Riga honours freedom fighters on 11 November with candles, torches and a fire raft

Latvia marks Lāčplēsis Day, which honours those who fought for the country’s freedom, on Wednesday 11 November. On that day in 1919 the Latvian army drove the forces of Pavel Bermondt-Avalov out of Pārdaugava, the part of Riga on the left bank of the Daugava, during the War of Independence. Events in Riga start in the morning and run late into the evening. Unless stated otherwise, entry is free.

Programme hour by hour

• All day — a military equipment display and a memorial bonfire for freedom fighters outside the Latvian War Museum, organised by the Ministry of Defence and the National Armed Forces.
• 10:00–20:00 — the National History Museum of Latvia in Riga Castle, free entry.
• 15:00 — a commemoration at Sudrabkalniņš, at the junction of Slokas Street and Kurzemes Avenue.
• Afternoon — memorial candles are lit at the Riga Brethren Cemetery, Latvia’s main military cemetery.
• 16:00–18:00 — a talk and workshop on Latvia’s national symbols at the Riga Art Nouveau Centre (museum ticket required, book in advance).
• 16:40 — a torch procession sets off from the Brethren Cemetery to Freedom Square along Varoņu, Gaujas, Miera and Brīvības streets and Brīvības Boulevard.
• 18:00 — freedom fighters are honoured at the Freedom Monument; the procession then continues to the 11 November Embankment.
• Then — a fire raft is launched on the Daugava by the Stone Bridge, followed by a sing-along at the Riga Castle wall led by the men’s folk group Vilki.
• From 19:00 — concerts in Pārdaugava by Victory Park, at the Iļģuciems culture centre, in the park of the Ziemeļblāzma Palace of Culture and elsewhere.

Candles at the Riga Castle wall

Many people in Riga traditionally come on the evening of Lāčplēsis Day to light candles along the wall of Riga Castle on the 11 November Embankment. There is no set time — the candles burn all evening. The embankment is closed to traffic from 17:00, so it is easy to reach on foot; this year the sing-along with Vilki also takes place there.

National History Museum in Riga Castle

From 10:00 to 20:00 the National History Museum of Latvia in Riga Castle will display the only known complete set of the Military Order of Lāčplēsis in Latvia, awarded to General Jānis Balodis; the museum has shown it on Lāčplēsis Day since 1988. This year visitors can also see a tea (coffee) set bearing the order’s symbols that belonged to the family of Jāzeps Sikora, a holder of the order.

Museum numismatists will lead tours of the exhibition on the order at 11:00, 15:00, 17:00, 18:30 and 19:30; no booking is needed. At 18:00 the mixed choir, string students and the Echo percussion ensemble of the Jāzeps Mediņš Riga Music Secondary School perform in the museum, followed at 19:00 by Cilts, the mixed choir of the Jānis Šteinhauers Riga Secondary School. The Livonian Castles exhibition in the vaulted cellars closes at 18:00 that day.

Evening concerts

• 19:00, Bāriņu Street by Victory Park — Juuk, The Sound Poets and the stage show “Rīga, mūžības skartā” (Riga, Touched by Eternity), with music by Jānis Lūsēns to poetry by Aleksandrs Čaks.
• 19:00, Iļģuciems culture centre — the concert “Zinu, zinu tēva sētu” (I Know My Father’s Homestead) with the actress Sigita Jevgļevska-Pļaviņa and the guitarist Māris Kupčs; free invitations from Biļešu Paradīze box offices.
• 19:00, Ziemeļblāzma Palace of Culture park — “Dziesmas gaisma” (Light of Song), a sing-along around bonfires with Roberts Ošiņš and Gatis Ivans.
• The Mazā Ģilde culture centre — a concert by Suitu Vīri, a men’s folk group from Alsunga.
• Luther Church in Torņakalns — the Riga orchestra’s concert “Nesu gaismu” (I Carry the Light); free invitations from Biļešu Paradīze box offices.
• Ave Sol concert hall — “Daugavmalā mierīgs vakars” (A Quiet Evening by the Daugava) with the programme “Mijkrēslis” (Twilight), the Emīls Dārziņš Mixed Choir and the Ave Sol chamber choir.

Getting around

The 11 November Embankment between the Stone Bridge and the Vanšu Bridge is closed to traffic from 17:00 until midnight, and traffic may be restricted along the torch procession route. Bāriņu Street by Victory Park stays closed until midday on Thursday. The city council warns that public transport may be delayed during the events, so allow extra time. Free travel on Riga’s public transport is on 18 November, not on Lāčplēsis Day, and the Staro Rīga light festival runs from 15 to 18 November this year.