INDEPENDENCE means a lot to Latvia.
During the Second World War, this Baltic nation was wrenched from Russian occupation into a brutal Nazi German takeover and then back to Russian rule, the latter a repressive regime that continued all the way to 1991. All the while, attempts to erase Latvian culture failed as the independent spirit of Latvians remained undimmed, a spirit I still find burning today on the streets of Riga.
My relationship with Latvia goes back a long way. In 1991, I watched, deeply moved, by the passion, pride and bravery of normal citizens manning the barricades in defiance of the Soviet authorities. And the live bullets of their interior ministry OMON forces, who murdered unarmed civilians.
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On Cathedral Square today, I mingle with the crowds of tourists enjoying this epic ecclesiastic wonder, with one eye and all of my heart tugging at the bullet pockmarks still visible on the walls of the Latvia Radio Building.
Over a quarter of a century after Latvia declared independence from the Soviet Union, Riga is a city on an inexorable rise after the country joined both Nato and the European Union.
That came back in 2004, three years after the capital celebrated its 800th anniversary, and things have been on the up for a cosmopolitan city that was once revered across Europe as the “Paris of the North”.
I first came to the biggest city in the Baltics in 1998 and have visited a dozen times, writing dozens of articles on the Latvian capital and penning a guidebook too. The changes have been seismic, as a dowdy, down-at-heel city has picked itself up and powered on, working with the European Union as a positive force for change and development.
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Riga, a city older than both Stockholm and St Petersburg, is the only Baltic Republic capital for me to boast a real big-city buzz.
Any lingering images of Communist-era deprivations are quickly blasted away by a stroll around this metropolis, with its gleaming renovated buildings, its fashion-conscious youth and the new bars and cafés that have opened everywhere.
On a sunny day, as the smart office workers vie for space in the city’s grand squares with students clad in all the latest designer gear, this could be anywhere in Europe.
The focus today, as it has always been, is firmly on the Old Town, which tumbles towards the banks of the Daugava River in a maze of cobbles, voluminous churches and impressive squares that are increasingly awash with bars, restaurants and hotels.
The most impressive church of all is Riga Cathedral, a soaring wonder that is home to one of the world’s most remarkable organs, manufactured by Walcker and co back in the 19th century. It is still very much in use today, so grab a ticket if there is a recital when you are in Riga.
One building I always pay a visit to is the Occupation Museum. This brilliant museum starts off from Latvia’s declaration of independence in 1918, then turns darker
with the approach of the Russian Army in 1939. It turns darker still when Nazi Germany ravages Riga in 1941, setting up a brutal
regime that murdered the majority of the country’s Jews.
The Russians returned in 1944 to vanquish the Germans, but then outstayed their welcome, quickly quelling any hope of a return to an independent Latvia. We continue to the restoration of an independent Latvia in 1991, a joyous occasion for a country that knows exactly how precious independence is.
Across Bastejkalna Park lies the New Town. Before we get to its art nouveau wonders I want to share with you this charming green lung. Riga is awash with myriad green spaces and this is my favourite. Trees soar all around, blocking out the city’s mushrooming skyscrapers and hinting at the wealth of forest that thrives beyond the Latvian capital in a seriously green country. Wee boats putter along the canal and benches urge you to slow down for a while.
History always hangs heavy in Riga, though, and I always make sure to doff my metaphorical cap at the marker on the spot where 17-year-old civilian Edijs Riekstins was one of those slain by Soviet forces on January 20, 1991.
I end my return to Riga in the commercial and business heart of the city in that New Town beyond Bastejkalna Park. Here, broad avenues and grid-like streets feel like another city. It is a great irony that the city that was once occupied by Nazi troops is now home to – after Germany’s own Second World War devastation – Europe’s most impressive array of Germanic Art Nouveau architecture, or Jugendstil, a fact recognised by Unesco.
Gaze up at the buildings along Elizabetes Street and the art nouveau flourishes are lavish, and even more so on the adjacent small street of Alfreda – for me the most charming art nouveau street I’ve ever seen.
I leave Riga as I always do – promising to return to the Paris of the North.
Sailing out, I am leaving immensely impressed by the spirit, passion and bravery of a small nation that has resisted the brutal bullying of two of Europe’s most powerful countries to forge its own path. A path that powers on with Riga at its very heart.
TRAVEL TIPS FOR 2024
Bring in the bells: A very happy Hogmanay to you and all the best for 2024. I’ve a rich array of exciting travels to inspire you coming up, from winter sun in the Canaries and family escapes to Cyprus and Deeside. I’m back renewing the Auld Alliance in Paris in spring and checking out a new Speyside distillery; exploring Scottish connections in Canada too. June brings a wee trip to Germany with half of Scotland…
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