Illusion of windows

Many years ago this wall has been painted with windows to give more homey feel to the house. You can spot it on Gogoļa street in Riga.
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Protection of nature

This old mural was devoted for the society for protection of nature and cultural monuments of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. Located in Āgenskalns suburb of Riga the mural has survived all these years. Probably because it was not directly political and also because it's not that appealing area for consumer advertising.
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Old milepost

This milepost on Slokas street in Riga holds two traffic lights and a bell that makes you think that they are at least 50 years old and haven't been used for a long while. It is unclear whenever they still work, but the milepost also holds two modern road signs. In fact this milepost is for a fire brigade that is located just next to it.
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Chocolate and juice

The display of chocolate and juice in the window of this Pārdaugava's shop recalls the 1980s.
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Photo service

The old neon sign "photo" (in Russian) signifies that in Soviet times there was a photo service in on Melnsila street in Riga.
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Stomatological rebus

This indigestible mural decoration can be found at the Institute of stomatology on Dzirdziema street in Riga.
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Kaleju street

In general, the Old town of Riga is straight and tidy and it's not that easy to find something that would stand out, except maybe the ruins of chemistry faculty. I took these images at the end of Kalēju street.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus

Motherland

The image of mother was explored quite heavily in Soviet Union, especially in Latvia where the society is quite matriarchal. Such sculptural objects and paintings symbolized the wealthy, caring and loving motherland. These two images are from Līvāni and Daugavpils.

Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus

Post office is gone

About a couple of months ago I posted photos of the same area where not all of the buildings of main postal office were destroyed. Today there's nothing that remainds that anything ever existed here before.
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Baby for sale

It looks like this shop window in Rēzekne signals that "a baby is for sale".
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Kolkhoz in Durbe

Among garbage in the abandoned kolkhoz in Durbe, West Latvia one can find the history of the town, for instance, the records of production and even local demographics.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus

Energetics and Lenin

In the Latvenergo's museum of energetics in Riga one can find a lot of household goods from the past, such as old fridges, irons or telephones. But surprisingly they also got many things about Lenin.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus

Skrunda 2

This place of abandoned apartment blocks and military barracks was a secret town called Skrunda Nr. 2 in Soviet Latvia, only people with permits could enter it. It is estimated that about 9000 soldiers with their familities lived in it. The secret town hosted two radars for listening to objects in space. The third radar which was not finished, would have been one of the most powerful of such radars in the whole Soviet Union. The 60 meter structure was destroyed by explosives in 1995. National TV telecasted the pompous show. It took another few years until the Russian forces left the town in late 1999, thus halting operation of the last Russian military facility in Latvia.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus

A house to switch tram tracks

The job of the woman in this small house is to switch tram tracks so that trams can either enter or leave the depot. Located on the busy Brīvības street in Rīga it caused traffic jams. Recently new tracks were built to divert trams into the depot without a need of a manual switch. It means this house can disappear any day soon.

More glass bottle recycling

A selection of a few more glass bottle recycling places in Rīga, Daugavpils and Liepāja.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus

The car cemetery

There's plenty car graveyards in Kosovo - after each kilometer or two along the highway should be at least one car cemetery.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus