Riga is a city of 750k people and is the biggest city in the Baltics. The population is split about 50/50 Latvian-Russian and the evidence is everywhere, Notices, Food, Newspapers but you especially notice the conversation. This is the first time I have really noticed a large Russian influence. The place itself is stuffed with every sort of architecture from the last 500 years, but especially Art Nouveau.
There was a real buzz on the streets when I was there. I guess summer is short here so they party when the weather is right. Lots of open air temporary pubs/bars in the squares (with temporary loos too) Live music. I can see whey people get on a RyanAir flight for the weekend. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any Stag parties in town. Perhaps on weekends only? These lads were breakdancing for change and were pretty good. Not as good as me.....but still good ;)
I went to the 'Museum of Occupation' and got the potted history of the place. All the Baltic states had a crap deal over the past 500 years but especially since about 1939. Waves of repression first by the Russians, then by Nazis and then again by Russians. I went to visit a memorial in Bikernieku forest which commemorates the thousands of people murdered here between 1941-44. The numbers are staggering. On November 30 1941, 28,000 people were brought to Ronumbula forest to be shot. Each mass grave is marked by a raised bed and a jagged rock rising from the middle. There are a lot of these graves here.
Further down the roads is the main Holocaust memorial. There is a central canopy in the middle covering a slab with the inscription "Oh earth, cover not my blood and let my cry have no peace". Around it is a garden of jagged stones radiating out. Each plot is inscribed with the name of city where the victims came from. It is a very moving place.
Walking home that night, I saw this moonrise over a bridge.
No comments:
Post a Comment