Riga Daily Photo

Daile

2009-07-11T20:14:00.003+03:00

Daile (Beauty or Art) is the name of the former Riga cinema, which was recently closed.
It was opened in 1936. At that time there were about 50 cinemas in Riga.
Last years it was famous as budget cinema for more or less old movies and cheap prices.

Sin City

2009-07-10T20:22:00.006+03:00

There is an interesting word consummation, but I am sure that you get me wrong.
Working girls in Riga bars/clubs are often called as consummaters (консуматорши). It means that they do almost everything just to get you buying them a drink. Of course house shares some profit with such girls.
Sin city is one more Riga place, where it is almost impossible to meet not working girl.
Drinks in such places are usually cost up to 20 times higher than somewhere else.
Luckily this place, located on Dzirnavu iela, is not blacklisted.

Pub

2009-07-10T20:12:00.000+03:00

Pubs are often called as Bars in Riga. This one is made especially for people who staring at their shoes while walking :)
See other pub photos under Riga bars label.

Dwarf House

2009-07-09T22:54:00.002+03:00

Did you know that Dwarfs also had settled in Riga? Unfortunately, I couldn't catch Snow White coming out :)
This little wooden house is located on Kalnciema iela, the street which connects Riga Center and Riga Airport.

Where to escape

2009-07-08T22:55:00.001+03:00

This sign post located at Perses iela shows distance between Riga and world cities.
Moscow (Maskava) 841 kilometers
Brussels (Brisele) 1455 km
London (Londona) 1674 km (1040 miles)
New York (Ņujorka) 6751 km (4195 miles)

Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) is much closer, just 10 meters, but lately more and more people leave the country for developing and investing in somewhere else.
Such ideas are visiting me quite often as well. What about you, my Latvian friends?

Yokels

2009-07-07T13:58:00.000+03:00

Sometimes Yokels are being called as Urlas in Latvia. These three are waiting for trolleybus at stop or just taking a rest.
I took this photo at Avotu iela, which is very famous for such daily pictures.

Zilais Dimants

2009-07-06T17:46:00.000+03:00

Zilais Dimants (Blue Diamond) is a huge Casino Network in Riga, which takes the last money from rustic sloggers.
Sometimes casinos are located in such wooden buildings. Who cares? You know, the most important is to be closer to the people.
I am happy that our neighbor-country Russia had forbidden gambling from 1st of July. I am sure that we need do so as well, as we suffer from the same problem when people get lost the whole salary in 2 hours.

Modes pasāža

2009-07-05T13:35:00.005+03:00

Modes pasāža (Fashion passage) is a clothing store residing in another wooden house on Krisjana Barona iela.

Bakery

2009-07-04T12:54:00.007+03:00

Bakery is an untypical club/bar located on Bruninieku iela 73. Electronic music of all kinds could be heard here.
Incredible friendly atmosphere, low prices and family design makes this place looking tempting to be visited.
It seems that everybody knows each other here, but in fact almost all people came here by chance.
Bar menu is unprecedented for Riga. It includes even some drugs, which are not forbidden in Riga yet.
Just have a look at this girlish mirror with teddy bears next to toilet :)

Lord Pub

2009-07-03T20:53:00.005+03:00

Lord's Pub is one more place, which should be avoided by Riga guests. Couple years ago its name was Groks.
This place was always asylum for desperate tourists looking for adventures. And they always got them here.
Bill for 2 bottles of quite cheap champagne is never less than 1000 EUR. And don't even try to find prices in menu, they don't exist there :)
Lord Pub is located on Kalku steet next to Babylon aka Roxy.
See all blacklisted places in Riga

Dzirnavu iela

2009-07-02T23:06:00.003+03:00

Dzirnavu iela (Miller Street) is the one-way traffic street in the very center of Riga.
Basically, Dzirnavu runs through the whole center perpendicularly to Brivibas.
A lot of offices are located on this street making it very busy during rush hours, but this picture has been taken just after morning jams.

Empty Space

2009-07-01T18:57:00.007+03:00

This is the empty space that left after Rīgas Sporta pils (Palace of Sport) demolition.
Sport Palace was mainly Ice Hockey venue, which handled many sport and music events from 1970 till it 2007.
I have personal feeling to this place, because I spent a lot of time here during my childhood. My mother used to work as technologist in Sport Palace.
Now there is a project to build office building, but it is frozen for undefined time.

This photo is part Monthly theme day which is Empty today.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants, see also other posts under label empty.

Krievu sala

2009-06-30T16:05:00.002+03:00

The part of Riga, where Daugava river flows into Baltic Sea, is heavily industrialized by ship yards, silos and warehouses.
One of such neighborhoods is called Voleri. The Southern part of Voleri, the peninsula Krievu Sala (Russian Island) is depicted on this picture.

