While some places come and ago, others persist for years. Here’s one of them, music folk store “Upe” (meaning “River” in Latvian). An outlet of a recording studio of the same name, it is located on one of the quiet streets of Old Riga. Traditional music instruments and funny handcrafted toys, collection of world music, a little bit of wooden furniture, ancient-style Latvian jewelry and a nice selection of great many little things – a whole treasure-chest opens to your eyes as you enter the store, be welcome!

Melodic touch to your virtual visit adds Latvīte Podiņa playing on kokle, traditional Latvian string instrument. Professional musician and teacher, Latvīte is also the only player on electric kokle, a format utterly new for this ethnographic instrument. Add guitar and djembe drum and you’ll get a peculiar sound of music band “Vētras saites” (Storm Links), of which she makes a part, too.

You can find catalogue of music recordings of the studio “Upe” here or visit their store in person:
Riharda Vagnera iela 5, tel. 67 226 119
open Mon – Fri from 11am to 7pm, Sat 11am – 4pm.

Some other places where you can find great souvenirs without leaving the Old Town:

Just next to “Upe” is an outlet of another oldtimer, Tines. Praised for their quality collections of linen and wool knitwork, here you can find one of the finest mittens and socks with authentic Latvian ornaments in town.
Riharda Vagnera iela 5, tel. 67 211 008

Anna Minna offers a broad range of ever popular traditional handcrafted souvenirs and artworks.
Gleznotaju iela 5, mob. tel. 28 300 210
open Mon – Sat, 11am – 7pm.

Organic cosmetics, bio food & a little café at the Latvian Green Studio Pienene
Kungu iela 7/9, tel. 67 210 400
open daily from 10am to 7pm

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Here you can find flower and oak leave wreaths for your all-nighter celebration around the bonfire, buy herbs and beautiful flower bouquets to decorate the house and simply enjoy that unique moment when Latvian meadows and gardens make their way to the city.

Urban “herald” of the astronomical summer, the market takes place on the Dome Square already for the sixteenth season. It gathers not only flower and greenery vendors, but also many craftsmen – potters and cheese-makers, weavers and bakers, blacksmiths and basket makers, brewers and jewellers, carvers, knitters, pastry-cooks, tailors, farmers… Folk song and dance ensembles perform at the nearby stage, and together – friendly people, rich colours, merry melodies – they create that vibrant and festive atmosphere that you can only feel on the verge of a true Latvian summer.

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Those brave enough to challenge the cold weather were rewarded with a new perspective on Riga. Rising 40 metres above the ground in just a few moments, flying past streets and rooftops, many fascinating discoveries sprung into view. Peculiar stone animals and birds sit with perfect calm on buildings’ façades, hidden terraces and old chimneys emerge here and there; the sun glints from the many gilded elements that generously decorate the town…

If you haven’t managed to take a ride on “Hanse Rad”, we welcome you to do this virtually! To explore Riga from a bird’s eye view you can also choose among several permanent observation platforms –

St. Peter’s Church (71 m), Skarnu iela 19., tel. 67 229 426, open: 10am – 6pm (ticket office closes at 5.30pm), tickets 1-3 Ls. See 360º panorama.

Academy of Science (65 m), Akademijas laukums 1., tel. 67 229 350, open: 9am – 8pm (from 1 May – 15 October), tickets 2 Ls. See 360º panorama.

TV Tower on Zakusala Island (97 m), Zakusalas krastmala 1, tel. 67 108 643, open: 10am – 8pm (15 May – 30 September), 10am – 5pm (1 October – 14 May), tickets 0,80-2,60 Ls. See 360º panorama.

If you’re in the mood for combining grand view with a good drink, head to Skyline Bar on the 26th floor of the Radisson Blu Hotel Latvija. More information on their website.

Virtual Latvia would like to thank the management and employees of the “Hanse Rad” for their kind support in production of this multimedia story.

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Spacious and airy, the landscape park spans over the territory of about 37 hectares, being divided into two parts by the road that leads further into the heart of Agenskalns. Although the name of the park suggests that it was created during the Soviet times, in fact it was laid out in 1909-10, during the flourishing times of George Armitstead, most famous of Riga mayors. Initially called Peter’s Park after Peter the Great, it was created to commemorate 200 years since Riga became part of the Russian Empire.

The park has lived through various changes throughout turbulent years of the first half of the 20^th century, but it never lost its original idea of being somewhat a symbol of state power. Well, maybe except for the “force majeure” times of both World Wars, when city dwellers were spontaneously adopting the area for their small vegetable gardens…

First Latvian president Karlis Ulmanis wanted to transform the park into a huge sports complex and a parade square, willing to surpass the Berlin Olympic Complex. As known, he has fell short in time, however it was during his government that the park has got its current name.

