The Freedom Monument () is a monument located in Riga, Latvia, honouring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920). It is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of Latvia. Unveiled in 1935, the high monument of granite, travertine, and copper often serves as the focal point of public gatherings and official ceremonies in Riga.
The sculptures and bas-reliefs of the monument, arranged in thirteen groups, depict Latvian culture and history. The core of the monument is composed of tetragonal shapes on top of each other, decreasing in size towards the top, completed by a high travertine column bearing the copper figure of Liberty lifting three gilded stars. The concept for the monument first emerged in the early 1920s when the Latvian prime minister, Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics, ordered rules to be drawn up for a contest for designs of a "memorial column". After several contests the monument was finally built at the beginning of the 1930s according to the scheme "Mirdzi kā zvaigzne!" ("Shine like a star!") submitted by Latvian sculptor Kārlis Zāle. Construction works were financed by private donations.
Following the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, Latvia was annexed by the Soviet Union and the Freedom Monument was considered for demolition, but no such move was carried out. Soviet sculptor Vera Mukhina is sometimes credited for rescuing the monument, because she considered it to be of high artistic value. In 1963, when the issue of demolition was raised again, it was dismissed by Soviet authorities as the destruction of the monument would have caused deep indignation and tension in society. During the Soviet era, it remained a symbol of national independence to the general public. Indeed, on 14 June 1987, about 5,000 people gathered at the monument to lay flowers. This rally renewed the national independence movement, which culminated three years later in the re-establishment of Latvian sovereignty after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
The female figure at the top of the Freedom Monument is affectionately called Milda, because, according to Lithuanian author Arvydas Juozaitis, the model for the sculpture was a Lithuanian woman Milda Jasikienė, who lived in Riga.ARVĪDS JOZAITIS, Rīga - cita civilizācija (Ryga - niekieno civilizacija) However, the Riga Monument Agency says there are no historical records supporting this claim.
Design
The sculptures and bas-reliefs of the Freedom Monument, arranged in thirteen groups, depict Latvian culture and history. The core of the monument is composed of tetragonal shapes on top of each other, decreasing in size towards the top. A red granite staircase of ten steps, in height, winds around the base of the monument between two travertine reliefs high and wide, "Latvian riflemen" (13; ) and "Latvian people: the Singers" (14; ), which decorate its thick sides. Two additional steps form a round platform, which is in diameter, on which the whole monument stands. At the front of the monument this platform forms a rectangle, which is used for ceremonial proposes. The base of the monument, also made of red granite, is formed by two rectangular blocks: the lower one is a monolithic high, wide and long, while the smaller upper block is high, wide and long and has round niches in its corners, each containing a sculptural group of three figures. Its sides are also paneled with travertine.
On the front of the monument, in between the groups "Work" (10; depicting a fisherman, a craftsman and a farmer, who stands in the middle holding a scythe decorated with oak leaves and acorns to symbolize strength and manhood) and "Guards of the Fatherland" (9; depicting an ancient Latvian warrior standing between two kneeling modern soldiers), a dedication by the Latvian writer Kārlis Skalbe is inscribed on one of the travertine panels: For Fatherland and Freedom (6; ). On the sides the travertine panels bear two reliefs: "1905" (7; in reference to the Russian Revolution of 1905), and "The Battle against the Bermontians on the Iron Bridge" (8; , referring to the decisive battle in Riga during the Latvian War of Independence). On the back of the monument are another two sculptural groups: "Family" (12; ) (a mother standing between her two children) and "Scholars" (11; (a Baltic "pagan" priest, holding a crooked stick standing between figures of modern scientist and writer). On the red granite base there is yet another rectangular block, high and wide, and long, encircled by four high gray granite sculptural groups: "Latvia" (2; ), "Lāčplēsis" (3; , an epic Latvian folk hero), "Vaidelotis" (5; a Baltic "pagan" priest) and "Chain breakers" (4; ) (three chained men trying to break free from their chains).
