Riga
Riga (
Latvian:
Rīga), the
capital of
Latvia, is situated on the
Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the
River Daugava, at . Riga is the largest city in the
Baltic states and serves as a major cultural, educational, political, financial, commercial and industrial center in the
Baltics.
The Historic Centre of Riga has been declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is particularly notable for its extensive
Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) architecture, comparable in significance only with
Vienna,
Saint Petersburg and
Barcelona.
Riga is home to numerous academic institutions, including the
University of Latvia (
Latvijas Universitāte),
Riga Technical University (
Rīgas Tehniskā Universitāte)and
Riga Stradins University (
Rīgas Stradiņa Universitāte). The
Latvian Parliament (Saeima) also sits in Riga, as does the
President of Latvia,
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, who resides in
Riga Castle.
Business and leisure travel to Riga has increased significantly in recent years due to the improved commercial and travel infrastructure. Riga as a city-port is a major transportation hub and is the center of the local road and
railway system. Most tourists travel to Riga by air via the
Riga International Airport, the largest airport in the
Baltic states, which was renovated and modernized in 2001, coincident with Riga's 800th anniversary. Air traffic has doubled between 1993 and 2004. Baltic sea ferries connect Riga to
Stockholm,
Kiel and
Lübeck.
Almost all important financial institutions are located in Riga, including the
Bank of Latvia, which is Latvia's central bank. Foreign commercial trade through Riga has been on the increase in recent years and received a new impetus on
May 1,
2004 when Latvia became a member of the
European Union. Riga accounts for about half of the total industrial output of Latvia, focusing on the financial sector, public utilities, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, wood processing, printing and publishing, textiles and furniture, and communications equipment manufacturing. The port of Riga is an important cargo shipping center.
| Year | Population | | 1767 | 19,500 | | 1800 | 29,500 | | 1840 | 60,000 | | 1867 | 102,600 | | 1881 | 169,300 | | 1897 | 282,200 | | 1913 | 517,500 | | 1920 | ¹185,100 | | 1930 | 377,900 | | 1940 | 353,800 | |
| | Year | Population | | 1941 | 335,200 | | 1945 | ²228,200 | | 1950 | 482,300 | | 1955 | 566,900 | | 1959 | 580,400 | | 1965 | 665,200 | | 1970 | 731,800 | | 1975 | 795,600 | | 1979 | 835,500 | | 1987 | 900,300 | |
| | Year | Population | | 1990 | 909,135 | | 1991 | 900,455 | | 1992 | 889,741 | | 1993 | 863,657 | | 1994 | 843,552 | | 1995 | 824,988 | | 1996 | 810,172 | | 1997 | 797,947 | | 1998 | 786,612 | | 1999 | 776,008 | |
| |
Riga is the biggest city in the
Baltic States. The city's population in
2003 was 739,232. In Riga native Latvians make up about 45% of the population with about an equal percentage of Russians. By comparison, a little more than 60% of Latvia's inhabitants are native
Latvians, 29.0% are
Russians, 3.9% are
Belarusians, 2.6% are
Ukrainians, 2.5% are
Polish, 1.4% are
Lithuanians and the remaining 2.1% are accounted for by other nationalities (2003). Most
Latvians are
Protestant Evangelical Lutheran Christians, whereas most Russians belong to the
Russian Orthodox Church.
Footnotes:
* 1. Massive population decrease after
World War I.
* 2. Population decrease after
World War II and deportations.
|
Cathedral above narrow streets in Old Riga |
Riga has perhaps ancient cultural relation with
Indo-European roots, it goes then the comparison with the important ancient
Celtic languages Vedic: vaidik-Rg-Vydia; Rig-
Veda, or Riga.
Riga is located at the site of an ancient settlement of the
Livs, an ancient
Finnic tribe, at the junction of the
Daugava and Ridzene (Latvian:
Rīdzene) rivers. The Ridzene was originally known as the Riga River, at one point forming a natural harbor called the Riga Lake, neither of which exist today [
1]. Some believe that the name of the river gave Riga its name.
