Street Art in Riga, Latvia
Riga, the Latvian Capital, has a rich collection of street art spread throughout the city, from the city centre and into the suburbs.
Street art and murals are a great expression of Riga the place and how it connects with its population. It conveys a variety of messages, whilst adding vibrancy and interest to the streetscene. This creates an open-air gallery that everyone can enjoy.
If you are visiting Riga for any length of time, it would be well worth spending a few hours exploring the street art. This can easily be done either by walking, by bike or on public transport.
To help plan your visit, I have listed below some of the best artworks and murals to see in Riga.
I have also written other blog posts about cities in the Baltics, such as Tallinn in Estonia and Vilnius in Lithuania. The full list of blog posts that may be of interest if you are visiting the wider Baltics area can be found here.
Table of Contents
Artworks at the Paul Stradins Museum of the History of Medicine
Doma Darzs, Riga
One of the easiest murals to find in Riga is the one found above the Doma Darzs bar and grill in Riga Old Town. This mural provides a backdrop to the cobbled streets and public spaces in this part of the Old Town.
Saule. Pērkons. Daugava
One of the largest street murals in the Baltics can be found at Tallinas iela 48, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1001, Latvia, which is located about 2km north of the Old Town and can be reached by walking or taking the No 5 Trolleybus.
This artwork is titled “Saule. Pērkons. Daugava”, which translates as “Sun. Thunder. Daugava”. This unique artwork is inspired by the 1938 poster for the historical Latvian song of the same name, "Saule. Pērkons. Daugava", which itself draws upon Latvia's patriotism and values. The mural displays the authentic motifs from the woven belt of the tradition folk culture of Latvia, a symbol of Latvian identity.
This artwork was created by two of Latvia’s most foremost street artists, Rudens Stencil and Kiwie, as part of a street art festival. The mural covers about 800m2 of space and used more than 1,500 cans of spray paint.
Kiwie was one of Riga’s first street artists and has become associated with a multiform repetition of his Kiwie monster character. Kiwie’s Instagram feed can be viewed for more information.
Dainis Rudens or "Rudens Stencil", who is known for his large-format painting on urban buildings, such as industrial facades and structures. Rudens Stencil Instagram feed can be viewed for more information.
Dedication to Jam Skulme
One of Riga’s more controversial murals can be found at Akas iela 10, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1011, Latvia, which is located about 1.5km from the Old Town. It can be easily reached on foot, or by trolleybus.
This mural is a tribute the late Latvian artist Džemma Skulme, who made an important contribution to Latvian art development and social life in the late 20th Century. This artwork has proved very controversial amongst the residents of Riga because of the political and social messages is conveys, and has had quite a mixed reaction, but nevertheless, it is quite an impressive art piece that is well-worth visiting.
The sketch of the wall painting was created by the Latvian artist Kristians Brekte. Kristians Brekte is an expressive artist, and is known for his ironic figurative compositions. His Instagram feed can be viewed for more images.
Kristians Brekte’s artwork was actually transferred to the wall with the help of street artists Miķelis Mūrnieks and Kiwie. Miķelis Mūrnieks is a Latvian artist, now based in the Netherlands. He is known for his installations that express the chaos of the urban form. His Instagram feed can be viewed for more information.
Artworks at the Paul Stradins Museum of the History of Medicine
The masonry wall at the Paul Stradins Museum of the History of Medicine has an interesting number of art illustrations that capture the historical medical practices of the past. These artworks can be found at Antonijas iela 1, Centra rajons, Rīga, LV-1010, Latvia.
The Paul Stradins Museum of the History of Medicine is about 800 metres from the Old Town, within the Central District. It can easily be reached on foot and several trolleybuses go past it, such as lines 4, 5, 11, 13, 15, 19 and 22.
The Paul Stradins Museum of the History of Medicine itself is one of the largest medical museums in the world, and explores the development of medicine and pharmacology from ancient times. This is a fascinating museum, but is not one for the faint hearted, as it displays several dark elements, including trepanned skulls, and a two-headed dog. The objects within this museum can be viewed as an artform in their own right.
The artworks along the wall of Pauls Stradins Museum of the History of Medicine were created by artists Grieta Butjankova and Aleksejs Beļeckis. Grieta Butjankova is known as a tattoo artist, and her Instagram feed can be viewed for more images and information.
Political Street Art in Riga
Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, there has been a growing number of political artworks displayed across Riga in solidarity for Ukraine.
The Paul Stradins Museum of the History of Medicine faces the Russian Embassy in Latvia, and in defiance, it has unveiled an anti-Putin banner to show their support for Ukraine.
Other posters have appeared within Riga, many of which are positioned outside the gates of the Russian Embassy itself. It is unclear how long these posters will remain in position, but they are pertinent to this moment in time.
I have written a number blog articles about street art in other cities, including Lisbon, Bristol and Lima. Please click here to find out about a number of inspiring places.
I hope you have found this post about Street Art in Riga useful. If you have visited Riga, I would love to hear your thoughts or if you feel something is missing from this post, please email me and let me know at [email protected].