The topmost block serves also as the foundation for the high monolithic travertine column, which is at the base. To the front and rear a line of glass runs along the middle of the column. The column is topped by a copper figure of Liberty (1), which is tall and in the form of a woman holding three gilded stars, symbolizing the constitutional districts of Latvia: Vidzeme, Latgale and Courland.Statue of Liberty, retrieved: 2007-02-07 The whole monument is built around a frame of reinforced concrete and was originally fastened together with lead, bronze cables and lime mortar. However, some of the original materials were replaced with polyurethane filler during restoration. There is a room inside the Monument, accessed through a door in its rear side, which contains a staircase leading upwards in the Monument that is used for electrical installation and to provide access to the sewerage. The room cannot be accessed by the public and is used mainly as storage, however it has been proposed that the room could be redesigned forming a small exhibition, which would be used to introduce foreign officials visiting Latvia with the history of the Monument after the flower-laying ceremony. Iecere atvērt Brīvības pieminekļa iekštelpu Tvnet.lv (LNT) 2008-02-20, retrieved on 2008-02-20
Location The monument is located in the center of Riga on Brīvības bulvāris (Freedom Boulevard), near the old town of Riga. In 1990 a section of the street around the monument, about long, between Rainis and Aspazija boulevards, was pedestrianized, forming a plaza. Part of it includes a bridge over the city's canal, once a part of the city's fortification system, which was demolished in the 19th century to build the modern boulevard district. Rīga 1860–1917 Rīga 1978 Zinātne (No ISBN) The canal is long and surrounded by parkland for half of its length.http://www.vecriga.info/, retrieved on 2007-05-30 The earth from the demolition of the fortifications was gathered in the park and now forms an artificial hill with a cascade of waterfalls to the north of the monument. The Boulevard district east of the park is the location of several embassies and institutions, of which the closest to the Freedom Monument are the German and French embassies, the University of Latvia and Riga State Gymnasium No.1. Map at rigatourism.com , retrieved on 2007-06-03
Situated in the park near the monument to the south is the National Opera House with a flower garden and a fountain in front of it. Enciklopēdija "Rīga" Rīga 1988 Galvenā enciklopēdiju redakcija (No ISBN) Opposite the opera house on the western part of plaza near the old town, is a small café and the Laima clock. The clock was set up in 1924, and in 1936 it was decorated with an advertisement for the Latvian confectionery brand "Laima", from which it took its name; it is a popular meeting spot. "Laimas" pulkstenim veiks kosmētisko remontu , retrieved on 2007-04-20
Originally it was planned that an elliptical plaza would be built around the foot of the monument, enclosed by a granite wall high, with benches placed inside it, while a hedge of thujas was to be planted around the outside. This project was however not carried out in the 1930s. The idea was reconsidered in the 1980s but shelved again. "Latvijas Enciklopēdija" (I sējums) Rīga 2002 SIA "Valērija Belokoņa izdevniecība"
Construction
The idea of building a memorial to honour soldiers killed in action during the Latvian War of Independence first emerged in the early 1920s. On 27 July 1922, the Prime Minister of Latvia, Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics, ordered rules to be drawn up for a contest for designs of a "memorial column". The winner of this contest was a scheme proposing a column tall with reliefs of the official symbols of Latvia and bas-reliefs of Krišjānis Barons and Atis Kronvalds. It was later rejected after a protest from 57 artists. In October 1923, a new contest was announced, using for the first time the term "Freedom Monument". The contest ended with two winners, and a new closed contest was announced in March 1925, but, due to disagreement within the jury, there was no result.
Finally in October 1929, the last contest was announced. The winner was the design "Shine like a star!" () by sculptor Kārlis Zāle, who had had success in the previous contests as well. After minor corrections made by the author and supervising architect Ernests Štālbergs, construction began on 18 November 1931. Financed by private donations, the monument was erected by the entrance to the old town, in the same place where the previous central monument of Riga, a bronze equestrian statue of Tsar Peter the Great of Russia had stood from 1910 until the outbreak of World War I. It was calculated in 1935, the year when the monument was unveiled, that in four years of construction 308,000 man-hours were required to work the stone materials alone: 130 years would have been required if one person were to carry out the work using the most advanced equipment of the time. The total weight of materials used was about 2,500 tons: such a quantity of materials would have required about 200 freight cars if transported by railway.
Restoration
The monument is endangered by the climate (which has caused damage by frost and rain) and by air pollution. Although in 1990 the area around the monument was pedestrianized, there are still three streets carrying traffic around it. High concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide have been recorded near the monument, which in combination with water cause corrosion of the fabric of the monument. In addition, water has caused cracking of the reinforced concrete core and rusting of its steel reinforcements and the fastenings of the monument, which also have been worn out by constant vibrations caused by traffic. The porous travertine has gradually crumbled over time and its pores have filled with soot and particles of sand, causing it to blacken and providing a habitat for small organisms, such as moss and lichens.Environmental Influences on Cultural Heritage of Latvia by G. Mezinskis, L. Krage & M. Dzenis, Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical University Irregular maintenance and the unskillful performance of restoration work have also contributed to the weathering of the monument. To prevent its further decay some of the fastenings were replaced with polyurethane filler and water repellent was applied to the monument during the restoration in 2001. It was also determined that maintenance should be carried out every 2 years.New Materials for Conservation of Stone Monuments in Latvia by Inese Sidraba, Centre for Conservation and Restoration of Stone Materials, Institute of Silicate Materials, Riga Technical University