The modern founding of Riga is regarded by historians to have begun with the arrival in Latvia of German traders, mercenaries and religious
crusaders in the second half of the
12th century, attracted by a sparsely populated region, potential new markets and by the
missionary opportunities to
convert the local population to
Christianity. German merchants established an outpost for trading with the
Balts near the Liv settlement at Riga in
1158. The
Augustinian monk Meinhard built a monastery there circa
1190.
Bishop Albert was proclaimed Bishop of
Livonia by his uncle Hartwig,
Archbishop of Bremen and Hamburg in
1199. He landed in Riga in
1201 with 23 ships and more than 1500 armed crusaders, making Riga his bishopric. He established the Order of
Livonian Brothers of the Sword (later a branch of the
Teutonic Knights) and granted Riga city rights in that same year. Albert was successful in converting the King of the Livs,
Caupo of Turaida, to Christianity, although, as related in the
Chronicle of Henry of Livonia ("Hencricus Lettus"), it took him three decades to gain full control of
Livonia (German
Livland). Riga as well as Livonia and
Prussia came under the auspices of the
Holy Roman (German) Empire. It was not until much later, at the time of
Martin Luther, that Riga, Livonia and Prussia converted to
Protestantism.
Riga served as a gateway to trade with the Baltic tribes and with
Russia. In
1282 Riga became a member of the
Hanseatic League (German
Hanse, English
Hansa). The Hansa developed out of an association of merchants into a loose trade and political union of North German and Baltic cities and towns. Due to its economic protectionist policies which favored its German members, the League was very successful, but its exclusionist policies produced competitors. Its last
Diet convened in
1669, although its powers were already weakened by the end of the
14th century, when political alliances between
Lithuania and
Poland and between
Sweden,
Denmark and
Norway limited its influence. Nevertheless, the Hansa was instrumental in giving Riga economic and political stability, thus providing the city with a strong foundation which endured the political conflagrations that were to come, clear down to modern times.
As the influence of the Hansa waned, Riga became the object of foreign military, political, religious and economic aspirations. Riga accepted the
Reformation in
1522, ending the power of the archbishops. With the demise of the
Teutonic Knights in
1561, Riga enjoyed twenty years as a free city. In
1581, Riga came under the influence of the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Attempts to reinstitute
Roman Catholicism in Riga and southern Livonia failed as in
1621, Riga and the outlying fortress of
Daugavgriva came under the rule of
Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, who intervened in the
Thirty Years' War not only for political and economic gain but also in favor of German
Lutheran Protestantism. During the
Russo-Swedish War, 1656-1658, Riga withstood a siege by Russians. Riga remained the second largest city under Swedish control until
1710 during a period in which the city retained a great deal of self-government autonomy. In that year, in the course of
Great Northern War,
Russia under
Tsar Peter the Great invaded Riga. Sweden's northern dominance ended, and Russia's emergence as the strongest Northern power was formalized through the
Treaty of Nystad in
1721. Riga was annexed to Russia and became an industrialized port city of the Russian empire, where it remained until
World War I. By
1900, Riga ranked the third in Russia after
Moscow and
St. Petersburg in the number of industrial workers.
During these many centuries of war and changes of power in the Baltic, the
Baltic Germans in Riga, successors to Albert's merchants and crusaders, clung to their dominant position despite demographic changes. Riga even employed
German as its official language of administration until the
imposition of
Russian language in
1891 as the official language in the Baltic provinces. All birth, marriage and death records were kept in German up to that year. Latvians began to supplant Germans as the largest ethnic group in the city in the mid-19th century, however, and by
1897 the population was 45% Latvian (up from 23.6% in 1867), 23.8% German (down from 42.9% in
1867), 16.1% Russian, 6% Jewish, 4.8% Polish, 2.3% Lithuanian, and 1.3% Estonian. The rise of a Latvian
bourgeoisie made Riga a center of the
Latvian National Awakening with the founding of the Riga Latvian Association in
1868 and the organization of the first national song festival in
1873. The nationalist movement of the
Young Latvians was followed by the socialist
New Current during the city's rapid industrialization, culminating in the
1905 Revolution led by the
Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party.
