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Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders

Coordinates: 56°56′12″N 24°05′09″E / 56.936804°N 24.085808°E / 56.936804; 24.085808
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Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders
Piemineklis Padomju Latvijas un Rīgas atbrīvotājiem no vācu fašistiskajiem iebrucējiem
Upper half of the Monument visible from Bāriņu Street in 2019
Map
56°56′12″N 24°05′09″E / 56.936803°N 24.085808°E / 56.936803; 24.085808
LocationVictory Park, Riga, Latvia
DesignerAlexandr Bugaev [lv; ru]
MaterialBronze, granite, concrete
HeightObelisk: 79 metres (259 feet 2 inches)
Beginning date8 May 1978
Completion date1985
Opening date1985
Dedicated toThe Red Army soldiers that recaptured Riga and the rest of Latvia
Dismantled date25 August 2022

The Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders,[a] unofficially known simply as the Victory Monument,[b][c] was a memorial complex in Victory Park, Pārdaugava, Riga, Latvia, erected in 1985 to commemorate the Red Army soldiers that recaptured Riga and the rest of Latvia at the end of World War II (1944–1945). The complex consisted of a 79-metre tall obelisk that consisted of five columns topped by five-pointed star, and two groups of sculptures – Homeland the Mother (Dzimtene-māte, Родина-мать) and a band of three soldiers.[1]

The monument was the subject of long-standing controversy in modern Latvian society, concerning the historical memory of World War II and the legacy of Soviet rule.[d] Many ethnic Latvians regarded it not as a symbol of liberation, but rather start of the Soviet re-occupation.[2][3] The monument's obelisk was sometimes referred to in Latvian as "Moscow's Finger" (Maskavas pirksts)[1] or okupeklis (a portmanteau of okupācija – 'occupation' and piemineklis – 'monument'),[4] and juxtaposed to the Freedom Monument.[5]

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a decision was made to finally remove the monument. The demolition began 22 August 2022 and on 25 August 2022, the obelisk was toppled.[6][7][8][9]

History

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See also: Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, German occupation of Latvia during World War II, Riga offensive (1944), Baltic offensive, and Soviet re-occupation of Latvia in 1944

Construction and early years

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The monument was designed by architect Alexandr Bugaev [lv; ru] and produced by sculptors Lev Bukovsky [lv; ru] and Aivars Gulbis [lv; ru] in 1985.[1] In 1994, after the restoration of Latvia's independence, the Socialist Party of Latvia took initiatives to revive Victory Day celebrations at the monument. the following year, around 11,000 people gathered for a 9 May event chaired by the vice-chairman of Socialist Party and MP Filips Stroganovs [lv; ru].[10]

In 1997, the monument was unsuccessfully bombed by members of the Latvian ultranationalist group Pērkonkrusts, two of whom died during the bombing,[11] while six others, including Igors Šiškins, were eventually sentenced to up to three years in prison in 2000.[12] In 1998, the Victory Day celebration at the monument was organized by the party For Human Rights in a United Latvia for the first time and by 2005 the event had grown to resemble an open-air festival attended by around 260,000 people.[10]

Calls for removal

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In 2007, the Popular Front of Latvia and the Alliance of Latvian World War II Veterans sent an open letter to Prime Minister of Latvia Aigars Kalvītis urging him to prevent "any provocations that might discredit the Latvian state" and resolve any issues in regard to the monument's removal as it is "glorifying the ideals of a regime guilty of genocide that killed about 60 million people, including thousands of Latvians."[13]

After the relocation of the Bronze Soldier in Tallinn in late April 2007, the issue of the monument was brought up again. Chairman of the nationalist All for Latvia! party Raivis Dzintars called on Riga Mayor Jānis Birks of the conservative TB/LNNK to organize a public discussion on the future of the monument, but Birks dismissed the calls as "very thoughtless and even harmful to Latvia". The chairman of the Union of Greens and Farmers parliamentary faction Augusts Brigmanis [lv] and the leader of Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way parliamentary faction Andris Bērziņš were similarly dismissive.[14]

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2016 Russian 5 rouble commemorative coin depicting the monument
Flowers laid at the foot of the monument during the 2016 Victory Day celebration

