Why go
The Barricades explain why central Riga’s public buildings and streets carry a history of collective defence. The story brings together political risk and ordinary support: people guarded sites, radio coordinated them, and institutions supplied food and firewood during the cold.
The full story
Latvia’s Supreme Council had declared the restoration of independence in May 1990, but Soviet power had not yet withdrawn. In early January 1991, Soviet OMON forces seized Riga’s Press House. Fearing further attacks, the Latvian government called on people to protect important sites. From 13 January, volunteers built and guarded barricades, mainly in Riga. Radio helped coordinate the effort. It carried practical messages about shifts, food and meeting points. Supporters brought firewood for bonfires, warm clothing and refreshments; schools sometimes provided places to sleep. These details show the Barricades as sustained civic work in winter, not a single demonstration. Violence followed. Soviet attacks killed and wounded people, with several deaths during the attack on the Latvian Ministry of the Interior on 20 January. The barricades remained into late January. Latvia’s full independence was secured later that year, but the January events remain central to how the capital remembers its passage out of Soviet rule.