Exploring Soviet Neigborhoods of Riga 🇱🇻

Latvia as a former USSR republic have vast soviet arhitecture heritage. Capital city Riga and some of its areas are prime example of it.
In this video I, together with my friend Ray, explored two of them called Purvciems and Plavnieki. Many believe they are the best respresentation of the soviet past we experienced here in Latvia.
There are massive - same looking building blocks, infrastructure and general feeling, that not much has changed here since fall of Soviet Union.
Join me in this video to explore the soviet neigborhoods of Riga!
#riga #ussr #soviet

[@theruudy]

Special thanks to my friend Raymond for showing me around 🫡

[@gluccimond]

You are more than welcome, my dear friend! More to go and places to explore!🙌🏻😎

[@theruudy]

@@gluccimondExactly! Can’t wait already :))

[@ines_uk]

I lived in Purvciems for 20 years of my life until we moved to the Centre. So it’s my childhood and teenage years right there. Haven’t visited it for another 20 years now since I’ve moved to the UK. Looks almost the same. Even Minska is still there!

[@hellome4219]

16:20 In Soviet Union these were totally different neighbourhoods with totally different people. No one has been beaten or assaulted, it was somewhat another level of culture. For 30 years nothing was build, 2/3 of population has left Riga. Now the town looks like after plague. And violence everywhere.

[@theruudy]

I agree, that it was different times and reality, but wouldn’t agree with violence every where. That is not the case of Riga, including these neigborhoods :)

[@WhereDoWeTravelNow]

Too bad I am not in Riga anymore, I would have loved to join. Haha! That view from upstairs... Epic! Cheers, mates!

[@theruudy]

Thank you! And welcome to join in Helsinki :)

[@pamelakilponen3682]

I have been to Riga many times, and never got to see these close up. I stayed in a renovated soviet flat in Valmiera. Thanks for the video came here to watch after seeing your vid on Pasila here in Helsinki!

[@theruudy]

Yes, this is side of Riga many tourists don’t get to see. But it is there and it is reality. I personaly find these type of neigborhoods very interesting. Thank you for also watching this video 😊

[@pamelakilponen3682]

@@theruudy We did drive through then on the A2 to and from Valmiera. I love Latvia, one of my very favorite places.

[@theruudy]

@@pamelakilponen3682Glad to hear! My grandmother lives in Valmiera, spent all the summers as a kid and still going when ever I have a chance to visit 😊

[@normundstreijs6607]

Nice impressions of Soviet times!

[@theruudy]

I like this video too. Thank you 😊

[@triple6god2]

Nice video bro, keep on going with it, i love ur videos :)

[@theruudy]

Thank you! I Appreciate the kind words. Gives me motivation to move forward! 🙏

[@dianelefarge5898]

Just watching one of the older videos and fascinated by the architecture. I have to say, even as a viewer, I felt dizzy on floor 10 and even more dizzy on floor 15. I could not have managed to stand there without holding tight or even perhaps ‘freezing ‘ in fear ! No special government accommodation suitable for me 😂

[@theruudy]

Haha, yeah!! But the view was worth it, also first time to see these “soviet wonders” from above. Thanks for watching 😉

[@johnnytravels6278]

I grew up in the “Great wall of China” at 6:20 , what a memories! Thanks, great vlog especially to look back at it in 20-30 years!

[@theruudy]

Oho, I didn’t know you lived there! 😮 And as always, thanks for taking time to watch my videos!

[@normundstreijs6607]

Impressive!

[@theruudy]

Thank you very much! 🤩

[@GLITCHDADA]

😎👍

[@theruudy]

Thank you for watching 🤩

[@mannine99]

very nice. i was impressed that chinawall when i visited riga few years ago

[@theruudy]

It indeed looks impressive :)

[@simonmaximov8443]

I think those houses can last for another 50 years at least.

[@theruudy]

They better do 😂 Because there are not many altervatives in Riga at the moment!

[@ne372ne]

Not sure how I came across your video Ruudy but a bit of a trip down memory lane. A friend of mine used to live in the ‘Great Wall’ Dzelzavas Iela. She moved away 6 years ago. Around that time one of the nearby balconies collapsed. Luckily nobody was injured. Many soviet buildings are well past their ‘use by’ date and represent a hazard to the public. I’d imagine the construction industry will be booming in the coming years.

[@theruudy]

Hey! Thank you for taking time to watch this video 😊 The “due date” indeed is very near or in many cases over already. In the perfect scenario these houses should be replaced, but in reality there is not enough funding in a foreseeable future to do that. There are some renovations though, but process is very slow. This housing issue is certainly not enough discussed and is in need of much greater attention!

[@wrcfan2024]

Čau labs video

[@theruudy]

Paldies! Prieks dzirdēt 😊

[@trickswithniks]

Don’t you have a blue jacket? Why you saying green?

[@theruudy]

In reality it looks more green. Maybe to be more specific it’s turquoise 😂

[@MrSovetsky]

Looks the same to me as well. These areas have nothing going for them. No woods like in Mezhciems and no park like in Vecmilgravis.

[@theruudy]

They aren’t the most eye appealing, have to agree! 😅 I would love to film also these areas, hopefully one day! 🙂

[@simonmaximov8443]

It looks so similar to Russian neighborhoods so I wouldn’t be able to distinguish

[@theruudy]

Indeed! Believe that was how its meant to be in USSR. Everything looks the same and everyone feels the same! Thank you for watching :)

[@simonmaximov8443]

@@theruudy and I think it actually worked, the society was mixed so there was no class segregation as it was in the USA or the UK

[@theruudy]

@@simonmaximov8443Yes, it did! Believe that there were many positive sides in that system!

[@mariedreamer3977]

It looks really soviétique.... 😑

[@theruudy]

Hehe, not a fan of soviet buildings? 😂😏

[@tetris136]

Hujitenj!

[@theruudy]

😂👍