Brivibas Piemineklis (Freedom Monument), Riga (must see)

The Freedom Monument commemorates the soldiers who fell during the Latvian War of Independence of 1918-1920. Built in 1935 to a design by R. Mirsmeden, the monument presents Latvia's national values. It stands as the symbol of two battles fought by the country for its independence and is a ground zero for the majority of political demonstrations held in Riga nowadays.

Surprisingly enough, the monument has survived almost 50 years of the Soviet rule, in part due to its high artistic value. On 14 June 1987, about 5,000 people gathered at the monument to lay flowers. This rally renewed the national independence movement, which culminated three years later in the re-establishment of Latvian sovereignty after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The structure consists of three major blocks decorated by 14 statuary groups. The base block features Latvian riflemen and singers. The block above depicts scholars, people of work, Guardians of the Fatherland and the Family. The central element of the monument, topping a 19 meter (62 feet) column, is the bronze statue of a woman holding up three golden stars above her head, symbolizing three Latvian regions: Kurzeme, Vidzeme and Latgale.

With a total height of 42 meters, the Freedom Monument is visible from almost every corner of Old Riga, and acts as a sort of navigation aid for tourists en route to different locations.