In 2013, more than 11,000 signatures were collected on the online petition website ManaBalss.lv supporting removal of the monument and reconstruction of Victory Square the way it was originally planned in the 1930s, before the Soviet occupation, commemorating the victory in 1919 over the West Russian Volunteer Army of Pavel Bermondt-Avalov during the Latvian War of Independence. Justice Minister of Latvia Jānis Bordāns was among the supporters of the initiative, whereas Russian Foreign Ministry representative Alexander Lukashevich condemned the calls for the monument's removal.[15][16]

On 29 June 2016, the Saeima Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee rejected the petition based on the argumentation of the Riga City Council that the location had already been developed and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia that concluded that the monument was protected by a Latvian-Russian 1994 agreement on preservation and maintenance of memorials and burial sites.[17]

In 2019, a similar petition by the same initiator gathered more than 10,000 signatures and on 2 April the Saeima Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee began discussing it, with some members supporting the removal, some opposing it and some offering alternative solutions, such as renaming the monument and building an interactive museum of occupation under it. At the same time, a counterinitiative by the Latvian Russian Union leader Tatjana Ždanoka on "the protection of monuments against Nazism", including the Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders, had gathered over 21,000 signatures.[18][19] Ždanoka was revealed via emails with her handler leaked in 2024 to have allegedly been a Russian FSB operative as far back as 2004.[20]

Removal

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In April 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a 2013 social media post by the Latvian Russian Union council member Jevgēņijs Osipovs was shared by him and other members and supporters of the party, in which he threatened with "war" if the monument was moved "by even a millimetre".[21]

On 11 April, the monument complex was declared unsafe by the Riga City Council and fenced off.[22] A few weeks later, Velta Čebotarenoka [lv], a representative of the 4 May Declaration Club uniting pro-independence members of the Supreme Council of Latvia, said that the "ghost symbolizing occupation, aggression, and russkij sovetskij mir [Russian Soviet world]" "should be removed at the earliest opportunity".[23]

On 6 May, Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš announced that the monument's eventual removal was inevitable.[24][25] After a spontaneous pro-Russian rally at the monument on 10 May, access to it was restricted once again[26] and extended until August 31,[27] while three police officers present on site on 10 May were suspended from their duties.[28] On 12 May, a public demolition fundraising campaign was launched and more than 39,000 euros were donated by the end of the day[29] when the Saeima voted to suspend the functioning of a section of an agreement between Latvia and Russia regarding the preservation of memorial structures.[30]

The next day Riga City Council also voted in favour of the monument's removal,[31] but the total amount of donations reached almost 200,000 euros.[32] Russia submitted a request for compensation for the monument's removal, but was dismissed by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs who made a reference to Vladimir Putin's 2004 response to Latvia's wish to recover its former territory Abrene by saying that Russia "will get a dead donkey ears, not a compensation".[33]

The object [i.e., the monument] in Pārdaugava is not a mute witness of history. It has always been a symbol of Soviet occupation. The Red Army drove German occupants from the country and then established a Soviet occupation regime. It lasted another 45 years and claimed tens of thousands of innocent people’s lives. We did not call for the first or the second group of occupants. For a long time this object has been used by Russia’s autocratic regime. Most people come to this monument not as much to commemorate the fallen, but to publicly promote Kremlin's imperialistic narratives and vision for the world. But after 24 February this object left by occupants in Pārdaugava acquired a new meaning. Events of last week indicated that it can motivate some people to extreme, Russian war crime-glorifying behaviour in public space,

— President of Latvia Egils Levits, 16 May 2022[34]
The 20 May rally "Getting Rid of Soviet Heritage" in Riga with the monument in the distance

On 20 May, a rally called "Getting Rid of Soviet Heritage" took place in Riga and was attended by approximately 5,000 people who walked from Freedom Monument to the Victory Monument,[35] while a counter rally by Latvian Russian Union with a reverse route was not allowed over security concerns.[36] According to a June 2022 survey, 49% of people supported the dismantling of the monument (72% ethnic Latvians and only 9% ethnic Russians), while 25% didn’t support it (76% ethnic Russians and only 10% ethnic Latvians).[37]

