RIGA’S MOSCOW DISTRICT | Soviet LATVIA Revisited 🇱🇻

Visiting the Moscow District in Riga Latvia, a neighbourhood closely associated with the architecture, history & memories of Russia and the Soviet Union. Let’s cross the tracks & do some exploring!
🇱🇹 🇱🇻 🇪🇪 See all of my videos from this trip here → bit.ly/InTheBaltics
Just a short walk from the old town of Riga is a neighbourhood called the Moscow District (Maskavas Forštate) where I found revamped warehouses, colourful street art, Russian churches and a magnificent building nicknamed Stalin’s birthday cake.
I headed first of all to a row of large zeppelin hangers that now make up Riga's Central Market (Rīgas Centrāltirgus) - one of the largest marketplaces in Europe. The hangars were erected in the 1920’s and have been designated a UNESCO's World Heritage Site. Inside you’ll find fresh meat and fish, spices, cheeses and all kinds of Bric-à-brac. The stalls and pavilions were never-ending and they continued outside too.
I walked down to the Warehouse district which was originally a busy port with brick warehouses storing the multitude of goods being shipped in and out. These days the docks are located further up the River Daugava and so the warehouses have been restored and repurposed into houses, concert halls and shops. It’s become quite a trendy and hip area.
All morning I had seen a large skyscraper towering over the Moscow District. Its appearance was similar to the Empire State Building in New York City and I was intrigued to understand how it came to be there and what the story was. Not before long I arrived at a small garden area across the street from it and learnt that the tower was actually the Academy of Sciences Building built in the 1950’s and 1960’s. It also turned out to be Latvia’s first skyscraper. Controversially there are still hammer and sickle illustrations on the side of the building leftover from when Latvia was part of the Soviet Union.
I went inside and found my way to the 17th floor where there’s an observation Dock providing terrific views across Riga. The interior of the skyscraper was refitted in the 1970’s and it’s a great example of Soviet era design. Outside I watched an impressive sunset and waited for the lights of the city to flicker on before calling it a day. Riga’s Moscow District is well worth a visit and I’d recommend coming up to the viewing platform on the Academy of Sciences Building if you can!
Chapters
📖 00:00 Riga’s Moscow District
📖 00:33 Riga Central Market (Zeppelin Hangars)
📖 02:42 Riga’s Former Port (Warehouse District)
📖 03:25 Russian Orthodox Church
📖 04:10 Riga Academy of Sciences Building
📖 06:22 Soviet Observation Deck
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Soundtrack
🎵 Fully Loaded by River Run Dry
🎵 Late Night Call by Staffan Carlén
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[@MattWhitingsEurope]

THANKS FOR WATCHING!! 👍 If you enjoyed the video please consider LIKING & SUBSCRIBING - they really help me out! 👍 🇱🇹 🇱🇻 🇪🇪 More videos from this trip here → bit.ly/InTheBaltics | 📍 My videos on a TRAVEL MAP → bit.ly/mwt_map | Connect on INSTAGRAM → bit.ly/mwt_instagram

[@Mikescamperadventures]

Great episode pal I’d love to go here

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully you can make it there at some point!

[@worsttaste.3464]

It is not going to be called Moscow district anymore, as the main street of it (Moscow street) has been renamed to Latgales iela

[@easy94883]

Latvian chihuahuas are pure snowflakes hahaha

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Interesting but not surprising all things considered. Thanks for the info.

[@alexbayer2365]

@@MattWhitingsEurope surprising because there’s a lot Russians in Latvia.

[@michaelfisher9267]

I love the baseball cap for the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team! Go Leafs, Go!

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks, I got it when I was in Toronto many years ago. Great city!

[@jamuherbal]

Beautiful my friend good morning ❤❤❤👍👍👍👍🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thank you very much

[@jamuherbal]

@@MattWhitingsEurope ❤❤❤❤👍👍👍👍

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

@jamuherbal 👍😃

[@jamuherbal]

@@MattWhitingsEurope ❤❤❤❤👍👍👍👍👍

[@WITYTRAVELS]

what an incredible marketplace! love the repurposing. in podgoricia we went to a wine celler that was a aircraft hanger in yugoslavia days. the academy of science building looks just like his building in warsaw.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Yes I remember your Podgorica video, seems like former aircraft hangers are all the rage!

[@WITYTRAVELS]

@@MattWhitingsEurope 🍷

[@peterstean2138]

Poland has a very similar building to Riga's Stalinist edifice, but The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw is much larger at nearly 700ft tall.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

I actually visited that building recently, videos to come at some point. Amazing place for sure!

[@wwoctba]

Another espetacular vídeo!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks!

[@Hongaars1969]

Thank you Stalin!! Larger versions exist in Warsaw and obviously in Moscow. It is always about power and domination with authoritarian states. The Baltic states suffered immensely during Soviet occupation, mass expulsions of nationals, executions, suppression of nationality, culture and language. Looks like you are using a drone. Am curious about finding out in what countries one requires a permit to operate one. Thanks again for informative upload.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Fascinating buildings but I can totally understand why they're so controversial. I've seen the one in Warsaw and you're right - it's massive! In terms of the drone, when I first bought one it was simply! There really wasn't much legislation, just a drone code. These days most countries have laws and rules so it can be a bit of a challenge to get it right every time - I use a few different websites, including the aviation authority website of the country I'm visiting but most useful of all is uavcoach.com/ which tends to stay pretty much up to date. My advice would be to get a sub 250 gram drone as the rules are usually much more relaxed. Hope that helps.

