The 1998 Riga bombings were a series of bombings that took place in Riga, Latvia and which received considerable coverage at the time, most notably for their connection with fascist groups and the perception of an increase of fascism in Latvia.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The United States government offered to help to locate the suspects, calling the acts "cowardly," and then-Latvian Prime Minister Guntars Krasts condemned the bombings, calling them an attempt to destabilize the country.[8][9]
At 1:50 am on April 2 a bomb exploded in Riga's old town outside the 92-year-old Peitav Synagogue, the only surviving working synagogue in the city, causing severe damage to the building and surrounding area.[10][11][12] The bomb, which was supposedly planted by fascist extremists, was reportedly placed on the front steps of the synagogue building. The bomb caused extensive damage, including tearing out the 90 kg oak door, destroying all the windows and casings of the basement and first and second floors, and leaving deep gouges in the wall. There were no casualties.
Four days after the April 2 bombing, another explosion caused damage to the Russian Embassy in Riga.[1] As with the April 2 explosion, there were no injuries. The cause of the blast was plastic explosives detonated in a trash bin. The attack was linked with a rise in nationalist and extremist actions that seriously unsettled relations among Latvians, Jews and Russians. Alexander Udaltsev, Russia's ambassador to Latvia, joined Latvian leaders in blaming the incident on those trying to drive a wedge between Russians and Latvians. The Russian Foreign Ministry controversially blamed the bombing outside its Riga embassy on "anti-Russian hysteria recently produced in Latvia and the encouragement of nationalism and extremism" and called for drastic measures to punish those who were guilty.
A few days after the Riga bombings, a monument to Latvian victims of the Holocaust was defaced in the port town of Liepāja.[1][13]
^ abcJeffries, Ian (2004). The Countries of the Former Soviet Union at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century: The Baltic and European States in Transition. Routledge. p. 193. ISBN 1134528264. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
^Sabasteanski, Anna (2005). Patterns of global terrorism 1985–2005: U.S. Department of State reports with supplementary documents and statistics, Volume 1. Berkshire Publishing Group. p. 423. ISBN 0974309133. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
^Nash, Jay Robert (2004). The Great Pictorial History of World Crime. Scarecrow Press. p. 1606. ISBN 1461712157. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
^"Another Attack in Latvia Rattles Russian Nerves". Los Angeles Times. April 7, 1998. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
^"Synagogue bombing rocks Latvian government, Jews". jta.org. April 6, 1998. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
^"Russian Embassy Hit By Riga Bomb Blast". themoscowtimes.com. April 7, 1998. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
^"Crimes of Nazis and communists haunt Latvia Bitter recriminations rooted in 1940s strain Moscow-Riga relations". Baltimore sun.com. April 5, 1998. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
^"TEXT: U.S. CONDEMNS BOMBING OF MAIN SYNAGOGUE IN RIGA". usembassy-israel.org.il. April 3, 1998. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
^"Latvian police chief sacked over Riga Synagogue bombing". bbc.ck.uk. April 2, 1998. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
^Melton, J. Gordon (2014). Faiths Across Time: 5,000 Years of History [4 Volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 1916. ISBN 978-1610690263. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
^"Bombs Damage Synagogues in Riga and Moscow". isjm.org. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
^Levine, Howard S.; Musch, Donald J.; Alexander, Yonah (1999). Terrorism: U. S. Perspectives. Oceana Publications. p. 193. ISBN 0379007134. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
^Larkin, Barbara, International Religious Freedom (2000): Report to Congress by the Department of State, page 327, 2001, DIANE Publishing, ISBN 0756712297
The 1998Rigabombings were a series of bombings that took place in Riga, Latvia and which received considerable coverage at the time, most notably for...
consulate general in the Latvian capital city of Riga (the Consulate General of the Republic of China in Riga). This policy was allegedly due to Latvian desires...
Riga (/ˈriːɡə/ REE-gə) is the capital, primate, and the largest city of Latvia, as well as the most populous city in the Baltic States. Home to 609,489...
diplomatic missions resident in Latvia. At present, the capital city of Riga hosts 38 embassies. Several other countries have ambassadors accredited to...
documentación e investigación. "Beirut Bomb Razes Libya Embassy". The Los Angeles Times. July 11, 1984. p. 6. "Embassy Bombing in Colombia Spurs More Americans...
and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders, unofficially known simply as the Victory Monument, was a memorial complex in Victory Park, Pārdaugava, Riga, Latvia...
about 25,000 Jews were murdered in or on the way to Rumbula forest near Riga, Latvia, during World War II. Except for the Babi Yar massacre in Ukraine...
2003 was the 48th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Riga, Latvia, following the country's victory at the 2002 contest with the song...
deported to Łódź, Kovno, Riga, and Minsk. In late November, 5,000 German Jews were shot outside of Kovno and another 1,000 near Riga, but Himmler ordered...
can not be done by bombing from the air, as the first victims would be the Jews who are gathered in these camps, and such a bombing would be a welcome...
Secretary-General of the Association of European Airlines; the aviation writer Rigas Doganis. Directed by Richard Vaughan, produced by Chris Haws, made by InCA...
2 January 2014. "Latvian police chief sacked over Riga synagogue bombing", BBC News, 2 April 1998. Retrieved on 2 January 2014. Haviv Rettig Gur. 25...
and oil refining during the Nazi Era, so it was often a target of Allied bombing raids during World War II. There are no longer colliers in Gelsenkirchen...
Riga, ten bomber and reconnaissance airplanes and thirteen warships were in pursuit, firing a number of warning shots across her bows. Several bombs were...
He was born in Riga in the part of the Russian Empire which later became Latvia, and died in New York City. Halsman was born in Riga to a Jewish couple...
naval bases and the Soviet airfields from Riga to Kronstadt. Šiauliai, Vilnius and Kaunas were also bombed. Soviet aircraft had been on one-hour alert...
Major-General, becoming its first Chechen general. Dudayev served in a strategic bombing unit of the Soviet Air Force in Siberia and Ukraine. He allegedly participated...
operational in the Russian Navy in 1995. The initial name of the ship was Riga; it was launched as Leonid Brezhnev, embarked on sea trials as Tbilisi, and...
Retrieved 17 May 2007. "NATO bombing". Beograd.rs. Archived from the original on 16 August 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2007. "220. Bombing to Bring Peace | Wilson...
Riga: Academic Press of the University of Latvia. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2020. Wanner, Catherine (1998)...
Dresden. When he took the position at the restored church, destroyed by bombing in World War II, with a new Kern organ, he programmed a first recital with...
based on psychological gratification. Holmes, Ronald M.; Holmes, Stephen T. (1998). Contemporary Perspectives on Serial Murder. SAGE Publications. p. 1....
Global Information