On 22 August 2022, the monument's removal began with landscape preparations and State Security Service monitoring the situation for potential provocations.[38] Seven people were detained by the police the same day[39] and an additional 14 people a day later.[40] The band of three soldiers was demolished on 23 August,[41] and the monument's main element, the obelisk, was toppled on 25 August.[6][7][8][42] The following day, UN Human Rights Committee belatedly asked Latvia to stop the removal of the monument and preserve the already removed parts of the monument while it reviewed a complaint submitted to the committee on 24 August.[43] On 29 August, the pool within the memorial complex was drained,[44] and a tonne of fish, mostly carp, were removed.[45] The removal of the sculptures and the debris from the site was officially completed on 14 October, while the removal of the memorial complex's foundation and remaining structures was scheduled to be completed by the end of the month.[46] A skatepark is planned to be built on the site of the monument as a potential temporary solution.[47]

Russia's response

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The Investigative Committee of Russia immediately launched a criminal case over the monument's removal.[48]

On 10 November 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia summoned the Latvian ambassador Māris Riekstiņš in protest at the removal of Soviet monuments and threatened with the "right to retaliate, including by taking asymmetric steps".[49][50] Rinkēvičs commented by saying that, "Any step they take will be followed by an adequate, stern, and solid response."[51]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Latvian: Piemineklis Padomju Latvijas un Rīgas atbrīvotājiem no vācu fašistiskajiem iebrucējiem; Russian: Памятник освободителям Советской Латвии и Риги от немецко-фашистских захватчиков, romanized: Pamyatnik osvobodityelyam Sovetskoy Latvii i Rigi ot nemetsko-fashistskikh zakhvatchikov.
  2. ^ Latvian: Uzvaras piemineklis; Russian: Памятник победы, romanized: Pamyatnik pobedy.
  3. ^ The unofficial name of the monument came from the Victory Park it was located in, which was not named after the Allied victory in World War II, but rather the Latvian National Armed Forces victory over the West Russian Volunteer Army in 1919 during the Latvian War of Independence. During the construction of the monument while Latvia was still under Soviet occupation, the park was renamed Victory Park again but this time reinterpreted as the Soviet victory in World War II.
  4. ^ Since 1995, Latvia officially commemorates the defeat of Nazism and victims of World War II on 8 May just like in Western Europe with a flower laying ceremony in Brothers' Cemetery attended by the President, Prime Minister and other Latvian dignitaries, while the main celebration at the Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders traditionally took place a day later, when Victory Day is celebrated in Russia and several other countries, and was largely attended by the country's Russian-speaking population, pro-Russian politicians from the Socialist Party of Latvia, Latvian Russian Union and Social Democratic Party "Harmony" and ambassadors of Russia and several other post-Soviet states.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Hoffmann, Thomas; Makarychev, Andrey, eds. (2018). "Russia's monuments policy in the Baltic States". Russia and the EU: Spaces of Interaction. Abingdon: Routledge. p. 99. ISBN 978-1-138-30379-9.
  2. ^ Ochser, Tim (16 May 2002). "Monument divides society on Victory Day". The Baltic Times. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  3. ^ "WWII Victory Day still stirs controversy in Latvia". Expatica. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  4. ^ "Latvia's word and non-word of the year 2022 announced". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  5. ^ Berglund, Sten; Ekman, Joakim; Deegan-Krause, Kevin; Knutsen, Terje, eds. (2013). The Handbook of Political Change in Eastern Europe (3rd ed.). Abingdon: Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-857-93537-3.
  6. ^ a b "Demolition of Soviet Victory monument in Rīga". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  7. ^ a b "79 m tall obelisk of Soviet Victory Monument toppled in Pārdaugava". Baltic News Network. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Largest Soviet monument in Baltics dismantled in Riga". The Baltic Times. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  9. ^ Kwai, Isabella (26 August 2022). "Latvia tears down a controversial Soviet-era monument in its capital". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023.
  10. ^ a b "May 9 and the Soviet Victory Monument: timeline, public opinion and Armands' view". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  11. ^ "Latvia". AXT. 1998. Archived from the original on 10 January 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2008.
