LATVIA
I visited Latvia in August of 2021

Alexander Maimoha, his father, and 100 volunteers in Riga, Lativia constructed this giant fox to draw attention to the plight of animals and the destructive nature of the fur industry.

Daina Kucera populated a small roadside garden with over 200 almost-human-sized straw dolls dressed as our contemporaries of all ages and walks of life -- from school children to policemen and robbers. She guards her work from vandals and collecting donations, which she spends on designing new dolls.*

​Anita Millere is a seamstress in Sabile, Latvia.

Andris Millers makes mind-boggling kinetic wooden sculptures.*

​Sigulda Medieval Castle was constructed in 1207 by the Order of the Brethren of the Sword but was severely damaged in the 18th century during the Great Northern War.*

It actually two castles in one. The first is the sorrowful dark-stone towers of the old Wenden castle. Founded by Livonian knights in 1214, it was sacked by Russian tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1577, but only after its 300 defenders blew themselves up with gunpowder.*

​Gothic spires that dominate Riga's cityscape might suggest austerity, but it is the flamboyant art nouveau that forms the flesh and the spirit of this vibrant cosmopolitan city, the largest of the three Baltic capitals.*

​Leon and Eugon entertain in the streets of Riga, Latvia.

​​Alex from Russia playing in the streets of Riga, Latvia.

​Spanning 240m, Ventas Rumba is branded Europe's widest...*​
​

​Painter on the streets of Riga, Latvia.

Sabile would be just another sleepy cobble-stoned Latvian village if its eccentric residents weren't on a mission to find any available method of making it unique.*
​

​Ergun Nasuh from Turkey playing in the streets of Riga, Latvia.​

Tibetan singer in Riga.
​

The imposing Russian Orthodox Church of Virgin's Shroud caters for a tiny community (in Kuldiga)*

Outdoor activity appears to be a passion in Latvia.

​

Dāvids Kļaviņš has reinvented the way pianos look and sound, and he’s on a mission to improve our lives in these worrying times.
​
​

Street musician in Riga, Latvia.

Sabine and Martins performing in a club in old town Riga.​​

Children in Kuldiga have made a game out of the town's fountain.
​

Latvian kids enjoying their skate park.

*These captions are from Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania  -- a Lonely Planet travel guide.