 |
A view of Riga on a postcard from around 1900. |
The 20th century brought
World War I and the impact of the
Russian Revolution to Riga. The German army marched into Riga in 1917. In 1918 the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed giving the Baltic countries to Germany. Because of the
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne) of
November 11,
1918, Germany had to renounce that treaty, as did Russia, leaving Latvia and the other Baltic States in a position to claim independence.
After more than 700 years of foreign rule, Latvia, with Riga as its capital city, thus declared its independence on
November 18,
1918. For more details see
History of Latvia.
Between World War I and World War II (1918-1940), Riga and Latvia shifted their focus from Russia to the countries of
Western Europe. A democratic, parliamentary system of government with a President was instituted. Latvian was recognized as the official language of Latvia. Latvia was admitted to the League of Nations. Driven by the economics of
comparative advantage, the
United Kingdom and
Germany replaced Russia as Latvia's major trade partners. As a sign of the times, Latvia's first Prime Minister,
Kārlis Ulmanis, had studied agriculture and worked as a lecturer at the
University of Nebraska in the
United States of America.
Riga was described at this time as a vibrant, grand and imposing city and earned the title of "Paris of the North" from its visitors.
This period of rebirth was short-lived, however, as World War II soon followed with
Soviet occupation of Latvia in
1940,
German occupation in 1941-1944 {
Riga Ghetto} and Soviet occupation of Latvia again at the end of the war. The
Baltic Germans were forcibly repatriated to Germany with
Hitler's consent, after 700 years in Riga. Hundreds of thousands of Latvians perished and thousands fled into exile in countries all over the world. Latvia lost one-third of its population.
Soviet occupation after the war was marked by deportations to Siberia and elsewhere, forced industrialization and planned large-scale immigration of large numbers of non-Latvians from other Soviet republics into Riga, particularly Russians. By 1975 less than 40% of Riga's inhabitants were Latvians, a percentage which has risen since Latvian independence.
In
1986 the modern landmark of Riga, the
Riga Radio and TV Tower, whose design is reminiscent of the
Eiffel Tower, was completed.
The policy of economic reform introduced as
Perestroika by Soviet leader
Mikhail Gorbachev led to a situation in the late 1980s in which many Soviet republics, including Latvia, were able to regain their liberty and freedom. See
Latvia. Latvia declared its full
de facto independence on
August 21,
1991 and that independence was recognized by Russia on
September 6,
1991. Latvia formally joined the
United Nations as an independent country on
September 17,
1991. All Russian military forces were removed from 1992 to 1994.
In 2001, Riga celebrated its 800th anniversary as a city.On
March 29,
2004 Latvia joined
NATO.On
May 1,
2004 Latvia joined the
European Union.
In 2004, the arrival of
low-cost airlines resulted in cheaper flights from other European cities such as London and Berlin and consequently a substantial increase in numbers of tourists.
|
View of the city from St. Peter's Church |
* The
Doma Cathedral, considered the largest church in the
Baltic states. Built in the 13th century, it was modified several times along its history. It has a magnificent
organ that dates from 1844.
*
Riga Castle (
Rīgas Pils), which houses the Museum of Latvian History and the Museum of Foreign Art.
* St. Peter's Church, with its 123 m high tower.
* St. John's Church, a small 13th-century chapel, behind St. Peter's Church.
* The Powder Tower (
Pulvertornis), the only tower that remains from the city wall. The Latvian Museum of War is located inside.
