After some debate and thinking we have decided to finally offer a Soviet tour of Riga to tell the journey of the Latvian people throughout the Soviet occupation. By doing so we hope to present some interesting characters and notable figures from this era.
With the subject being so fresh and many people still having living memories of the Soviet era in Latvia it became clear that the subject should be looked at and we hope that we can help people to gain some understanding of life under Soviet rule.
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One thing is for sure that no matter how fast Latvia develops we still see and engage on a daily basis with Soviet infrastructure, housing, materials and even the rail and tram systems are visibly Soviet despite some modernization.
Essentially many major infrastructures such as the archaic central heating system are still tied to an old Soviet system. These are problematic for modern living with many houses still tied the system, leaving people with literally no choice when choosing how to heat their homes.
Many Soviet monuments have been torn down in recent years across Latvia, especially since new policies came into force after the full scale invasion of Ukraine. This poses particular problems for Latvian society who may hold divided opinions in regards to such actions.
The photograph below shows one part of such a demolished monument. These soldiers made up just a fraction of what was a monolithic sculpture haviing an even more monumental title
"Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders"
One can read a little about the history of the monument here
Today, the removal of such dominating and monumental reminders of the brutal Soviet occupation period allows Latvia to move onward in building its own destiny, without outside forces imposing their will on the people.
With such major changes taking place in recent years, we as a team decided to draw attention to this most recent period of history. After all, each summer Riga marches ever more Westwards with modernization, streets filling with tourists from all across the globe. Thus making Riga ever more indistinguishable from the Soviet landscape of the late 1980's.
We aim to cover everything from day to day life all the way to the harsh reality and darker side of authoritarian rule. We raise questions such as what was an average wage at the time? How many hours work filled a shopping basket? What religious freedom existed? And more of the inner workings of life under Soviet rule.
Lenin street once ran through the very heart of Riga, how did it differ in the Soviet era than in today? Were there many car owners in Riga at that time? And how long do I need to wait in line to buy a car?
As Riga itself has ever fewer Soviet objects left in the center of Riga the tour focuses more on events and locations that had great significance during the occupation. We are not leading tours into block house districts or old Soviet urban decay. We are leading visitors through the very heart of Riga.
Below are some interesting videos related to Soviet era monument demolition and life in Soviet Riga.
Find out more about the Soviet Riga Free Tour