Sights of Riga which are better to visit. Latvian National Opera. Find a monument to photographer Philip Halsman

Riga is the largest city among all Baltic cities. In it, as in the capital, a huge layer is concentrated historical heritage countries. Thus, every year Riga is visited by a huge number of tourists who want to visit the sights of Riga.

A large number of different nationalities live in Riga, which for a long time brought their own flavors to the art and architecture of the city. The entire center of the capital is a historical monument, as it is under the protection of UNESCO. There are many museums, theaters and monuments in the city, so this article covers only those sights that you need to visit for a cursory acquaintance with Riga.

Main attractions

In order not to miss anything, you need to know that there is Old Riga and New Riga. Each territory has its own attractions, for the sake of which tourist routes.

In winter, the climate in Riga is not the most pleasant, but at this time sales begin, timed to coincide with Christmas. Worth a visit in winter Old city which will not leave anyone indifferent.

There are also attractions that will be of interest to children. Such places include the Riga Zoo and museums with suitable themes ( natural museum, Riga Motor Museum, etc.).

Photo with description and addresses

Cathedrals

Riga has a large number of cathedrals that have existed for several centuries.

1. The Dome Cathedral is the main attraction of Riga, the capital calling card. The cathedral was founded at the beginning of the thirteenth century, but over the years it has been rebuilt several times. Since the restorations took place in different eras, the cathedral combines a mixture of architectural styles. The main pride of the Dome Cathedral is the organ installed in the eighteenth century. The instrument is the largest organ in the Baltics and in general on the territory of the former Soviet Union. Address of the Dome Cathedral: Herdera laukums, 6. The price of attending a concert in the Dome Cathedral is approximately 14 euros.
2. St. Peter's Church is located in Old Riga and, along with the Dome Cathedral, is oldest building Riga. The height of the church tower exceeds one hundred meters. Today the church is active. Her images are often painted on various souvenirs for tourists. Address of St. Peter's Church: Skārņu iela, 19. Entrance costs about 5 euros for an adult and 2.5 euros for a child. It is possible to climb to the observation deck and view the area from a height.
3. The Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ was closed several times due to political situations in the country. However, now it is a reconstructed functioning cathedral, which is a historical monument and is one of the religious centers in Riga. Address of the cathedral: Brīvības bulv., 23. Admission is free.
4. The old Gertrudin Church in the old days marked the border of the city. The churches that were built outside the city walls were called the churches of St. Gertrude, who was believed to patronize the wanderers. The old church is called because, not far from it, a new church was built, which was given the same name. Church address: Ģertrūdes iela, 19. Admission is free.

At home

1. The House of the Blackheads was built in the fourteenth century and is located in the central part of the capital. In the fifteenth century, the brotherhood of St. George settled in this house, and the members of this order chose St. Mauritius, who had a symbol - a black head, as their patron. This symbol began to be depicted on the coat of arms of the brotherhood. As a result, this name was assigned to the house. Address: Rātslaukums 7. Entrance fee: the house is closed to the public until December 2015.
2. The Mentzendorf House is a museum imitating the dwelling of a wealthy Riga merchant. Every month a new exhibition dedicated to the history of Riga and navigation opens. Address: Grecinieku, 18. Entrance price: from 5 to 10 euros.
3. The cat's house is one of the most famous buildings in Riga. According to legend, the owner of the house was dissatisfied with the actions of the Riga guild, so he ordered the statues of black cats and installed them on the roof so that they were turned back to the town hall. This was considered a bad omen, and the representatives of the town hall had to go to the world. Address: Meistaru iela, 10. Admission is free.
4. The Dannenstern House was also once the home of a wealthy merchant. The building is currently in an unusable condition. Address: Mārstaļu iela, 21.

Museums

1. Latvian National Art Museum has over fifty thousand works in its collection. The building was the first building that was designed specifically for the museum. At the moment, the museum is under reconstruction. Address: Krišjāņa Valdemāra iela, 10a.
2. Latvian National Historical Museum stores cultural heritage country and its citizens. Often open exhibitions dedicated to wartime. Address: Brivibas iela, 32. Entrance fee: 3 euros

The picture shows the Latvian National History Museum

3. The Latvian Museum of Nature is located in the very center of the city, and provides the visitor with the opportunity to see many rare exhibits, as well as models that explain the essence of natural processes. Address: K.Barona, 4. Entrance fee: 2.13 euros.
4. Latvian ethnographical museum is located in the open air, and is one of the largest museums of its kind in Europe. Address: Brīvības g., 440. Entrance fee: 4.27 euros.
5. The Latvian War Museum is designed to visually show the history of the formation of the Latvian armed forces. Address: Smilšu, 20. Admission is free.
6. The P. Stradins Museum of the History of Medicine is one of the largest medical museums in the world. The museum is named after the scientist who initiated the collection of medical artifacts. Address: Antonijas iela, 1. Entrance fee: 3 euros.
7. The Riga Ghetto Museum is a relatively recent open museum, and its subject is the history of the Holocaust in Latvia. Address: Maskavas iela, 32. Admission is free.

Monuments, castles and other objects

1. Riga Castle is a building of historical significance, which is currently the residence of the President of Latvia. Address: Pils laukums, 3. Entrance fee: the building is currently under restoration.

The photo shows a monument to the Bremen town musicians

2. Large and small guilds were organized by various Riga estates. Thus, the Great Guild was intended for merchants, and the small one for artisans. At the moment, the building of the Great Guild is equipped for the Philharmonic, and the Small Guild has become a museum of the same name. Address: Amatu street, 3/5. Entrance price: 2-6 euros.

What to see, where to go - routes

The most popular tourist routes last one or three days, depending on the choice of the tourist. In one day you should see the Dome Cathedral, visit the house of the Blackheads, as well as climb the observation deck of the Riga TV tower.

Three days is more than enough for a cursory acquaintance with many of the historical monuments of Riga.

The center of Riga - the Old Town is relatively small, you can get around the main sights of Riga in a few hours. history medieval city keep fortress walls, church spiers, squares and centuries-old buildings. Walking along the cobbled streets of Riga, you will remember the films about Sherlock Holmes and Seventeen Moments of Spring shot here. Make a stop at one of the cozy cafés for a coffee with Riga Balsam and check your walking route with a map.

1. House of the Blackheads(Rātslaukums 7). The Gothic building on the Town Hall Square was built in the 15th century. and rented by the society of the Blackheads (unmarried merchants). During the Second World War, the house of the Blackheads was completely destroyed, rebuilt in 1999. In the evening, the building is beautifully illuminated.

2. St. Peter's Church(Skārņu iela 19). This highest church in Latvia is named after the patron saint of Riga - St. Peter. Spire height 122 m. C observation platform open panoramas of the city. The Lutheran Church holds services and exhibitions. The building was restored and rebuilt several times after fires and bombings.

3. Church of St. George (Juris)(Skārņu iela 10/16). The oldest surviving wooden building in Riga was built in 1207. The church originally belonged to the Order of the Sword, during the Reformation it was turned into a barn, and now it houses a museum of arts and crafts.

4. Church of Saint John(Skārņu iela 24). Since 1234, this church has been the main temple of the Dominicans; a carved head of a Dominican monk has been preserved on the church wall. Sculptures of Saints Peter and Paul are installed in the altar of the church.

5. John's Compound (Yana Seta)(the area between Skārņu iela and Kalēju iela). The founder of Riga, Bishop Albert, lived in Jan Set's courtyard. At the entrance you can see the old coat of arms of Riga and a preserved fragment of the fortress wall.

6. Courtyard of the Convent (Konventa Sēta)(Kalēju iela 9/11). In the XIII century. the castle of the Mechenoschev Order was built on this site, after its destruction the land passed into the possession of the Holy Spirit Convention. The Convention opened a shelter for the poor and the sick. The courtyard of the Convent burned down and was rebuilt several times, the last restoration was carried out in 1996. Now the medieval complex is open to visitors, and guests of the city can stay at the inexpensive hotel Konventa Seta.

