Freedom Monument

The Freedom Monument (Brīvības piemineklis) stands on Brīvības laukums at the edge of Riga's Old Town in the Centrs district, Latvia, and is the best-known symbol of the country's independence. It was unveiled on 18 November 1935, the anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia in 1918, and was financed largely by public donations. The designer was the sculptor Kārlis Zāle, working with the architect Ernests Štālbergs. The monument is a stone and travertine column about 42 metres high, with a bronze figure known as Milda at the top holding three gilded stars above her head. The three stars represent the historic regions of Kurzeme and Zemgale, Vidzeme and Latgale, which were united in the new state. The base is decorated with sculptural groups and reliefs that depict Latvian history, from the Lāčplēsis legend to the war of independence, the riflemen and the writers and workers of the nation. The inscription at the foot reads Tēvzemei un Brīvībai, meaning For Fatherland and Freedom. Under Soviet occupation, the monument was not demolished, although it was seen as a symbol of the former republic and its meaning was reinterpreted as relating to the Soviet Motherland. On 14 June 1987 a small group laid flowers at the monument to commemorate the Soviet deportations of 1941, an event that marked the start of the mass demonstrations of the independence movement. It was restored in the 2000s, and its stone and sculptures have been conserved. A ceremonial guard of honour stands at the monument on set occasions, and wreath-laying takes place on national holidays such as 18 November, 4 May and 11 November, which commemorates Lāčplēsis Day. The monument is a free site open at all hours in a pedestrian area, and it lies along the boundary of the UNESCO Historic Centre buffer zone, close to the Old Town and the Esplanade park.