  12. ^ "Latvian Nationalists Imprisoned for Obelisk Bombing". The Moscow Times. 30 May 2000. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  13. ^ "WWII veterans call for removal of Soviet monument in Riga". The Baltic Times. 21 January 2007. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  14. ^ "Moving Latvian victory monument "would be very thoughtless"". The Baltic Times. 17 May 2007. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  15. ^ "Dombrovskis, take down that monument". The Baltic Times. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  16. ^ "Victory Monument removal drive picks up pace". The Baltic Times. 29 October 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  17. ^ "Saeima committee rejects petition calling for restoration of original Victory Square in Riga". The Baltic Course. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  18. ^ "Saeima committee divided on residents' petition calling for demolition of Uzvaras Monument". The Baltic Course. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  19. ^ "Saeima committee divided on future of Soviet "Victory" monument". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  20. ^ "EU Parliament probes a Latvian lawmaker after media allegations that she spied for Russia". Associated Press. 30 January 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  21. ^ "Latvian Russians Union threatens with "war" if Victory Monument tampered with". Baltic News Network. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  22. ^ "Riga mayor: the monument complex in Victory Park is declared unsafe". Baltic News Network. LETA. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  23. ^ "Another push for dismantling 'Victory' monument in Latvia". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  24. ^ "Soviet memorial's days are numbered, confirms Latvian PM". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  25. ^ "Latvian PM: Victory Square monument will be demolished, the question is – how and when". Baltic News Network. LETA. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  26. ^ "Access denied to Soviet monument after pro-Russian rally Tuesday". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  27. ^ "Soviet monument in Rīga to be closed off all summer". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  28. ^ "Three police officials suspended over Tuesday events at Uzvaras park". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  29. ^ "Fundraising begins in Latvia for dismantling Soviet monument". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  30. ^ "Saeima decides to legally allow Soviet monument demolition". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  31. ^ "Riga City Council votes in favour of demolition of "Occupation monument"". Baltic News Network. LETA. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  32. ^ Zvirbulis, Ģirts (13 May 2022). "Nearly EUR 200,000 collected for demolition of Soviet memorial". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  33. ^ "Russia requests compensation for dismantling of Soviet monument in Pārdaugava". Baltic News Network. LETA. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  34. ^ "Latvia's President: the monument left by Soviet occupants in Pārdaugava must be dismantled". Baltic News Network. LETA. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  35. ^ "Thousands turn out to support removal of Soviet relics". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. LETA. 20 May 2022.
  36. ^ "Security service gives red light to Latvian Russian Union's rally". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 24 May 2022.
  37. ^ "Less than half of Russians in Latvia condemn Russia's war in Ukraine: survey". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  38. ^ "Landscape preparations start in Riga to commence Soviet Victory Monument's removal". Baltic News Network. LETA. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  39. ^ Līcīte, Madara (23 August 2022). "Seven detained by Soviet monument in Rīga before demolition". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  40. ^ "PHOTO, VIDEO | Latvian police detain 14 people near monument's demolition site in Pārdaugava". Baltic News Network. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  41. ^ Demidovs, Viktors; Kinca, Aija (23 August 2022). "Parts of Rīga's Soviet monument demolished on Tuesday". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  42. ^ Olsen, Jan M. (25 August 2022). "Latvia brings down Soviet-era monument's obelisk in capital". AP News. Associated Press. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  43. ^ "UN committee belatedly requests to stop Soviet Victory Monument's demolition in Pārdaugava". Baltic News Network. LETA. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  44. ^ "Pool near toppled Soviet monument drained". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. LETA. 30 August 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  45. ^ "Tonne of fish removed from pool near toppled Soviet monument". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  46. ^ "PHOTO | removal of Soviet Victory Monument's sculptures is officially complete in Pārdaugava". Baltic News Network. LETA. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  47. ^ "Skating park to be put in place of Soviet Victory Monument in Riga as a temporary solution". Baltic News Network. LETA. 5 October 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  48. ^ "Russia launches criminal case over demolition of Soviet monument in Latvia". Baltic News Network. LETA. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  49. ^ Collier, Mike (10 November 2022). "Russia rants asymmetrically about barbarism and beachside real estate". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  50. ^ "Russian Foreign Ministry lodges protest with Latvian ambassador over Soviet monuments' demolition in Latvia". The Baltic Times. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  51. ^ "Latvia's reaction to Russia's 'asymmetrical steps' will be stern: Rinkēvičs". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
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