Description of the attraction
For many centuries the Riga Castle has been standing on the banks of the Western Dvina (Daugava). During its long and difficult history, the castle was destroyed and rebuilt more than once, it survived many wars, changed more than one ruler. Currently, the Riga Castle is the residence of the Latvian President.
The construction of the castle on the banks of the Daugava began in 1330 on the site of the former hospital of the Holy Spirit. The construction of the castle began after the destruction of the old one during the capture of the city by the Livonian Order. Moreover, the people of Riga, guilty of the destruction of the old castle, had to build a new order castle themselves. The built castle became the residence of the masters of the Livonian Order. The Order Castle has been under construction for over 20 years. The project was supervised by master Dietrich Kreige, who also built the House of Blackheads in Riga.
A new war between the Livonian Order and Riga took place in 1481. In 1484 the Order's castle was again ravaged by the inhabitants of Riga. Since such clashes occurred more than once, the master of the Livonian Order moved his throne to another city: first it was Wielande, and then Cesis.
When the order again found itself in a more advantageous position, the Valmiera agreement was concluded, according to which the inhabitants of Riga were obliged to restore the order's castle for 6 years. But the restoration was delayed until 1515. Until the very last moment of the existence of the Livonian Order (until 1562), the castle was the seat of the knights belonging to the order and their ruler.
Since the second half of the 16th century, the owners of the castle were Polish (1578-1621), Swedish (1621-1710 and Russian (1710-1917) rulers, as well as structures close to them. Since 1922, the Riga Castle becomes the residence of the President of Latvia. During the First World War, as well as the years of Soviet occupation, the castle was occupied by different organizations. From 1940 to February 1941, the Council of People's Commissars of the Latvian SSR was located in the castle. In 1941, the Palace of Pioneers was located in the northern part of the Riga Castle. sculpture exhibitions were held in the park. The castle again became the residence of the president on June 12, 1995. In addition, in the southern part of the castle there is an exposition of the museum of foreign art, as well as the museum of the history of Latvia, etc.
The castle was originally built as a closed rectangular block with a courtyard. Towers were erected at the corners of the fortress, the main of these towers are 2, located diagonally - the Tower of the Holy Spirit and the Lead Tower.
The first floor of the castle played a defensive function, in addition, there were office and utility rooms. On the second floor, there were the main living quarters, here were the rooms of the master of the order, the bedrooms of the knights, as well as the dining room, church and meeting hall. The third armory floor was a shooting area. There were no partitions or ceilings on the top floor.
The structure of the Riga Castle is quite simple, which, first of all, is explained by the military significance of the building, in addition, the residence of the leaders of the Livonian Order was erected by the residents of Riga forcibly, which also left an imprint on the structure of the Riga Castle. Over the years, underground passages were found in the basements of the castle, partially filled up in the middle of the 19th century during the demolition of the ramparts of Riga.
The first, most global rebuilding of the castle dates back to the middle of the 17th century, at a time when the castle was occupied by the Swedes. At this time, in the northern part of the Riga Castle, the governor-general's dwelling was built. Towards the end of the 17th century, a warehouse for large ammunition was added to the castle, which during the Russian rule was converted into a 3-storey building for provincial institutions. (1783-1789). The second floor was divided into two, the windows were expanded, with the help of partitions, large rooms were divided into smaller rooms. The church in its original form was preserved until 1870.
In 1816, a large garden was built on the site of the destroyed wooden buildings located in the northern part of the castle. A year later, an observatory appeared in the tower of the Holy Spirit, and the pointed roof of the tower had to be demolished. The last major reconstruction of the castle took place in 1938-1939. At that time, the work was supervised by the architect Eijen Laube. During this period, the lobby was modernized, a large luxurious hall was created, intended for banquets. During these years, the Riga Castle acquired a modern look.
Today the Riga Castle, which is an important cultural and historical monument of the city, is in a rather deplorable state. According to the approved program "Heritage-2018", the government of the castle is going to carry out the restoration of the most important cultural monuments of the city, including the Riga Castle. It is planned that the renovation of the castle will be completed by 2015.
