place

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

1985 establishments in Latvia2022 disestablishments in LatviaCultural infrastructure completed in 1985Destroyed sculpturesHistory of Riga
Monuments and memorials in RigaObelisksRemoved monuments and memorialsSoviet military memorials and cemeteriesVictory monuments
Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders 2017
Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders 2017

The Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders, unofficially known simply as the Victory Monument, 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.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. Many ethnic Latvians regarded it not as a symbol of liberation, but rather start of the Soviet re-occupation. The monument's obelisk was sometimes referred to in Latvian as "Moscow's Finger" (Maskavas pirksts) or okupeklis (a portmanteau of okupācija – 'occupation' and piemineklis – 'monument'), and juxtaposed to the Freedom Monument.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.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders
Bāriņu iela, Riga Āgenskalns

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist InvadersContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 56.936804 ° E 24.085808 °
placeShow on map

Address

Bāriņu iela
LV-1048 Riga, Āgenskalns
Vidzeme, Latvia
mapOpen on Google Maps

Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders 2017
Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders 2017
Share experience

Nearby Places