Riga

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There is also a town in New York, USA, named Riga.

Riga (Latvian: Rīga), the capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the River Daugava, at [56°58′N 24°8′E]. 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.

Business and commerce

Vecriga

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.

Population

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 of the Protestant Evangelical Lutheran faith, 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.

History

Cathedral above narrow streets in Old 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 [link]. Some believe that the name of the river gave Riga its name.

The modern founding of Riga is regarded by historians to begin with German traders, mercenaries and religious crusaders who arrived in Latvia 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.

Riga in 1650 (Drawing by Johann Christoph Brotze)

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 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.

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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 cheap airline companies resulted in cheaper flights from other European cities such as London and Berlin and consequently a substantial increase in numbers of tourists.

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.

Sights

• The Dome 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

Riga's neighbourhoods

The Powder Tower of Riga

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
• Dārzciems

Notable people

• 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 - 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
• 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

Sister cities

See also

• 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

External links

• [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 Riga]

Capital cities of the European Union

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