Toy shop

This is a photo from a toy shop for children in Riga.
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Inflation 2

 

In the photo above you see prices for cigarettes today. Below - what the smokes used to cost two years ago. As you see, prices have gone up, for instance, a pack of Winston was 1,52 LVL, now - 1,80 LVL. Some cigarettes have also been discontinued in Latvia, such as Elita and Prince.

Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus

Cheap perfume

Sakta, Sasha, Russian wood, Red Moscow - these are brands of perfumes at a market in Riga. Price starts at 1 EUR. I believe most of it is consumed internally by homeless alcoholics to whom this liquid is cheaper (but stronger) than, for instance, vodka. Thanks to alcoholics the cheap perfume industry has survived the Soviet Union, European Union and economical crisis, and might live forever.
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Pawnshops

One of the most visible aftereffects of the economical crisis in Latvia is the raise of pawshops (called "lombards" in Latvian). Six years ago you could find just a few of them, today - almost on every street. Since most of the people live from salary to salary it is common to run out of money; people hand in mobile phones, gold and other valuables as pawns to get small high interest loans. If they are unable to pay it back, the pawnshop sells their pawns.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus

Latvian fruits

The sign in the window says "goods from Latvian countryside". You see pomegranates, clementines, pineapples,  melons, grapes etc. but actually none of these fruits in this shop window grow in Latvia.
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Kuldīga in an hour

Yesterday I got an hour of spare time in Kuldīga, a town some 160 km west of Riga. Photos of local church, shopwindows, police station etc.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus

Snowflakes

Dozens of shops in Riga have already given a Christmas feel to their windows. This one on Marijas street has used just a bit of paper and scissors to create snowflakes, just like kids used to do in good old times.
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Building shop

This shop on Eksporta street has a really strange window dressing. Most likely they are selling building tools but it looks like it is closed for renovation.
Photo by (c) Arnis Balcus

Central market

Riga Central market is a popular tourist sight. However, soon the market will experience renovation and might lose its exotic and vintage character. Some of the stalls have been already demolished, more destruction and renovation to follow in the next months. Most photos represented here are from the manufactured goods market - one of the most bizarre areas in the Central market.
Photos by (c) Arnis Balcus