Good-bye Brivibas 32

Today the department of philosophy and history of Latvian University left its premises on Brivibas street in Riga. Financial crisis in Latvia is affecting also education - the department was forced to change the location in order to save on rental costs. It had resided in this house for the last 63 years. Next year perhaps some refurbished offices will ruin this historical place.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus

VEF culture house

VEF kultūras pils in Riga is a culture house that bares the name of the famous State's electro-technical factory (Valsts Elektrotehniskā fabrika) even though the factory doesn't exist anymore - it bankrupted soon after the collapse of Soviet Union. The factory was producing telephones, radios and also is considered the birthplace for the world's smallest Minox camera. Built in typical 1950s monumental style the building today hosts various low-key events and youth hobby clubs.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus

Hull nr. 25

Stradini hospital in Riga is spread over several buildings within a quite large territory. The age and condition varies from hull to hull. For instance, the oculist department in the hull nr 25 looks just like in 1970s.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus

Movie props

The Cinema studio of Riga in Šmerlis owns quite a lot of movie props. This is a place where things rise memories of our own past, from childhood toys to forgotten books.
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

Kino Riga

Cinema Rīga was founded in 1923 and is the oldest cinema in Latvia. It is probably also the only cinema in the country that still hires an artist to paint film ads.
(c) Photos by Arnis Balcus