In Soviet times the park was reconstructed to its present shape, with large pond, numerous lawns and groups of rare tree species. Although the idea of sports complex floated around again, it was never brought into reality due to lack of funds. In 1985 the Monument to the Liberators of Riga from Fascism was erected. Giant statues of Motherland and War-liberators stand under the 79-metre high obelisk; five stars on top of the obelisk symbolise five years of WWII.

Soviet past turned out to be a very sensitive topic in modern Latvia, and Victory Monument has equally become the subject of controversy. With annual celebration of the V-Day on the 9^th May at the foot of the monument and an attempt of blowing it up in 1997 or officially remove it, unity of the nations is still a long way off in Latvia…

A perfect cure from many discords is sport, and here, in Uzvaras Park, it works really well. In summer the park gets crowded with joggers, cyclists, skaters and rollers training their skills on smooth asphalt tracks laid out in smaller and bigger circles. No matter if winter comes with snow, thanks to snow cannon a 1250-metre long track awaits skiers of all ages throughout the season; skies rental is at your disposal too. If the decorative pond around the monument gets frozen – even better, then hockey matches between local teams take place whenever the opportunity presents. Add a stadium and a football field just across the street, and you’ll see that the idea of turning Victory Park into an abode of sports (so cherished by previous regimes) is finally taking shape today. Mens sana in corpore sano!

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Today the castle is a prestigeous venue for banquets, seminars. Separate from the function rooms, there are is a hotel and a restaurant in the castle, inviting travelers to have a rest from the city hustle and enjoy the romantic surroundings of the castle.

For more visit website of Birinu Castle – http://www.birinupils.lv

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The IWCR is a voluntary public organization which has Public Benefit Organisation status.  The ongoing work of the Charity Committee involves different fundraising activities throughout the year; the most significant being the annual International Christmas Bazaar.  A unique concept for Latvia, this is the event where you can buy original local and overseas presents for the coming holidays, taste national delicacies, take part in the lively auction, whilst at the same time making your own contribution to the support of Latvia’s needy people.

We have attended the Bazaar 2010 to witness this festive fundraising event and its international spirit first hand. Mrs. Gale Rogers, the IWCR Treasurer, and Mrs. Eugene Roberts, co-coordinator of the Auction, have kindly agreed to give us a brief insight into the event.
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Virtual Latvia: What is the idea of the International Bazaar?

Gale Rogers: The International Women’s Club of Riga hosts an annual event which is a fundraiser for our charities. This year we are being hosted at the Radisson Blu Hotel Latvia. The women in the Club, Embassy groups or national groups (not necessarily associated with the embassies), and vendors – all participate in an event designed to raise money for the needy throughout Latvia.

This has been going on, now it is our fourteenth year and everything that you see here is either donated or all of the profits will go to charity. Individuals donate all of their time and their energy for many months in advance of the event to go ahead and ensure that the sale at the Bazaar raises the most money possible.

VL: How do you distribute the money, who do you support?

GR: Once the money comes in, our Charity Committee looks at organisations that we’ve helped in the past and any organisations who have reached out to us through the course of the year, and we design the budget that gets then distributed.

This year we have donated funding to a number of Latvian charities. Three soup kitchens, one associated with Missionaries of Charity, one associated with Chabad Lubavitch Centre and one associated with Hope for Children.  We’ve also support a crisis centre for families in need with school supplies and food through the course of the year. We’re donating money this year to several orphanages as well, supporting both wood and fuel to heat them during the winter, as well as a number of other items that they’ve asked for. The Samaritans Centre received some replacement cookers this year for cookware that failed for them. In the past and probably again this year we’ll donate money for a scholarship for a needy student.

VL: How many participants are here today?

GR: There are twenty vendors and twenty four other tables, five of those are Women’s Club tables and the remaining nineteen are national tables. This is an international event, I think we have at least twenty different nationalities represented, and any number of organisations. You’ve seen the sponsors that we have – Aldaris, Coca-Cola, CIDO, any number of others, including the obvious one – the Radisson Blu.

VL: What makes this year’s auction special?

Eugene Roberts: The auction has grown from year to year, and this is really the largest, the first time we’ve done a live auction as well as the silent auction. We have over a hundred fantastic ‘treasures’ that have been donated by private individuals and businesses here in Riga. Everyone has really got behind it and been so generous. They were very keen to support the event, because donating even a small item that raises just a few lats becomes a very effective way to reach and support the charities.

We have some great ‘Lots’ on offer today including a hand-decorated Christmas tree bauble gifted by the First Lady, Mrs Lilita Zatlere; a pair of business class air tickets from airBaltic; wonderful ferry, hotel and spa packages here in Riga and further afield in Estonia, meals in local restaurants, electronic equipment from LG and Samsung and Dinamo Riga signed ice-hockey memorabilia, to name just a few.  In addition, we have experiences that ‘money can’t usually buy’ including ‘High Tea at the British Embassy’, a ‘Behind the Scenes Tour of Riga Zoo’ and the chance to be a ‘Fashion Star on the Cat Walk, courtesy of Klase.

VL: What was the result of the last year Bazaar?

