Riga Castle hosts concert honouring Latvia’s security forces

Riga Castle hosted a concert on Saturday for Latvia’s soldiers, border guards, police officers and other security personnel, LSM reported. President Edgars Rinkēvičs invited composer Zigmars Liepiņš to perform for people who dedicate their daily work to protecting the country’s security, borders, peace and independence.

“Today, people have been invited here to Riga Castle whose faces you will not see on posters and whose names do not appear in news headlines. When the words ‘stay at home’ are heard, these are the people who go out to take care of our security,” Rinkēvičs said in his address.

The concert featured Liepiņš and Sigvards Kļava’s cycle Soldiers’ Songs, created in 1994.

“It is also important for us not only to take care of the country, but sometimes to take a breath and rest,” said Colonel Antoņina Bļodone, commander of the NBS Headquarters Battalion.

The songs were dedicated to those who understand what it means to protect Latvia. The concert organisers said the cycle’s significance had not diminished over the years and had gained additional force as security threats remained near Latvia’s borders and war continued in Europe.