Page 156 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

154  LA T VIA REGION B Y REGION

fatherland – as well as Latvian
heroes including Lāčplēšis. It
also bears the motto “Tēvzemei
un brīvībai” (For Fatherland and
Freedom). The slender granite
column is topped by a female
figure, commonly known as
Milda, holding aloft three
golden stars, which represent
the three cultural regions of
Latvia – Kurzeme, Vidzeme and
Latgale. During the Soviet era
the authorities banned people
from laying flowers at the
Boating on the city canal in Bastejkalns park base of the monument and
placed a statue of Lenin a short
g Photography h Bastejkalns distance away.
Museum Basteja bulvāris. Map 2 D3.
Latvijas fotogrāfijas muzejs
Situated next to the Freedom
Mārstaļu iela 8. Map 2 D4. Tel 6722 Monument, this leafy park was
2713. Open May–Sep: 10am–5pm set out in the mid-19th century
Wed & Fri–Sun, noon–7pm Thu; Oct– on the mound of a 17th-century
Apr: 11am–5pm Wed & Fri–Sun, bastion. It is a pleasant place to
noon–7pm Thu. & 8 relax, but it also contains a
∑ fotomuzejs.lv reminder that the path to Latvia’s
independence was not without
This museum traces the dev elop- bloodshed. On the night of
ment of photography in Latvia 20 January 1991, OMON troops –
from 1839 to 1941 through also known as the Black Berets –
displays of photographs and tried to storm barricaded
camera equipment. The images govern ment buildings. Two
also serve to illustrate life in filmmakers (Gvido Zvaigzne
Latvia, depicting events such as and Andris Slapiņš), two militia-
the 1905 Revolution (see p139) men (Sergejs Konoņenko and
and scenes of daily life during the Vladimirs Gomanovics) and a
first period of indepen dence. In schoolboy (Edijs Riekstiņš) were
one room, an early 20th- century killed in the ensuing gunfire in
photo graphic studio has been Bastejkalns. Local people regu-
re-created and in another there is larly renew the flowers on the
a display dedi cated to the Minox, memorial stones which bear The imposing Freedom Monument,
or “spy” camera, inven ted by Rīga- their names, located close to a designed by Kārlis Zāle
born Walter Zapp (1905–2003). small bridge.
More unusual items include k Krišjānis Barons
stereo scopic images and viewers j Freedom
and there is also a gallery that Memorial Museum
holds temporary exhibitions. Monument Krišjāņa Barona memoriālais muzejs
Brīvības piemineklis
Kr Barona iela 3. Map 2 E3. Tel 6728
Brīvības bulvāris. Map 2 D3. 7 4265. Open 11am–6pm Wed–Sun. &
8 = ∑ baronamuzejs.lv
Built in 1935 on a site previously
occupied by a statue of Peter Located in an apartment
the Great, the 42-m (138-ft) tall where the famous folklorist
Freedom Monument is a potent spent the last years of his life,
symbol of Latvian independence. this museum displays photo-
It was designed by the sculptor graphs and documents
Kārlis Zāle, also responsible for relating to Barons’s life and
the ensemble at the Brothers’ work. The most important
Cemetery (see p161). The granite exhibit is the Dainu skapis
base is decorated with reliefs (Cabinet of Latvian Folk Songs),
and statues repre senting four a specially designed chest of
Large plate camera, exhibited at the virtues – work, spiritual life, drawers in which Barons
Photography Museum family and protection of the organized the texts of over
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp300–301 and pp320–22

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