Latvian Academy of Sciences

Riga, Latvia

The Academy of Sciences edifice was built after World War II, between 1951 and 1961, collecting the necessary financing from the newly established kolkhozes in Latvia and - as further expenses increased, collecting the finances as 'voluntary donations' deducted from the salaries of the Latvian rural population.

The building is decorated with several hammers and sickles as well as Latvian folk ornaments and motifs. The spire originally was decorated with a wreath and a five pointed star, which was removed after Latvia regained independence in 1991. Being 108 metres tall, it was the first skyscraper in the republic and was the tallest building until the construction of the Swedbank Headquarters in Latvia.

The building, designed by Osvalds Tīlmanis, Vaidelotis Apsītis, and Kārlis Plūksne, is a cousin to similar Stalin-era skyscrapers, which were representative of what became known as Stalinist architecture (sometimes referred to as Socialist Classicism). The architecture of the skyscraper resembles many others built in the Soviet Union at the time, most notably the main building of Moscow State University. Local nicknames for this building include Stalin's birthday cake and the Kremlin.

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Address

Elijas iela 2-6, Riga, Latvia
See all sites in Riga

Details

Founded: 1951-1961
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Latvia
Historical period: Soviet Era (Latvia)

More Information

www.latvia.travel
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Riga Old Town (1 km)
House of Blackheads (1 km)
St. Peter's Church (0,9 km)
Mentzendorff House (0,9 km)
Museum of the Occupation of Latvia (1 km)
Small & Great Guild Hall (1,1 km)
Riga Cathedral (1,2 km)
St. John's Church (0,9 km)
St. James's Cathedral (1,4 km)


Salaspils Concentration Camp (13,3 km)
Jelgava Palace (39,8 km)
St. Simeon’s and St. Anna’s Orthodox Cathedral (40,5 km)
Ikskile Church Ruins (27 km)
St. Anne's Church (40,8 km)
Vecdole Castle Ruins (12,1 km)
Daugavgriva Castle Ruins (12,6 km)

User Reviews

Eija Risen (4 months ago)
For anyone interested in USSR culture, the most representative style of socrealist tower. Reminiscent of buildings like the University of Moscow and Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw.
Paul Vm King (4 months ago)
It's a bit of a walk from the old town area but very close to Jewish district and little moscow area,worth a visit to see the less tourist part of Riga.
Martin Saraz (5 months ago)
Good weather is definitely a key here, but if visibility is decent, it's absolutely amazing and certainty worth a visit. Structure itself is from the peak of a commie era, but for some reason I loved it. Reminds me of some buildings decades older in the US. 5€ admission is a fair price.
Benedikt T (5 months ago)
Kind of worth a visit, but for 5€ it's overpriced in my opinion. The view is good and you can see basically the whole city. The deck itself is spacious and you can stay how long you want to. However, there is no protection against the elements and historical or other information is scarce.
Tim Michael Vesper (5 months ago)
One of the coolest viewing platforms I've ever been to! 5€ is a decent price and the place is not really crowded. In fact we've been alone on the majority of the 30 minutes we spend up there. Informative signs in German, Latvian, Russian and English are appreciated too!
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Moszna Castle

The Moszna Castle is one of the best known monuments in the western part of Upper Silesia. The history of this building begins in the 17th century, although much older cellars were found in the gardens during excavations carried out at the beginning of the 20th century. Some of the investigators, including H. Barthel, claimed that those cellars could have been remnants of a presumed Templar castle, but their theory has never been proved. After World War II, further excavations discovered a medieval palisade.

The central part of the castle is an old baroque palace which was partially destroyed by fire on the night of April 2, 1896 and was reconstructed in the same year in its original form by Franz Hubert von Tiele-Winckler. The reconstruction works involved an extension of the residence. The eastern Neogothic-styled wing of the building was built by 1900, along with an adjacent orangery. In 1912-1914, the western wing was built in the Neo-Renaissance style. The architectural form of the castle contains a wide variety of styles, thus it can be generally defined as eclectic.

The height of the building, as well as its numerous turrets and spires, give the impression of verticalism. The whole castle has exactly ninety-nine turrets. Inside, it contains 365 rooms. The castle was twice visited by the German Emperor Wilhelm II. His participation in hunting during his stay at the castle was documented in a hand-written chronicle in 1911 as well as in the following year. The castle in Moszna was the residence of a Silesian family Tiele-Winckler who were industrial magnates, from 1866 until the spring of 1945 when they were forced to move to Germany and the castle was occupied by the Red Army. The period of the Soviet control caused significant damage to the castle's internal fittings in comparison to the minor damage caused by WWII.

After World War II the castle did not have a permanent owner and was the home of various institutions until 1972 when it became a convalescent home. Later it became a Public Health Care Centre for Therapies of Neuroses. Nowadays it can be visited by tourists since the health institution has moved to another building in the neighbourhood. The castle also has a chapel which is used as a concert hall. Since 1998 the castle housed a gallery in which works of various artists are presented at regular exhibitions.

Apart from the castle itself, the entire complex includes a park which has no precise boundaries and includes nearby fields, meadows and a forest. Only the main axis of the park can be characterised as geometrical. Starting from the gate, it leads along the oak and then horse-chestnut avenues, towards the castle. Further on, the park passes into an avenue of lime trees with symmetrical canals running along both sides of the path, lined with a few varieties of rhododendrons. The axis of the park terminates at the base of a former monument of Hubert von Tiele-Winckler. On the eastern side of the avenue there is a pond with an islet referred to by the owners as Easter Island. The islet is planted with needle-leaved shrubs and can be reached by a Chinese-styled bridge. The garden, as part of the whole park complex was restored slightly earlier than the castle itself. Preserved documents of 1868 state that the improvement in the garden's aesthetic quality was undertaken by Hubert von Tiele-Winckler.

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