Guest aerophotographer: leegenda

Akmens Tilts

2009-06-29T07:38:00.004+03:00

Akmens tilts (Stone Bridge) is full of cars during rush hour. This is the only Riga bridge where runs Tramway traffic
The Bridge was built in the place of old wooden bridge in 1953, which was called Zemgalu tilts.
The spike in the middle is the tallest church in Riga Pētera baznīca.

See also other pictures of Akmens Tilts in the night, during Christmas and during Staro Riga event.

Iran-Latvia Relations - Theme

2009-06-28T10:50:00.009+03:00

You would like to ask me what kind of relations are you talking about? There aren't any relations between Iran and Latvia And you will be right.
I've been looking for an hour for anything that depicts something related to Latvia and Iran in one picture. All I have found is the low quality official video of accreditation Iran ambassador.

Why?
Today is the extraordinary city theme day, which is devoted to the latest events in Iran and especially to my colleague who run Tehran Daily Photo. He is missing.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Deportation Wagon

2009-06-27T16:13:00.009+03:00

During early Soviet times more than 50 000 people living in Latvia were deported to Siberia and Central Asia in such wagons. It was about 2% of country population and all of them were classified as enemies of workers.
Deportation of Latvian people was just a little part of something much bigger. Total more than 3 millions of people were transferred in USSR for 8 years between 1941 and 1949.
It was a big crime against freedom and human being in general.

This wagon is forever parked at Tornakalns station, which is infamous because of such events.
See also another memorial to deported children.
BTW, Ozols has a great rap song about this events called Deportacija.

Pētersala

2009-06-26T15:40:00.010+03:00

Pētersala (Peter's Island) is one of the neighborhoods adjoining with Riga Center, making it quite prestigious to live in.
The name is in honor of the Tsar Peter the Great, who expanded the city in 18th century including this territories.
In the past this area was full of small rivers and canals, but in the 19 century all of them were dried.
Petersala together with Andrejsala are forming one of the 59 Riga subdivisions

Guest aerophotographer: leegenda.

Hare Krishna

2009-06-25T21:19:00.002+03:00

About 150 people in Riga are members of the Hare Krishna movement, related to Hinduism religion.
They are famous because their loud singing on the streets and other public places.
I've caught this Hare Krishna group on Terbatas street.

See also Sikh in Latvia.

Līgo Fire

2009-06-24T21:04:00.003+03:00

Last night was one of the most significant holidays in Latvia - Līgo.
The tradition is to make as big as possible fire and then go into forest to look for fern flower ;)

Midsummer Night

2009-06-23T08:58:00.008+03:00

Tonight is the Midsummer night, which locally called as Ligo or Jani in Latvia.
Midsummer is remarkable because it has the shortest night in a year, which lasts for about 4 hours only.
Due Riga high latitude, there is no absolutely black nights during the middle of the summer.
This picture is taken towards North pole at 1:30 o'clock in the night

Arkādijas Parks

2009-06-22T08:31:00.008+03:00

Arkādijas parks (Park of Arcadia) is located in Pardagauva between Monument of Victory and Tornakalns station.
Small river Marupite purling and twisting among stone hills, lake and a couple of waterfalls make Arcadia one of the most beautiful spots in Riga.

Big Bank

2009-06-21T17:44:00.004+03:00

Just BIG. In fact it is not even a bank, but a company which gives term loans at high interest.
Recently BIGBANK became very popular as many Latvian people suffer from lack of money and such banking-house is the only way to get some money quickly.
Of course, some people consider such institutions as just another financial trap.

AB Dambis

2009-06-20T17:48:00.006+03:00

AB Dambis (AB Bank) was built to separate Daugava river from dockyard more than 100 years ago.
It is a narrow 550 meters long strip, which is used as walking or running place nowadays.
Most of Riga Russians called this building as Коса (Kosa / spit)

Kr. Barona iela 59/61

2009-06-19T21:33:00.015+03:00

I've noticed that photos of such buildings are being liked by many visitors of riga.in.
So, here is one more wooden building, which is located on Krišjāņa Barona iela 59/61.
The address is so strange, because before, when in place of two old houses was built a new one, the new one took two sequence numbers.
Those numbers are connected by slash, though it is more often called as fraction bar.
I am interested is it same numbering system in many other countries? :)

P.S. Driving school Mustangs has an office in this building.

Livu Square

2009-06-18T09:00:00.005+03:00

Līvu laukums (Livu square) is the central square of Old Town surrounded by nice buildings.
It is named after Livonian people, indigenous inhabitants of Latvia, which current population is less than 200 people.