Victory Memorial to Soviet Army

The Victory Memorial to Soviet Army (Latvian: Uzvaras piemineklis) in Riga, Latvia was erected in 1985 to commemorate the Soviet Army's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Initial monument name was "Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders". It consists of a 79 meter tall obelisk and two groups of sculptures.

In 1997 it was unsuccessfully bombed by members of the Latvian ultra-nationalist group Pērkonkrusts, two of whom died during the bombing.[1]

Nowadays the monument remains a controversial subject, as many ethnic Latvians regard it not only as a symbol of Soviet victory in the Second World War, but also of the Soviet re-occupation of Latvia.[2][3][4]

See also

Literature

References

  1. ↑ "Latvia". AXT. 1998. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
  2. ↑ "WWII Victory Day still stirs controversy in Latvia". AFP. 2012. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  3. ↑ "WWII veterans call for removal of Soviet monument in Riga". The Baltic Times. 2007. Retrieved 2013-05-14.
  4. ↑ "Pabriks: Uzvaras piemineklis būtu pelnījis nojaukšanu". Ir. 2012. Retrieved 2013-05-14.

Coordinates: 56°56′12″N 24°05′09″E / 56.936804°N 24.085808°E / 56.936804; 24.085808


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