7. Small Guild(Amatu iela 6). The Riga Small Guild has united Riga artisans since 1352. The building was built in the Flamboyant Gothic style, the interiors are distinguished by rich decoration: tiles, stained-glass windows. The Small Guild hosts various events and concerts.

8. Big Guild(Amatu iela 5). A large guild was created in 1354 to unite Riga merchants. The modern building was built in 1854-1857. Now it houses the Riga Philharmonic.

9. "Cat house"(Meistaru iela 10). The house with black cats on the turrets is located directly opposite the guild building. There are many urban legends associated with this house, which will tell you about.

10. powder tower(Smilšu iela 20). One of the oldest buildings in Riga and the only surviving tower medieval wall. The original name is the Sand Tower. Now a military museum is open in the Powder Tower, and on the outer wall you can see traces of cannonballs.

11. Bastion Hill(Z.A. Meierovica bulvaris 12). This bulk structure was created in the middle of the 19th century. after the demolition of the defensive ramparts. Favorite place residents and guests of Riga.

12. Barracks Ekaba(Torņa iela 4). A long barracks complex stretches along Tornja Street, bordering Old Riga. The barracks were built in the 17th century. and since then many times rebuilt for the needs of different armies. The buildings of the barracks have been restored, they are occupied by beauty salons, shops and restaurants.

13. swedish gate(Torņa iela 11). The only surviving gate of the fortress wall in Riga. The arch was cut in 1698 right in the wall of a residential building to improve communication between parts of the city.

14. The building of the Seimas (House of the Livonian Knighthood)(Jēkaba ​​iela 11). Built in 1867 for the German nobles. After the restoration of independence, it houses the Parliament of Latvia.

15. Cathedral of Saint Jacob(Klostera iela 2). The first mention of the church dates back to 1225. Throughout its history, the church changed its status from rural to urban, was rebuilt in different architectural styles and changed religion 4 times. Since 1993, St. Jacob's Cathedral has been the main catholic church Latvia.

16. "Three brothers"(Mazā Pils iela 17, 19, 21). A complex of three medieval buildings on Malaya Zamkovaya Street. The houses were built in different time from the 15th to the 17th centuries

17. Riga castle(Pils laukums 3). The castle was founded in 1330 on the site of the destroyed old one. It passed from hand to hand, destroyed, restored and rebuilt. Now the castle is the residence of the President of Latvia. Riga Castle stands on the banks of the Daugava and is especially visible from the water.

18. The Dome Cathedral. The Riga Dome Cathedral, founded in 1211, was the main temple of Livonia until the collapse of the Livonian Order. Its architecture combines elements of the Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau styles. The Dome Cathedral is famous for its German organ, which plays during worship and concerts.

19. Riga History and Navigation Museum(Palasta street 4). This one of the oldest museums in Europe is located in the former premises of the Dome Monastery. The museum was opened in 1773. The exposition consists of more than 400 thousand items telling about the history of Riga.

20. town hall(Rātslaukums 1). The new building of the City Hall was built in 2003. Today the Riga City Council operates in the City Hall. On the Town Hall Square there is a tourist information center (Rātslaukums 6), here you will find booklets and maps of Riga and Latvia, get a free consultation in Russian.

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Dome Cathedral in Riga

On June 25, 1211, Bishop Albrecht von Buxgevden founded a new cathedral in Riga - the Dome Cathedral. He zealously watched the construction of the temple, invested considerable funds in it, and hired the best craftsmen. The ensemble of the Riga Dome Cathedral houses the oldest museum in Latvia - the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation.

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House of the Blackheads

Being an architectural monument of the first third of the 14th century, the House of the Blackheads originally served as a meeting place for various public organizations in Riga. In the 17th century, its main owners were members of the association of foreign merchants, whose patron Saint Mauritius was then considered.

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Monument to the Bremen Town Musicians

sculptural composition The Riga monument to the Bremen Town Musicians is represented by four legendary characters from the fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm - a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster. The monument to the Bremen Town Musicians was cast by the Bremen sculptor Krista Baumgartel and carries a deep political "subtext".

