Latvian Riflemen Monument Riga

This red granite monument depicting three riflemen commemorates the Latvian Riflemen Battalion. The Latvian Riflemen were a battalion of the Imperial Russian Army when it was formed in 1915. Its purpose was to defend the Baltic territories against the Germans during the First World War.

During the war, the battalion, which initially consisted of volunteers, grew into a unit of 40,000 mainly conscripted soldiers who were united in the Latvian Riflemen Division. Due to heavy losses, resentment towards the Tsar and the Russian army leadership grew, leading to support and sympathy for the Bolsheviks who wanted to end the war.

This support made the statue controversial because it was originally dedicated to the “Red Riflemen” who also served as Lenin's bodyguards, reminding the inhabitants of Riga of the communist system. Today, it is considered a monument to the Latvians who fought in the early years of the First World War and honours all Latvian Riflemen.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Anne Bolijn
• - https://www.amnewsworld.com/controversy-over-latvian-riflemen-monument-sparks-debate-in-riga/