Freedom Monument - Riga, Latvia
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Marine Biologist
N 56° 57.084 E 024° 06.811
35V E 324453 N 6315683
The Freedom Monument in Riga, Latvia, honors soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920). The monument was featured on a Latvia postage stamp in 2004. The stamp also features the Statue of Liberty in the USA.
Waymark Code: WMP88F
Location: Latvia
Date Posted: 07/18/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member silverquill
Views: 19

"The Freedom Monument (Latvian: Brivibas piemineklis) is a memorial 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 42-metre (138 ft) 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 19-metre (62 ft) 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, Zigfrids 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 "Shine like a star!" submitted by Latvian sculptor Karlis Zale. 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 the high artistic value. Soviet propaganda attempted to alter the symbolic meaning of the monument to better fit with Communist ideology, but it remained a symbol of national independence to the general public. Indeed, on June 14, 1987, about 5,000 people gathered at the monument to commemorate the victims of the Soviet regime and to lay flowers. This rally renewed the national independence movement, which culminated three years later in the re-establishment of Latvian sovereignty after the fall of the Soviet regime."

--Wikipedia (visit link)
Stamp Issuing Country: Latvia

Date of Issue: 7-6-2004

Denomination: 40 s - Latvian santīms

Color: Multicolor (red, white, blue, green, tan)

Stamp Type: Single Stamp

Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

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Recent Visits/Logs:
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Walking Boots visited Freedom Monument - Riga, Latvia 01/11/2023 Walking Boots visited it
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Ringeck visited Freedom Monument - Riga, Latvia 10/08/2017 Ringeck visited it
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