The Baltic State of Latvia has, throughout history, perhaps been most remembered for its times of tumult. During the period between 1940 and 1941, the Baltic states were forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union. At the time, the tiny Baltic states had the misfortune of being located between the totalitarian regimes of the Soviets under Stalin and the Nazis under Hitler.

In 1939 Hitler, in order to execute his forceful and aggressive plans, “gave” Stalin a part of Poland as well Bessarabia, Bukovina, Finland, and the three Baltic states including Latvia.

This was only the first occupation of Latvia. Two others followed.

Hitler soon violated his pact with Stalin and, in June of 1941, Nazi Germany invaded Latvia. This occupation was ended by Soviet troops in 1945 when battles ended on the last day of the war in Europe. Latvia, however, was not freed at this time. Instead, it remained under Soviet occupation all the way up until 1991.

As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” and the capital of Riga, Latvia, has definitely been made stronger over many years. Today, Riga is a historical center that has been declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is well known for its amazing German Art Nouveau architecture, which is known as Jugenstil.

Riga is the largest city in all of the Baltic states, with a population of approximately 713,000 people. By visiting Riga today, you’ll see many monuments to its diverse populace and political history.

To learn more about the Soviet and Nazi occupations of Latvia, you can visit the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia (Latvijas okupācijas muzejs).The museum was once a space dedicated to the Latvian Red Riflemen, a group who sided with the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War and who were instrumental in the attempt to establish Soviet rule in Latvia in 1919.

Now it is a free museum that is very helpful in understanding these critical periods of Latvian history. It is a rather sobering experience as the exhibits display many of the atrocities committed against the Latvian people during this period. You can walk into reconstructed gulag barracks and witness the living conditions in Siberian labor camps. Exhibits are available in English, German, Latvian and Russian, and you can also choose to use an audio guide with headphones in English.

For a slice of Jewish history, you’ll be awed by the remains of the Great Choral Synagogue. Here an atrocious crime was committed on July 4, 1941, when hundreds of Jewish refugees from Lithuania and local Latvian Jews were gathered into the basement of the synagogue, which was then intentionally burned to the ground.

The only remnants are the ruins of the building, a metal menorah, and a memorial stone. Next to the remains stands a memorial to the heroic Žanis Lipke and other Latvians who saved the lives of hundreds of Jews.

Not all of Jewish Riga was destroyed during this horrific period. Today, you can still visit the synagogue called Peitav Shul, which is the place of worship for Riga’s current strong Jewish community of 12,000 people. The space was used as a warehouse during the Nazi occupation.

Its sacred scrolls were carefully hidden and therefore escaped destruction. It is said that the building was not burned to the ground as others had been due to its close proximity to other houses in Old Riga.

While there are many other monuments to the repression that the Latvians have suffered, don’t be concerned that Riga is a depressing place. On the contrary, you’ll find that the many monuments, including a Freedom Monument known as “Milda,” stand triumphantly to commemorate Latvia’s survival. You’ll find an array of beautiful parks and historic cemeteries as you experience your own living slice of history in the beautiful town of Riga.

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