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Riga castle

Today, not a trace remains of the former power of the Riga Castle, which once served the valiant knights of the Livonian Order. With the establishment of a Pole in the castle, and then the Swedes, its defensive function was practically reduced to nothing, and during the years of Russian rule it was completely lost.

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For a person who grew up in the Soviet and post-Soviet space, Riga is an unaccountably familiar, recognizable and almost native Middle Ages. Meanwhile, in the years after perestroika, the city did not stand still. Today's beautiful Riga is not only the House of the Blackheads, the Dome Cathedral or the House with Cats (although all this, of course, must be seen). But Riga is also great restaurants, modern spa and shopping centers, the latest designer boutiques, an excellent zoo and a drowsy Zadvinye, an updated TV tower and an excellent museum of old cars.

The left bank of the Daugava and the city outskirts hide a lot of interesting things, and recent period The history of the city has enriched it with several very interesting sights.

The Old Town is, of course, where you should start your tour of Riga. Gothic buildings and mansions with history come across here literally at every turn. Unlike, for example, Tallinn, whose historical Center you can get around in half an hour, the Old Town of Riga will be larger. You don't miss Cathedral, sooner or later you will definitely find yourself in the town hall square with trade tents (and you will be tempted to buy knitted socks with a traditional ornament, felt flower brooches or a pound of candied or peppered almonds). On the way, you will certainly catch the eye of shops of wool and handmade products from it - everything is beautiful, but prohibitively expensive. Admire the Church of St. Peter, which successfully competes with the Dome Cathedral in beauty and majesty, and the monument to the Bremen Town Musicians next to it.

You will certainly appreciate the plump Powder Tower entwined with green and red ivy. Listen to Autumn leaves performed by a colorful saxophonist on the beautiful square in front of the House of the Blackheads. You will pass through the Jugendstil district near the street. Albert. Fragments of the film “17 Moments of Spring” were filmed here, including the famous scene of the tragic end of Professor Pleischner, as evidenced by the Eustace Hotel and the Alex Restaurant right opposite the very house from the window of which the ill-fated professor set off on his last journey. Take a peek into the cozy courtyard of the Convention, where you can wonderfully drink coffee on fresh air and buy some handmade ceramic bowl as a keepsake. Walk through the wonderful parks of Riga: you can start right from central park Kronvald, walking along the City Canal, where in good weather you just want to sit in the sun, enjoying excellent local ice cream. And you can complete a busy day at the Riga Opera, where classical and modern pieces are staged and performances by performers of a very high level take place.

Riga is the capital of Latvia and the most Big City in the Baltic. A significant part of its medieval Old Town was destroyed during the war and was in ruins for a long time, was reconstructed only a few years ago and is now an important tourist site. If you came to Riga just for the weekend, then you should first of all explore the Old Town. If you have time, you should definitely take a walk around the Riga Modern quarter, it is located outside the Old Riga, but still called the center, be sure to go to the Riga Market, it also adjoins the center. All of the above can be explored on foot, the center of Riga is very compact, except that it will be most difficult to pack everything in one day.

Street in Old Riga or Old Riga

The center of Old Riga is adorned with many spiers, which belong mainly to church buildings, but the main dominants of the landscape are only two cathedrals - the Dome Cathedral and St. Peter's Cathedral. These two cathedrals began to be erected as early as the 13th century. The Dome Cathedral belonged to the bishopric, and St. Peter's Cathedral was built with merchant money. Therefore, if you simply set a goal to see these two cathedrals and Livov Square, you will see the main sights of the old city. In this article will be discussed about sights of Old Riga or Old Riga.

If you want to find excursions and travel with excursions around the area, read the article. There I mention another city, but this is not of fundamental importance, on the listed sites you can search for excursions in any city in the world and navigate the current prices for excursions.

So let's start with the Dome Square.

The Dome Cathedral was built and rebuilt from 1211 to the 18th century inclusive, so it consists of numerous outbuildings and incorporates the architectural features of many styles. Now there is a concert hall in the Dome Cathedral and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia conducts church services. Concert hall was a legacy of the Soviet era, and there was always a place of worship in the cathedral, with the exception of the Soviet period. You can visit the cathedral free of charge only during the service, which is usually held at 8 o'clock in the morning, if you consider yourself a supporter of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. For tourists, there are several opportunities for paid visits.

