Freedom Monument

Located in the centre of Riga’s thriving nightlife, the Freedom Monument is hard to miss. It was built to honour the soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence of 1918-1920, during which Latvians overthrew their Russian occupiers. The monument contains a huge amount of symbolic importance. When Riga was annexed once again by Russia during 1940 the monument was almost destroyed but for the efforts of Soviets who believed the statue to be of architectural and stylistic importance. Today it stands as a centre point of gatherings and ceremonies in Riga.
The bas-relief of the monument contains thirteen different depictions, each representing a different aspect of Latvian culture and history. One such depiction describes the Latvian people, or the ‘Singers’, a reference to the historic importance of Latvian folk song. The monument is located at the centre of Riga itself and lies within a large plaza. It stands next door to the National Opera House with its flower garden and a nearby park.