electrotechnical Plant "VEF", Riga Radio Engineering Plant, Production Association " Alfa), chemical, light and food industries (Riga Musical Instruments Factory, Dzintars Perfume and Cosmetics Factory, Laima Confectionery Factory in Riga, Straume Electric Appliances and Toys Factory in Riga, etc.). The Riga hydroelectric power station and a number of thermal power plants were built.

Due to industrial growth, the population of the city increased from 228 thousand people in 1945 to 909 thousand people in 1990 (largely due to resettlement from other republics of the USSR).

After the restoration of Latvia's independence in 1991, Riga again became the capital of the sovereign Republic of Latvia.

XXI Century
In 2014 Riga was named one of the European Capitals of Culture.

 

Geography

The historical center of Riga is located in the lower reaches of the Daugava, and the northern suburbs are located on the southern shore of the Gulf of Riga. The southern and western suburbs of the city are relatively sparsely populated: vast swamps and swamps were once the natural defenses of the city. Formed in the era of the last ice age, the landscape is replete with small lakes and streams, and to the east and north of the Old City, back in the late 19th century, wastelands of sand dunes stretched.

In the north-west, the urban district of Riga is washed by the Baltic Sea, in the east and north-east it borders on Carnikava, Garkalns and Stopino, in the south - on Salaspils, Kekava and Olaine, in the west - on the Marupes and Babites regions and the city of Jurmala. To the west of Riga is the resort-dacha area of the Riga Seaside.

 

Climate

The climate in Riga is temperate continental with warm, humid summers (average air temperature in July is 18.7 °C; average rainfall is 85 mm) and snowy winters. Winters with frequent thaws (the average temperature in February is -2.6 °C, the thaw occurs about 10 times a month), but frosts down to -20 °C are not uncommon. Snow cover forms in late December and persists until mid-February - early March. Approximately 40% of the days of the year are cloudy, and the amount of precipitation is 668 mm per year. The average annual wind speed is 4 m/s. The average annual air humidity is 79.2%.

 

Management and politics

Riga is home to the government of Latvia: the Parliament - the Saeima (Latvian: Saeima), the Cabinet of Ministers, the Supreme Court, and the residence of the President of Latvia.

The city self-government body - the Riga City Council - occupies the building of the town hall in the Old Town. The City Duma has 60 deputies, whose term of office is 4 years. The deputies elect the chairman of the council (the mayor of Riga) from among themselves. In 2020, Mārtiņš Stakis became the mayor of Riga.

According to the results of the 2020 elections, the following factions are represented in the Riga City Council: the Development/For! (Latvian: Attīstibai/Par!) and the Progressive Party (Latvian: Progressīvie; in the last elections they were on a single list) - 18 mandates; Social Democratic Party "Consent" (Latvian Saskaņa) - 12 mandates; "New Unity" (Latvian: Jaunā vienotība) - 10 mandates; "National Association" (Latvian: Nacionālā apvienība) and the party "Association of the Regions of Latvia" (Latvian: Latvijas Reģionu apvienība) - 7 mandates; "Honor to serve Riga" (Latvian Gods kalpot Rīgai) - 5 mandates; "Russian Union of Latvia" (Latvian. Latvijas Krievu savienība) - 4 mandates; "New Conservative Party" (Latvian: Jaunā konservatīvā partija) - 4 mandates.

 

Economy

Riga is the most economically developed region and the largest industrial center in Latvia. 60% of Latvian enterprises operate in the city and more than 50% of the able-bodied population work in the city. First of all, we can single out the food industry, as well as the woodworking, textile, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The volume of foreign investments attracted by Riga is increasing, which makes it an important venue for specialized exhibitions in the Baltics.

Almost all of Latvia's largest enterprises are based in Riga, including the state-owned energy retail company Latvenergo, the gas monopoly Latvijas Gāze, the railway company Latvijas dzelzceļš, the state postal company Latvijas Pasts, mobile operators Latvijas Mobilais Telefons ( LMT), TELE2, Bite Latvija and airBaltic.

The country's only stock exchange, NASDAQ OMX Riga, is also located in the capital. Almost all important Latvian financial institutions are located in Riga, including the Bank of Latvia, which is the country's central bank. Membership in the European Union allowed Latvia to significantly expand trade relations with European countries, especially with Germany, Sweden and the UK. Russia remains a traditional trading partner of Latvia.

Tourism is an important source of income for the city; 90% of tourists visiting Latvia go to Riga.

 

Sport

Especially for the 2006 Ice Hockey World Championship, Arena Riga was built, a multifunctional facility with a maximum capacity of 14,500 spectators, where ice hockey, basketball and concert events are held. It also serves as the home arena for the Dinamo (Riga) hockey club, which previously participated in the KHL championship.

The most successful football club in the country is Skonto Riga with 14 league titles, which was opened in 2000 together with the Skonto football stadium (Latvian: Skonto stadions) with 10,000 seats.

Basketball club TTT Riga is one of the most titled clubs in European women's basketball. The most famous men's basketball clubs from Riga are Barons/LMT (Latvian champion in 2008) and VEF. The basketball club "Skonto-Riga" uses the "Skonto" arena for 6500 seats, built in 1999, as a home arena.

Regular events
The Riga Marathon is an annual marathon run through the streets of Riga. The first competition took place in 1991, since then it has been held annually in May-June. A half marathon has also been held since 2006.
With the support of the Riga City Council, the international football tournament Riga Cup is regularly organized.
The pre-season ice hockey tournament Latvian Railway Cup is held annually.

 

Mass media

Riga is the most important information center of the country. It houses the headquarters of public television and radio stations Latvijas Televīzija (LTV) and Latvijas Radio, as well as private TV channels LNT, TV3 Latvia, Russian-language PBK Latvija and TV5 Riga.

The newspapers Diena and Latvijas avize are published daily. Riga is also home to The Baltic Times, an English-language monthly covering the events of the three Baltic countries, as well as the Russian-language online publication Meduza.