Riga

August 3. The capital city of Riga is looking good; much renovating going on. Many historic buildings, in style from medieval to Jugenstil, have survived and give Riga a European rather than a Soviet appearance. A stroll through the old town brings me to the impressive Doma baznica, or Cathedral, built in the 13-14th centuries (see pic) and the large square in front of it. But especially moving is the Freedom Monument, the Tevzemi Brivibai, the symbol of Latvian striving for independence. During Soviet times the authorities monitered any activity here; anyone attempting to lay a wreath at the monument would be hauled away by the secret police. The famed Riga Opera House is to the right of the square. I asked my relatives how the Baltic states established governments after they managed to extricate themselves from Russian rule. In each case fifty years of illegal occupation was declared and the constitutions from the brief period of independence between the two World Wars were re-instated.