[@Hongaars1969]

@@MattWhitingsEurope I truly appreciate that you take the time and energy to provide such detailed replies. I live in Croatia and am aware that a license is required for a drone. In other places, like Egypt for example, you can be arrested if you even think of a drone. Filming w a drone literally raises your videos to a whole different level. Looking forward to your future uploads. Thank you ZZ

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks so much!! Glad you're enjoying the videos and pleased I could provide a helpful response. Love Croatia although I'm ashamed to say I've only ever visited Dubrovnik - which was amazing! Another country I need to spend more time in, with my drone of course! Thanks for watching.

[@Hongaars1969]

@@MattWhitingsEurope if you’re ever back in Dubrovnik, don’t be a stranger. Sadly even though I’ve been living there for five years”seasons”, I’ve so far not travelled beyond visiting Zagreb

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

I'll keep that in mind, thank you. I nearly visited Zagreb last year but things didn't line up. Definitely a city I'm interested in visiting, would you recommend?

[@sirgalahad1470]

Great video. I love it ! I am so looking forward to being there this July. Now I know how to get to the observation deck 👍😎

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks, have a great time. Well worth visiting if you can!

[@arefinmaksudul4796]

As if I m in riga

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Nice!

[@alexbayer2365]

Love Latvia 🇱🇻 from Russia 🇷🇺 We should be Friends again.

[@Lutausis101]

Never.

[@Gastradamus]

Friends that could invade without pity

[@alexbayer2365]

@@Gastradamus who invade in Latvia Rn?

[@alexbayer2365]

@@Lutausis101 but we were friends before Crimea. There’s a lot ethic Russians in Latvia. We just need free Russia with new democratic leader. Better to be a friends with neighbours.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Hi Alex, trust is a big part of friendship and it's hard for anyone to trust Russia when it's already invading a peaceful neighbour. I agree that a free, democratic and friendly Russia would be great but until you sort out your internal affairs it's unrealistic to expect countries that were occupied by the Soviet Union just a few decades ago to be your friends.

[@Lutausis101]

It is not clear with what purpose the author spreads misleading information here. The place, which the author describes as "Moscow district" since the departure of the Soviet occupation army, is called "Latgale's district". The author should know that reminders of "history & memories of Russia and the Soviet Union", are here out of place, out of time and highly offensive - because they do not bring back any good memories.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Hello Lutausis, thanks for your comment. Couple of things - firstly, the area was called the Moscow District by several guides I spoke to. In fact, one of the main tourist websites (maybe even the official one?) calls it that - www.liveriga.com/en/11614-moscow-district . Secondly, I try to avoid spreading misleading or incorrect information and am happy to correct if I have, however I don't think I have in this case. Thirdly, I said exactly that about the reminders and left overs of Soviet occupation and fully appreciate the terrible suffering of the Latvian people that went along with it.

[@Lutausis101]

@@MattWhitingsEurope Therefore, I will inform you: Guides in Riga, incl. Russian speakers do not want to accept the unrusification of Riga's places and have deceived you. (Guide agencies were oriented towards Russian tourists). To see the true administrative division of Riga, use the official resources of the city of Riga. By the way, - currently, right in the suburbs of Latgale, many streets related to the Russification of our living environment by Soviet occupation - have been renamed. (Incl. - Maskavas iela is currently already Latgales iela). I don't think that tourists would be interested in non-existent street names.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Live Riga that I linked to is the official city tourist information site isn't it? I was just making the point that if the official tourist centre for the city is calling it the Moscow District then most tourists will too --> www.liveriga.com/en/11614-moscow-district . I think we're saying the same thing about the Russian influence and Soviet history, it a bad thing as Latvia was occupied and didn't join the Soviet Union by choice. The guides I used were very pro independence and talked a lot about the terrible times during the Soviet years. Thanks for the information regarding the derussification of street names, have there been many statues knocked down as well? I'm not saying it's a bad thing and can totally understand why this policy is in place.

[@leldelauze5011]

This has been definitely renamed.

[@MattWhitingsEurope]

Thanks for the information, nice chatting with you.

[@Untermensch86]

Yes, the occupiers were very cruel! This is the real genocide! To mock the aborigines like that! The author now make a video about the EU quarter.

[@andrejaga3003]

The Soviet Union built a powerful industry and large ports in Latvia. Over the 30 years of independence, Latvia has lost its entire industry and 30% of the population. 25% of the Latvian population are Russians. Basic rights are not available to them. This country has no future.

[@VPf2]

Well thank god russia has a future. Congrats on your new election troll

[@andrejaga3003]

​@@VPf2 Russia has a future. This is a normal, civilized country. I have never voted for Putin. This time I cast my vote for him. Total lies, propaganda, double standards and disregard for private property rights in Western countries contributed to this.

[@andrejaga3003]

@@VPf2 In the mid-70s, Latvia occupied one of the first places among the Union republics in terms of the proportion of the population employed in industry and stood on a par with such industrial countries as Great Britain, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. In 1972, industry provided 66% of the total social product and 55% of Latvia's national income.