Easy to find from the city centre, we were surprised and moved to see this monument being guarded. How nice to see it without people climbing all over it. A great symbol of freedom for Latvia.

We had a guided tour in Central Riga, incl. the old town. She took us to this Freedom Monument and told us the exciting story about how they managed to persuade the Russians not to destroy it during the occupation. It was decorated with fresh flowers on 3 sides.

This is almost a holy shrine to Latvians, as this statue was put up in the thirties, during Latvia's first short-lived period of independence, and lasted through the Soviet era. I read that laying flowers at the foot of it was punishable by deportation to Siberia back then. These days, it feels very much like the heart of the city and indeed of Latvia, and it is a really moving monument, beautiful and striking too in its own way. I found myself moved by it, gazing up at it often, so I can't imagine how powerful it must be for Latvians themselves.

At the moment, the statue is being renovated so the bottom of the pediment is boarded off and can't be seen. There is usually an honour guard of soldiers around it and flowers are regularly laid there. The locals call the female figure at the top Milda, which is a common female first name in Latvia. More practically, being so high and at the centre of town, it's a great orientation point. You cannot miss this, in either sense of the word.

Definitely worth a visit, although how can you miss it! It stands out and can be seen for miles. A wonderful monument and its great to photograph. Worth seeing indeed.