Powder Tower

The Powder Tower (Pulvertornis) at Smilšu iela 20 in Riga's Old Town, Latvia, is the only surviving tower of the medieval city wall of Riga's original eighteen or so defensive towers. Its history begins with a first tower of the 1330s, known as the Sand Tower, which was destroyed during the Livonian War in the 1550s. The current structure was built in 1650 after Swedish rule, when the tower was reconstructed as a gunpowder store, and it takes the name from that purpose. It stands about 26 metres tall with walls up to 3 metres thick at the base. The round stone body and its conical roof are typical of late medieval fortress architecture, and cannonballs from sieges, including the Russian attack of 1656 and later conflicts, remain embedded in the outer walls. Over the centuries the tower served as an armoury, a prison and even as a student fraternity meeting place before it became a museum. From 1919 it has been associated with military exhibits, and since 1937 it has been the home of the Latvian War Museum (Latvijas Kara muzejs), which tells the story of Latvian military history. The museum's displays are arranged across the floors of the tower and reach up a spiral staircase, with exhibits tracing military events from the Livonian wars to the barricades of January 1991. Collections include weapons, uniforms, flags, photographs and documents, as well as material on the Latvian Riflemen, the 1918 to 1920 War of Independence and the Soviet and Nazi occupations. The tower was restored after damage in the Second World War and has since been maintained as a heritage monument. The terrace at the top gives a view over the Old Town rooftops and the nearby Swedish Gate. Next to the tower, a short section of the old wall also survives, linking it to the Swedish Gate and the Jacob's Barracks beyond.