Riga memorial to Latvian freedom fighters marks 90 years

The central monument at Riga’s Brothers’ Cemetery was unveiled 90 years ago, on November 11, 1936. LSM reported that a fragment of sculptor Kārlis Zāle’s design is on display at the Riga Latvian Society House to mark the anniversary.

The memorial’s artistic design was created by Zāle, landscape architect Andrejs Zeidaks, architect Aleksandrs Birzenieks and artist Pēteris Feders. Its central sculpture group, “Mother Latvia with Her Fallen Sons,” was dedicated on the same day in 1936.

The cemetery’s creation began earlier and took 21 years. The first three fallen Latvian riflemen were brought there and buried in October 1915. The initial phase of construction, from 1915 to 1923, established the memorial’s main layout, including a path of remembrance, a terrace with an eternal flame and oak trees, and the burial grounds.

The memorial is dedicated to those who fought in the First World War and for Latvia’s freedom. Riga Monuments Agency director Agnese Strautiņa said the central entrance would be illuminated in Latvia’s red-white-red colours at 6 p.m. on November 11 and 18.