Restoration of the Freedom Monument/Brīvības piemineklis

Visitors to Latvia’s capital might be surprised to find the Brīvības piemineklis behind scaffolding as Rīga continues its preparations for the Latvian Centennial celebrations.

The view of the Freedom Monument will be obstructed for at least a couple of months, depending on the scale of renovations that the monument might require pending a complete inspection. The last restoration was completed between 1998 and 2001 in preparation for Rīga’s 800^th anniversary, and since then the piemineklis has seen only minor upkeep.

194,000 Euro in funds have been allocated for the restoration, which will include cleaning the stars and stone surfaces, replacing damaged seams, and repairing the monument’s indoor staircase and basement room. The stars were last gilded 2006 and therefore will hopefully only require polishing, and barring unforeseen issues with the foundation (which was previously strengthened to guard against sinking) only cosmetic work will be completed on the base.

Is it only me that’s envious of the crew that will come face to face with Milda in the coming months? If only I could don a hardhat and present my Femme au Foyer credentials to gain access to the upper levels of scaffolding, some 130 feet in the air overlooking Vecrīga and Brīvības iela! One can dream...