Plus tri

Nekoliko rečenica sa turističkog sajta Rige pokazuje da Latvija (ili Letonija kako je mi zovemo) nije bila samostalna sve do 1918. godine. Međutim da bi pokazali svoju istoriju 2001. godine su glamorozno proslavili 800 godina od kada je nemački biskup Albert osnovao Rigu. Nemačka vlast je zamenjena švedskom vladom 1629. godinom, a Riga je postala najveći grad u Švedskoj Kraljevini. Od 1710. godine, Riga je pod Ruskom vlašću, ali je uticaj Nemačke bio prisutan sve do osnivanja nezavisne Latvije. Kuriozitet je da je između 1901. i 1912. godine, George Armistead, britanski državljanin, bio gradonačelnik Rige. Latvija je proglasila nezavisnost 18. novembra 1918. godine i ostala je slobodna sve do 1940. godine kada je bila okupirana od strane Sovjetske armije, koja je ubrzo zamenjena nacističkom okupacijom, da bi nakon Drugog svetskog rata opet otišla u ruke Sovjeta. Godine 1991. Latvija je ponovo postala nezavisna od Sovjetskog Saveza.

Iako je istorijski centar Rige od 1995. godine uključen u spisak svetske baštine UNESCO-a, meni su ponovo podjednako skrenule pažnju stare i napuštene kuće. Nisam stigao ništa da napišem nakon skorašnjih putovanja u Ukrajinu i Gruziju, pa mi se čini da je ovo prilika. Prosto je neverovatno koliko starih kuća postoji u ovim državama, a da niko ne pokušava da ih koristi. Nema čak ni skvotera. Domaćini su mi rekli da vlasnici ili nisu živi ili nemaju para da ih poprave. Kažu i da je deo grada koji mi je zapao za oko boemski i da su tu živeli pretežno umetnici. Ako sam dobro zapamtio zove se Pardaugava, što bi značilo preko reke Daugave, kao naša Sava mala. Verujem da će kraj ponovo oživeti, a do tada  postoji samo uspomena na neko prošlo vreme. I da, nisu Sovjeti za sve krivi, jednostavno, priroda i život su jači od svega, pa kuće mogu da budu primer kako civilizacija nestaje, kad se o njoj niko ne brine. Suština je da ljudi ne shvataju koliko je krhka civilizacija.

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A few sentences from the Riga tourist website said that Latvia (or Letonia as we call it) was not independent until 1918. However, in order to present their history in 2001, they glamorously celebrated 800 years since German bishop Albert had founded the Riga. The German government was replaced by the Swedish government in 1629, and Riga became the largest city in Sweden’s Kingdom. From 1710, Riga was under Russian rule, but the influence of Germany was present until the establishment of an independent Latvia. Curiosity is that between 1901 and 1912, George Armistead, a British citizen, was the mayor of Riga. Latvia declared independence on 18. November 1918 and remained free until 1940 when it was occupied by the Soviet army, which was soon replaced by the Nazi occupation. After the Second World War, again went into the hands of the Soviets. In 1991, Latvia again became independent from the Soviet Union.

Although the historic center of Riga since 1995 has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, I have again aligned the attention of the old and abandoned houses. I did not manage anything to write after the recent travel to Ukraine and Georgia, so it seems to me that this is an opportunity. It’s simply unbelievable how many old houses exist, and nobody is trying to use them. There are no even squatters. The hosts told me that the owners either are not alive or have no money to renovate them. They say that this is bohemic part of a city and that the artists lived there. If I remember it well, it’s called Pardaugava, which would mean over the Daugave River, as our Sava Mala. I believe that neighbourhood will come to life again, and until then there is only a memory of some past time. And yes, they are not the Soviets for all the blame, simply, nature and life are stronger than everything, so houses can be an example of how civilization disappears when no one cares about it. The fact is that people do not understand how is fragile our civilization.