Celebrating the Day of Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia, residents of Riga and its guests are invited to attend varied events and have a look at festive decorations of the city.
Photos from the start of 90s can be found around Riga as an exhibition of sorts. These photos stress the efforts put in by Latvian and Ukrainian people on the road to independence. This is not the traditional decorations used to decorate Riga for this day – this concept was developed thanks to the Ukrainian embassy, photographers and the National Archive. Historic photos posted on the streets in Riga emotionally address Latvia’s and Ukraine’s path to independence, using values about freedom, friendship and inclusiveness as the foundation for a nation with a unique spirit.
The city is decorated with a special Liesma design object installed outside Latvia’s National Library, interactive design object Freedom Flag installed at Aspazijas Boulevard and 13 January Street intersection. There are also many different photo posters glued to stalls and poles. Vertical flag ribbons are attached to light poles and bridges.
On 4 May a special event will take place in Latvia – Put on a national costume for Latvia! During this event residents and guests are invited to wear traditional costumes and lay flowers at the Freedom Monument.
A special concert by post-folklore band Iļģi un Rikši will be held after a procession at Dome Square. Katrīna Dimanta and friends and dancers from Riga Dance Club will perform as well. The event will be attended by Riga City Council chairman Mārtiņš Staķis.
Hanzas perons culture and entertainment centre will host a dance event organised by choreographer Jānis Purviņš. This event will offer the audience a conceptual and symbolism-rich view of traditions, Latvian myth-filled world. The dance performance is based on Ilona Leimane’s novel; its libretto was created by Rasa Bugavičute-Pēce, Edgars Lipors is the composer, but the director and set designer is Reinis Suhanovs. The story will be danced by the folk dance ensemble Līgo.
Other concerts will be held this day. There are also events like creative workshop Create a green Latvia!, mobile exhibition Democracy’s resurrection, thematic excursions, travel opportunities with poets and Latvian movies marathon. The latter will be hosted by Splendid Palace film theatre and Mežaparks Great Stage’s Kokaru Hall, as well as Iļģuciems and Imanta culture centres. The musical tradition to surprise and delight residents in Riga and other nearby areas remains. The locations and performances will are not announced in advance, as per tradition. This time the event will feature choir performances around Riga as part of a special flash mob Voices of Freedom.
At the end of the holiday, to promote a sense of patriotism, residents and guests are invited to a special concert at Riga Congress Centre. This building was picked because has become important for thousands of Ukrainians. This concert will feature performances from musicians like Kārlis Kazāks and bands like Siensliens, Stūrī zēvele, JUUK, Baložu pilni pagalmi, Dzeltenie pastnieki and Dzelzs vilks.