The Cat House
Black cats adorn the roof of this house in Riga. The creator of the cat sculptures fell to his death while placing them on the roof. The story goes that 100 years ago, the Latvian owner of the building was "not welcomed" into the the powerful Great Guild across the road. To be insulting to his enemies, he ordered the cats to be turned around, ... tails up and backside showing... A lengthy court battle ensued, "the cats" were eventually turned around and he was admitted to the Guild.
After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of... ... read more 
