Independence/Freedom Monument
This imposing monument has several names - the locals just call her Milda, while officially she is Liberty. Hard to see from this distance, but she is holding three stars - which originally represented the historic regions of Latvia, but now many say represent the three Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania & Estonia) and their, finally, freedom from Russia. The history is very complex - at the Occupation Museum the exhibits take you through three different 'occupations.'
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 