Just entering the cathedral for a viewing costs 3€, a 20-minute visit organ concert at 12 noon - 10 €. Concerts at 12 noon are held daily at any time of the year. There are more full-fledged and longer concerts at 19-00, but these are not held every day and can even be canceled at low tourist season. It is best to check the schedule of concerts on the official website of the cathedral (available in Russian).

I was most surprised by the golden cockerels on the spiers of the Riga cathedrals, it is not visible in my photo, but in fact the spire of the Dome Cathedral and St. Peter's Cathedral is crowned with the image of a golden cockerel, and not the traditional Christian cross. It turns out that Pushkin was inspired in the Baltics?

The official church version explains these cockerels with quotes from the Gospel of Luke and Matthew, where it is said that the cock will not have time to crow three times, as one of you will deny me. Many probably remember that the apostle Peter really denied three times before the rooster crowed. In addition, the cockerel is an excellent weather vane, unlike the cross.

The non-church version sounds something like this: one side of the weather vane was painted black, the other in gold. When a fair wind blew, the cockerel turned its golden side, the ships entered the harbor, trade flourished; when the wind changed direction, the cockerel turned black, the ships could not enter the harbor, trade was suspended.

Not official version claims that there used to be roosters on churches in Russia. For example, in the illustrations for Nicholas Witsen's book "Northern and Eastern Tartaria" dated 1696, cockerels on Russian churches in Pskov, Torzhok and even Kazan are clearly visible, they disappeared only after Nikon's church reform. So Pushkin was most inspired not in the Baltics, but in Russia, the cockerels were gradually changed to crosses, perhaps he still saw them.

Cockerels on cathedrals are also common in Northern Germany, the Netherlands, and France.

The cathedral is so ancient that it stands in a pit, the level of sidewalks has risen by 2-3 meters since the construction of the building. In order to reduce the damage caused to the center of Riga by the periodic floods of the Daugava, soil in the city center was poured almost constantly. The photo below just well illustrates the position of the cathedral relative to the level of modern city streets.

The Dome Cathedral of Riga is the largest church building in the Baltics, but that's not all, the buildings of the former monastery attached to it adjoin the cathedral. Now one of them houses the expositions of the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation. An adult ticket costs 5€.

Even if you don't have time to walk around the Eisenstein quarter, there are quite a few Art Nouveau houses in old Riga. Near beautiful house, in the photo below, there is the Lido euro canteen, where you can eat tasty and not expensive. In Old Riga, there are quite a lot of houses built in the Art Nouveau style and even more modern styles, so Old Riga is not at all old in places.

Another interesting task in the Art Nouveau style is located on the famous cinema street, filmed in the films "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson" - this is the house in which
. Naturally, there are much more Art Nouveau houses in Riga than this article can accommodate, and Sherlock Holmes is so revered in the capital of Latvia that they even created his museum there and celebrate his birthday on January 6 with a costumed procession. And in a small nook on Jauniela street there is a scenery for taking pictures in the form of heroes from your favorite movie.

Not far from the Dome Cathedral is the famous architectural complex - "Three Brothers". White brother is the oldest stone residential building Riga, was built at the end of the 15th century. In ancient times, there was a large living room with a stove on the ground floor of this house, goods were stored on the upper floors, and in 1687 the first confectionery in Riga was opened in this house.

The Yellow Brother was built in the middle of the 17th century, now it houses the Museum of Latvian Architecture, in fact the entire museum is just one room, admission is free. The windows of the upper floors are made small, as there was a special tax on the light from the windows.

Green Brother, the youngest, it was built in the 18th century. The structure of the house is already significantly different from the White Brother. Craftsmen worked on the first two floors, and they lived on the third, the approach to building houses has changed significantly over the two centuries and the tax on light from windows was canceled by that time.

