Riga

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We can see the top of the Latvian Academy of Sciences Building from our hotel room. The building, a reminder of Latvia's long occupation by the Soviets, was built in 1958-60 using the Stalinist style of the 7 sisters in Moscow.

From the top of this monument of soviet occupation one gets a panoramic view including Riga Central Market. The UNESCO world heritage site is the largest market and bazaar in Europe and was built from 1924-30. The main structures are 5 pavilions constructed by re-using old German Zeppelin Hangers made redundant after WWI. The smell in each of the 5 pavilions advertises its wares, one smells of of fish, one of meat, one of freshly baked bread, and yet another of cheese. Outside the pavilions there is a sweet-smelling flower market.

Latvia declared independence in 1918 after WWI and was recognized as such by Soviet Russia in 1920. Unfortunately Latvia fell under the Soviet "sphere of influence" in the Hitler-Stalin pact of 1939 when they agreed to the division of Poland between them and has had a long history of occupation by foreign powers. It finally achieved its independence in 1991 but the struggle wasn't over because the people of this largely agrarian country had little experience in running a country. Twenty-odd years later, they still feel some pressure, but as a member of the EU and UN since 2004 are beginning to feel more secure and hoping for support to help them move forward.

Riga, the capital, with a population of just over 700,000, is busy building it's tourist economy. There are restaurants and bars all through the old town. We've had some excellent meals that cost far less than food in Moscow. There are delightful shops full of amber jewelry, wooden utensils, felt clothing and whimsical pieces of art work, linens, scarves, beautifully-crafted dolls and so much more. The old town, with its cobblestone roads, has many interesting buildings and museums. Even so, here on July 20th, which must presumably be the middle of the tourist season, there aren't nearly enough tourists to fill the many restaurants, which makes us wonder how they are doing. All the open-air bars and cafes are empty during a spell of showery and blustery weather.

As in Calgary, many regular cultural events, such as opera, ballet and classical concerts, take a break during the summer, but last night we were able to take in an organ recital in the Riga Cathedral and this afternoon we went to the circus - both a fifteen-minute walk from our hotel. The circus was hardly the Cirque du Soleil, but there were some good acts and we spent a pleasant couple of hours there. The tickets were very reasonable too and we weren't (quite) the only adults in the audience without children. The tall ships will be arriving for some races in a few days too but unfortunately we'll be gone by then.

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Photos

Latvian Academy of Sciences
Built in the Stalinist style like the seven sisters in Moscow in the mid 1950s.

Urban renewal
The changing face of Riga

View from the Latvian Academy
In the foreground are 3 of the 5 market buildings; on the other side of the river is the new library building.