*Wooden architecture
|
Left-bank Riga is distinguished by its green streets and large parks. |
The city of Riga consists of six administrative regions, four of which are named by regions of
Latvia -
Kurzeme district,
Latgale suburb,
Vidzeme suburb,
Zemgale suburb. There is also a Central District and a Northern district. Residents, however, divide Riga in residential neighbourhoods called
micro regions. Unlike the city centre, they are mostly residential although they are equipped with commercial sectors. These neighbourhoods include:
*
Vecrīga*
Pārdaugava *
Ziepniekkalns*
Imanta *
Zolitūde*
Bolderāja*
Vecmīlgravis*
Sarkandaugava*
Mežaparks*
Jugla*
Šmerlis*
Mežciems*
Ķengarags*
Purvciems*
Pļavnieki*
DārzciemsSome common factors in these place names are "vec" meaning old [vecs], "kalns" meaning hill, "ciems" meaning village, "sala" meaning island and "mež" meaning forest [mežs].
*
Helmuts Balderis - ice hockey player
*
Mikhail Baryshnikov - famous dancer and actor
*
Isaiah Berlin - philosopher and Oxford professor
*
Andris Biedriņš - professional basketball player
*
Sergei Eisenstein - famous Soviet film director
*
Heinz Erhardt - German comedian
*
Laila Freivalds - former Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs
*
Juris Hartmanis - computer scientist
*
Johann Gottfried Herder - German poet, critic, theologian, and philosopher
*
Artūrs Irbe - ice hockey player (NHL), goalkeeper
*
Jānis Lūsis - four-time Olympian, winner of Olympic gold
*
Wilhelm Ostwald - chemist, Nobel prize winner (1909)
*
Sandis Ozoliņš - ice hockey player, defenceman
*
Karlis Skrastins - ice hockey player, defenceman
*
Awsay Strok - music impresario
*
Arkady Raikin - legendary Soviet
stand up comedian*
Mikhail Tal - the eighth
world chess champion*
Friedrich Zander - pioneer of Soviet research in rocketry and spaceflight
*
Sergei Zholtok - ice hockey player, center forward
*
Louisa Veidelis - arguably the sexiest woman from the city
A list of rulers of Riga:
Archbishops of Riga who were also secular rulers until 1561.
Riga maintains
sister city relationships with the following cities:
| Aalborg, Denmark (1989) | | Florence, Italy | | Slough, UK |
| Almati, Kazakhstan | | Alicante, Spain | | Calais, France | | Dunkirk, France (1960)|- | | Amsterdam, The Netherlands | | Cairns, Australia |
| Astana, Kazakhstan | | Kiev, Ukraine |
| Bordeaux, France | | Kobe, Japan |
| Bremen, Germany | | Moscow, Russia |
| Dallas, USA | | Minsk, Belarus |
| Norrköping, Sweden | | Beijing, |
| Pori, Finland | | Rostock, Germany |
| Saint Petersburg, Russia | | Santiago, Chile |
| Stockholm, Sweden | | Suzhou, |
| Taipei, Taiwan | | Tallinn, Estonia |
| Vilnius, Lithuania | | Warsaw, Poland | | USA, Guam |
*
Latvia*
List of Museums in Latvia*
Baltic States*
Latvian language*
Latvian Parliament*
Peace of Riga*
President of Latvia*
University of Latvia*
Riga Academy of Science*
Riga Technical University*
Stockholm School of Economics in Riga*
Riga State Gymnasium No.1*
ASK Riga basketball club
*
Bolderaja district
*
Eurovision Song Contest 2003*
City 17, the city in
Half-Life 2 that is believed to be based on Riga and Old Riga.
*
Ríg*
WikiSatellite view of Riga at WikiMapia *
Riga City Guide*
Riga tour overview*
Riga Municipality portal*
Travellatvia Complete online directory of places to stay, to eat, sightseeings, etc in Riga.
*
Riga City Tourism Portal*
University of Latvia*
The Latvian Institute (Latvijas Institūts)*
Riga Ghetto*
Riga's Own Wiki*
Johann Christoph Brotze historic drawings*
Historic images of Riga*
Satellite picture by Google Maps*
Memorials and monuments in and near Riga*
A history of the Latvian National Opera LNO in Rigaroa-rup:Rigabat-smg:Rīga
