Monument to Latvian resistance needs another 40,000 euros

A planned monument in Riga commemorating resistance to Soviet rule still needs 40,000 euros, LSM reports. Two-thirds of the 100,000 euros required has been raised, a construction design has been completed and granite has been ordered.

The monument, titled “Defying foreign rule”, is planned for Radio Street, where the Riga radio tower once stood. In 1963, Bruno Javoiš raised the Latvian flag on the tower in defiance of Soviet rule.

At an event marking Javoiš’s birthday, Latvian Occupation Museum director Solvita Vība said the monument would recognise not only him, but also people who resisted through armed action, words and other acts, and those who refused to collaborate or adapt while awaiting an independent Latvia.

If the remaining donations are secured, the monument is expected to be unveiled late next year. The site also needs landscaping. Riga City Development Department has approved the construction design for a park and monument, prepared by ARHIS architects and paid for with donations.

Vība said the organisers had asked Riga City Council to begin planning improvements to the location, including repairs to its paths.