It turns out that Peter I visited Riga nine times and even had his own palace, much larger than the house of Peter I in St. Petersburg and Peter's Summer House in the Summer Garden. Now the palace has little left of what it was at the beginning of the 18th century under Peter, too many owners have changed at the building since then. Only a memorial plaque fixed on the facade of the building in 2006 reminds of the first Russian emperor. Now the former palace of Peter I is just an ordinary residential building with 15 apartments. live in former palace the first emperor of Russia, where else is this possible? Riga is a unique city in this sense.

Around St. Peter's Basilica

Dome Cathedral possibly more church St. Peter's only due to its many outbuildings. The building of St. Peter's Cathedral is colossal in size. Unfortunately, St. Peter's Cathedral was not lucky, during the Second World War, it was significantly destroyed, the tower and the interior burned down completely, the restoration continued until 1983. Now you can visit the cathedral only for a fee, an adult ticket costs 9 € and includes a climb to the tower. This is the best observation deck in the city. You don’t have to climb on foot, there is an elevator inside, but you will most likely have to stand in line for tickets. The line for tickets snaked and occupied the entire front hall.

They usually gather in front of the cathedral excursion groups, City Sightseeing buses start from its walls. Near the cathedral there is a traditional Latvian cuisine restaurant Province, the interior is nice, the prices are above average, you can order a tasting set of 5 courses for 26€. The Province restaurant has a website in Russian, where the entire menu with prices and photos is presented.

Behind the cathedral stands the Bremen Town Musicians sculpture, the most rubbed sculpture in Riga. Naturally, your wishes will come true if you rub a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster by the nose, the guides clarify that as many wishes will come true as you rub your noses, and if you jump to the rooster, the most difficult desire will come true. The sculpture was installed in 1990 in honor of the graduation cold war. If you are interested, you can see what it looks like (opens in a new window). Against, Bremen Town Musicians there is an entrance to the Convent courtyard, but it is so narrow and crowded that it was not possible to photograph it in a decent way, but this courtyard is the most beloved by Riga artists, paintings with its images are sold in all souvenir shops in the city.

In the immediate vicinity of St. Peter's Cathedral is the Town Hall Square, razed to the ground in 1941 and rebuilt recently. In ancient times, there was a market on the Town Hall Square, and since Riga was part of the union of the Hanseatic cities and in the Middle Ages it was in fact German city, a statue of Roland was present in the square according to German tradition. The real statue was erected at the very end of the 19th century in continuation of ancient customs. There is nothing left of the medieval Riga Rolands, however, there is a mention of such wooden sculptures in the Riga annals. We saw another Roland in Bremen, Germany, they don't look alike at all. View . (picture will open in a new window)

A merchant guild used to be located in the house of the Blackheads, public events were held there, such as meetings, balls and ceremonial receptions, many Russian emperors - Peter I, Catherine II - attended these events ... The proximity of Christian saints and pagan gods on the facade of the building is especially surprising. The entrance portal is decorated with images of the Holy Virgin Mary and Saint Mauritius, and on the pediment there are sculptures of Neptune, Mercury, allegories of Unity and Peace, truly the gods must be honored, and all at once.

The story of the installation of the first Christmas tree in Riga in 1510 seemed curious to me. Below is a monument to this very first Christmas tree, installed on the town hall square. The tradition of setting up a Christmas tree at Christmas is associated with the name of the great reformer Martin Luther, but this is just a legend, there is no documentary evidence for this fact. They say that Tallinn and Riga argued among themselves in which city the first spruce was installed, by some miracle it was Riga that managed to win in this dispute. The rest of the world thinks that the first Christmas tree was planted in the Alsatian town of Celeste.

Around Livov Square

The Livs are an ancient Baltic people, now almost dissolved in a friendly family of other Baltic peoples, one of the most famous peoples is named after them. beautiful squares in Old Riga. You can write a separate story about each house standing on this square. The most famous and popular among tourists is probably the house with cats. They say it was built by a merchant, who was not accepted into the merchant guild for a long time, so he turned the harmful cats that mark everything in their path with their rear facades towards the guild building. The guild leadership was even sued for insulting the obstinate merchant, but he turned his cats around only after he was accepted into the guild.

