Freedom Monument (Riga)
The Freedom Monument ( Latvian : Brīvības piemineklis ) in the city center of the Latvian capital Riga is the symbol of Latvia's national sovereignty.
Establishment
The Freedom Monument was erected at the time of Latvia's first independence from 1931 to 1935 in place of an equestrian statue of Peter the Great , which existed between 1910 and 1915. The Freedom Monument is located on the Freedom Boulevard (in Latvian Brīvības bulvāris , until 1919 Alexander Boulevard ), which runs as a thoroughfare from the old town through the new town to the east. The construction was financed by donations from the Latvian population. It was realized by the architect Ernests Štālbergs according to the exact specifications of the then highly respected sculptor Kārlis Zāle .
conservation
The memorial remained untouched during the German and later the Soviet occupation of Latvia, although it was a thorn in the side of the Soviet leadership.
After the end of the Second World War , the monument was to be blown up. The Riga-born sculptor Vera Muchina ( Russian: Вера Мухина, 1889–1953), creator of the monumental sculpture “ Worker and Kolkhoz Woman ”, herself a student of Kārlis Zāle, is said to have campaigned for the preservation of the monument.
An anecdote reports that when the monument became dilapidated and was supposed to be demolished, allegedly in order to avoid danger to road traffic, the Riga mayor unceremoniously designated the street around the Freedom Monument as a pedestrian zone and thus saved the monument.
The monument was left in its place in the Latvian SSR because of its “artistic value”, but a Lenin monument was erected around 300 meters from the Freedom Monument at the other end of the boulevard - facing east.
Description and interpretation
At the foot of the 42-meter-high monument, various sculptures (groups), consisting of 56 individual sculptures, symbolize motifs from Latvian mythology , values of Latvian culture and important events in Latvian history, such as the Guardian of the Fatherland , Mother Latvia as well Work and family . The front of the base bears the inscription " Tēvzemei un Brīvībai " ( German "For fatherland and freedom" ).
On a pedestal is a 19-meter-high obelisk , on the top of which is the 9-meter-tall Allegory of Freedom , a statue that embodies the independence of Latvia. The three stars in the hands of the female figure symbolize the three historical regions of Latvia - Kurzeme (German: Courland ) (including Zemgale (German: Semgallen )), Vidzeme (German: Livonia ) and Latgale (German: Latgale ).
During the time when Riga was the capital of the Latvian SSR , a different interpretation of these three stars was preferred by the authorities. Accordingly, they symbolized the unity of the three Baltic Soviet republics, Estonian SSR , Latvian SSR and Lithuanian SSR .
The orientation of the monument is remarkable: the figure of freedom (popularly known as Milda ) looks to the west - just like all the figures in the base of the monument, depicted with self-confidence and with proud expression. In contrast, figures depicted with bowed heads and in chains face east.
acceptance
The Freedom Monument is a popular place for Latvians to gather on important events. Wedding couples lay flowers at the foot of the monument, schoolchildren and students come here to graduate from school. At the song festival , stages are also set up at the Statue of Liberty.
During perestroika , the area around the Freedom Monument was constantly used for meetings and discussions.
On Victory Day in Russia commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in, the Great Patriotic War will be celebrated on 9 May 1945 and in Latvia no holiday is, but is regularly celebrated by the Russian-speaking population, Flowers are laid down here .
Various events are held here on "Independence Day" (November 18), the Latvian national holiday.
The Freedom Monument is guarded by an honor guard during the day, which changes every hour between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Foreign politicians hold their speeches here, for example US Presidents Bill Clinton in 1994 and George W. Bush in 2005.
From 2003 to 2004 there were masts decorated with wreaths on both sides of the monument, but they were dismantled again because of the very controversial discussion among the Latvian population about the visual impression of this measure.
Coordinates: 56 ° 57 ′ 5.6 ″ N , 24 ° 6 ′ 47.6 ″ E
Web links
- Freedom Monument spherical panorama