GR: Last year’s Bazaar made around 11 000 Ls for charity.

VL: What are your expectations for this year?

GR: There’s no way to tell year on year; it totally depends on how many people come in and give of their money to buy the items that are available, you can never predict. From year to year there is no consistency, but I will say in general in the past the amount, during the best economic times, we have made around 16 000 Ls, so it depends on what’s going on in the economy, too, as much as anything else.

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P.S: The International Christmas Bazaar 2010 proved to be very successful. The joint effort of the organisers, sponsors and visitors resulted in an impressive net profit of 14,000 Lats raised for charity work in Latvia.

For all further information about the International Christmas Bazaar and the charity work of the IWCR visit their website at www.iwcr.lv

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Late November light festival “Riga Shines” for several years now brings a wide array of light installations and peculiar transformations to the city. Municipal, commercial and private artworks are set on display all across Riga. From little interactive exhibits to large projections on buildings and huge beams going through the sky, the programme grows increasingly vast year by year, culminating in fireworks on the evening of the 18^th November, the Independence Proclamation Day.

Traditional Christmas markets are held at the Dome and Live Square in December. Here you can find a great deal of hand crafted presents (knitted, potted, wattled, baked carpentered, embroidered, brewed…), taste local food and drinks (grey peas and sauerkraut, piparkūkas (pepper cookies), almonds roasted in wine and spices, Glühwein and hot blackcurrant juice with Riga Black Balsam are on the favourites list), listen to folk music, take part in various festivities.

Such as, for example, the celebration of winter solstice, called ziemas Saulgrieži in Latvian. Roots of this tradition go back to pagan times, when change of the solar year had a great meaning – both magic and practical. Re-birth of the Sun, so much awaited in the northern latitudes, entailed a whole set of rituals performed to help the light dispel the darkness.
Nowadays Riga still has preserved this tradition. On the evening of 21 December ķekatas – people costumed as beasts – drag the yule log across the Old Town, collecting all bad and evil that has accumulated here throughout the year. Then they set the log afire, getting rid of all negative, celebrating the return of the Sun with songs and dances around the bonfire…

And then come all major feasts – Christmas and New Year, and then again Christmas and Old New Year – in the Orthodox tradition. Families and friends rejoin around the festive tables, lights burn bright and so do our hopes for a good and prosperous coming year. Be happy and make others happy, too!

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Catholic Church, striving to strengthen its influence among pagans, had declared June 24 as the birthday of John the Baptist (Jānis Kristītājs in Latvian) and that’s how mass celebration of summer solstice shifted to the night of June 23.

However increasingly more people tend to go back to their roots, lighting fires on the night of June 21. One of the greatest events this year took place on Jāņu Hill in Turaida, in an entourage of grasslands and scenic hilly landscape. Held by a folklore organisation Māras Loks (Ring of Mara, ancient Latvian goddess), Danču Klubs (Folk Dance Club) and folklore groups from different parts of Latvia they invited everyone to join them for a traditional seasonal feast.

… As the shortest night of the year approaches, participants are taken through rituals that were known to their ancestry centuries ago. Rejoined around the bonfire people sing songs and make offerings to the sun. They share simple food shortly before the sunset, and face the west in silence seeing off the sun as it goes down.
Latvian folklore has thousands of Jāņu songs, dedicated to every single theme and moment of the feast, and singers’ voices, unceased, resound far away into the silent nature. Drizzling rain saturates air with meadow herb fragrances. Peaceful tranquility descends upon the hill…

At dusk two archers bend their bows with burning arrows to set fire to a wooden barrel that stands on a high pole. It will illuminate the place where people take part in magical Jāņu dances, united in one moving element.

Bonfire will be kept burning all through the night to send away evil spirits and help the sun rise. At dawn people will walk the Path of Light to Dainu Hill, to meet the luminary and receive its powerful blessing…

* pronounced in Latvian as “yaany”

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Meeting giraffes “in person” was quite an emotional experience. With legs of a man’s height, giraffes walk quickly, and as one of them approaches you at a moment’s notice and carefully bends down his head to examine you closer, it feels both odd and moving.
Curious yet shy, giraffes won’t let you touch them, so mild voice and friendly look leave you the only way to communicate. They may seem silent, but in fact giraffes mostly “speak” at an infrasound level, inaudible for human’s ear.

The Giraffe House is a pride of Riga Zoo. Interior of their abode consists of module barrages, which allows easier managing of animals. Large glass wall permits to watch giraffes at a relatively close distance, and at the same time prevents visitors from feeding them – this is a common problem many Zoo face across the world.

With four giraffes the House has reached its capacity, and now the staff carries out various studies to be able to replace some males with female species in the future, and launch out their own breeding programme.

To be continued…

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You can see what giraffes are doing at the moment on this webcam.

Contact information:
Riga Zoo
Meža prospekts 1, Riga, LV1014
Phone: 67518409, info@rigazoo.lv

http://www.rigazoo.lv

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