In fact, the house is interesting not only for the cats, but also for its cute Art Nouveau details. As well as his role in the movie "Seventeen Moments of Spring". It was the cat's house that appeared before the audience as the Berlin hotel "At the New Gates", near which Stirlitz and Bormann met.

Of course, Livov Square has also preserved the buildings of the Large and Small merchant guilds. As usual, only German merchants were admitted to the Great Merchant Guild and, accordingly, the guild defended only their interests. Craftsmen were admitted to the Small Guild, but the entry procedure was not easy. The applicant had to pass difficult tests - to make a masterpiece, to visit different cities the Hanseatic League, put up a workshop lunch, which in itself was a very expensive event. As in our times, artisans were poorer than merchants, and therefore the building of the Great Guild is much larger and prettier building Small guild.

In Riga, as well as in Tallinn, there is a Russian theater, because according to official statistics, Russian-speaking residents in the capital of Latvia are about 50%, and even more in the center, as it seemed to me. The Russian Theater of Riga bears the name of Mikhail Chekhov, a great Russian-American actor, little known in Russia. However, Mikhail Chekhov was our famous writer's nephew.

On the one hand, Livov Square is framed by pretty houses under tiled roofs, worthy of some German town, of course, in each such house there is now a restaurant or cafe, and each owner of the establishment seeks to lure visitors to himself with beautiful signs.

Very close to Livov Square, another sculpture is hidden in the courtyard, reminiscent of the Baltic Germans, who previously lived in Riga in large numbers. The Golden Knight was originally installed by the German community of Riga near the water supply at the end of the 19th century, this copy of that sculpture, the original is now kept in the museum.

As you exit the covered courtyard, you will immediately see the Powder Tower. This is the only completely preserved tower that was previously part of the complex of defensive structures of Riga, only its foundation dates back to the Middle Ages, the walls were built under the Swedes, and the roof is the fastest and even newer. Now in the tower and the building attached to it there is the Military Museum of Latvia, you can visit it absolutely free of charge, I cited several photos of its interior in my report on the trip to Riga. Along the Daugava embankment

Riga Castle is best seen from the embankment. The German knights began to build the Riga Castle almost from the very foundation of the city, but since then it has been destroyed and rebuilt so many times that nothing reminds of its medieval origin. Now the castle houses the Museum of the History of Latvia and the official residence of the President. Outwardly, it does not look very interesting, this world is full of much more impressive and respectful castles.

The Church of Mary Magdalene stands at the very Riga Castle, it became famous for the fact that three of the largest movements of Christianity successively sent their services within its walls. Initially, a Catholic monastery stood in its place, after the Swedish conquest a Protestant church was built on this, after the victory of the Russians in northern war a Russian was erected on the ruins Orthodox Church, during the First World War, German Catholic soldiers prayed in it and since then the church has been a Catholic church.

There is a sculpture of Big Kristaps on the embankment, in fact it is a copy, the original is kept in the museum. This is a semi-pagan, semi-Christian character of the local epic. The legend about the construction of Riga goes back to him. Allegedly, the giant Kristaps carried people from one coast to another, i.e. he worked as a ferryman, but once in the midst of bad weather he dreamed of a child crying, he got up, went to the other side, carried the child, put him to sleep in his house, and in the morning instead of the child he found a chest of gold, with this money Riga was built.

It is believed that Kristaps brings healing in illnesses, is the patron saint of sailors and river carriers. The inhabitants of Riga so fanatically sought healing from the statue that the authorities were forced to close it with a case for greater safety. Christianity here clearly clung to local pagan beliefs, because it correlates Big Kristaps with Saint Christopher, thereby sometimes depicted with a dog's head.

In summer, pleasure boats start right from the Big Kristaps sculpture. In winter, the weather was so vile that we did not even dare to cross to the other side of the Daugava to take a classic shot with a view of Old Riga. From trips around the surroundings, we can recommend visiting Sigulda, Jurmala and Rundale Palace. Of course, in summer Riga will look much more cheerful than in the January rain, but in summer you want to go to the sea. In the next article I will tell you about the absolutely wonderful Riga market