Baltics With a View: Latvian Capital Riga is a City of Quiet Strength, Ever Vigilant of the Bear Next Door

On the afternoon of June 24th, as we left the Grand Poet Hotel, our taxi driver—a man in his 60s—shared a story that would shape my entire perception of Latvia. Before taking us to the airport, he made a detour to Uzvaras Park and proudly explained that following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Latvians removed the Soviet monument in protest and reclaimed the space as a symbol of Latvian freedom and victory. When I asked him about the war in Ukraine, he became very emotional. Every month, he spends four days driving 1,800 kilometers to Ukraine—not for business or family, but to deliver food, clothing, and medicine to people in need. He even showed me photos of the supplies he brings on his phone. “Russia is a terrorist,” he said with quiet fury. “They’ve been killing children, innocent people, and there’s no end in sight.”

I realized  Latvia may be a small country, but its people carry the weight of a long, complex, and courageous history.

A City Etched by Time

Latvia is home to just 1.87 million people and stretches along 500 kilometers of the Baltic Sea. Riga, its capital, has been a cultural and economic trade center for centuries. German crusaders arrived in the 12th and 13th centuries, converting the region to Christianity and leaving behind the medieval churches that still stand in the Old Town today. These churches began as Roman Catholic, became Lutheran, and later, under Russian rule, turned Orthodox. Today, the people claim not to be very religious. They take pride in being pagan and celebrated four days of Midsummer solstice, a joyous festival where women wear flower crowns, and men don oak leaf crowns. It’s a time for family gatherings, music, bonfires, and the rare light of Baltic summer. This year, midsummer has been wet, cold, and rainy. People blame it on climate change.

Latvia was passed from empire to empire: German, Swedish, and Russian. It declared independence in 1918 after World War I, only to be occupied by the Soviets, invaded by Nazi Germany, and then re-occupied by the Soviet Union during World War II. The Powder Tower in Riga, now a war museum, preserves this grim timeline. Its walls tell the story of a country constantly resisting — and surviving.

Between Past and Present

In 1991, Latvia regained its independence from the USSR. Our taxi driver was 28 then. “We were forced to learn Russian in school,” he said, “but now I proudly support Ukraine and stand against everything Russia is doing.”

Many years of war, World War One, Two, Nazi Germany, and Russians, have wiped out a significant number of Latvians. Today, Russians from the neighboring areas and Latvians live peacefully side by side. Our tour guide said the conflict may be staged on social media. But in reality, there’s no animosity, just a shared understanding of hardship and what it means to share humanity.

Latvia faces new challenges. The birth rate is critically low, with one birth to three deaths (about 1.3), and economic pressures push young people to emigrate. “Tell the Latvian diaspora to come home,” our walking tour guide pleaded. We need them to repopulate our country. “

The numbers speak for themselves: the minimum wage is €740/month, and the average salary is €1,400/month. Housing is expensive. Most young people rent; those who buy face long-term mortgages. Our tour guide says, “Mortgages are more permanent than marriages.” 

Where History Meets Everyday Life

Still, Riga doesn’t look sad. Since 1997, the city’s Old Town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, celebrated for its remarkably well-preserved medieval architecture and historical significance. The town buzzes with life: narrow cobbled streets wind past bustling cafés, and some Michelin Latvian cafés, while the majestic canal encircling the Old town adds an air of calm. The Latvian National Opera is world-class yet surprisingly affordable. Riga’s churches are very simple —lacking Western Europe’s golden extravagance—but rich in stories and quiet beauty. Parks are spacious and green, with no high-rises to block nature’s light or the Baltic sky.

Food, Identity, and a First-Ever Oscar

Latvian cuisine is practical, shaped by geography and necessity. Winters last up to nine months, so smoked fish and marinated vegetables with rye bread are staples. Smoked salmon (from Norway), herring, and Baltic mackerel all make regular appearances on the hotel breakfast menu. 

Interestingly, Riga is also home to many Indian and Nepalese restaurants. South Asian students come to study medicine and engineering. The literacy rate here is 90 percent, and the country boasts of inexpensive higher education of quality. 

Recently, Riga made history when Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature for his film Flow. It’s the country’s first Oscar win, and the city is proudly celebrating — even installing characters from the film in various parks and squares. In a poetic twist, the capybara from the movie now resides in Uzvaras Park, the cat waves at Brīvības Square, and the dog stands watch over Rātslaukums at the Town Hall Square.

Curiously, I found the people very cold when we arrived at the Riga Bus station after a 5-and-a-half-hour ride from the neighboring Tallinn, Estonia. People would not even answer a question. I felt they were rude. However, my tour guide taught me that people are very reserved because of the long history of living under Russian surveillance and tend to keep to themselves. Our driver’s story changed my mind. I learned the lesson. Never go by first impressions. 

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Annapurna Devi Pandey teaches Cultural Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and was a postdoctoral fellow in social anthropology at Cambridge University, the U.K. Her current research interests include diaspora studies, South Asian religions, and immigrant women’s identity-making in the diaspora in California. In 2017-18 she received a Fulbright scholarship for fieldwork in India. Dr. Pandey is also an accomplished documentary filmmaker. Her 2018 award-winning documentary “Road to Zuni,” dealt with the importance of oral traditions among Native Americans.