The Red Army soldiers that recaptured Riga and the rest of Latvia
Dismantled date
25 August 2022
The Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders,[a] unofficially known simply as the Victory Monument,[b][c] 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.[1]
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.[d] Many ethnic Latvians regarded it not as a symbol of liberation, but rather start of the Soviet re-occupation.[2][3] The monument's obelisk was sometimes referred to in Latvian as "Moscow's Finger" (Maskavas pirksts)[1] or okupeklis (a portmanteau of okupācija – 'occupation' and piemineklis – 'monument'),[4] and juxtaposed to the Freedom Monument.[5]
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.[6][7][8][9]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
^ abHoffmann, Thomas; Makarychev, Andrey, eds. (2018). "Russia's monuments policy in the Baltic States". Russia and the EU: Spaces of Interaction. Abingdon: Routledge. p. 99. ISBN 978-1-138-30379-9.
^Ochser, Tim (16 May 2002). "Monument divides society on Victory Day". The Baltic Times. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
^"WWII Victory Day still stirs controversy in Latvia". Expatica. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
^"Latvia's word and non-word of the year 2022 announced". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
^Berglund, Sten; Ekman, Joakim; Deegan-Krause, Kevin; Knutsen, Terje, eds. (2013). The Handbook of Political Change in Eastern Europe (3rd ed.). Abingdon: Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-857-93537-3.
^"Demolition of Soviet Victory monument in Rīga". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
^"79 m tall obelisk of Soviet Victory Monument toppled in Pārdaugava". Baltic News Network. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
^"Largest Soviet monument in Baltics dismantled in Riga". The Baltic Times. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
^"Latvia tears down a controversial Soviet-era monument in its capital". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023.
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