Riga Soviet Walking Tour with a Local Guide

At the heart of Riflemen Square stands the Memorial to the Victims of the Soviet Occupation, known as "History Tactile." Your guide will take you through its two distinct sides, each telling a different part of the same story — and you may hear it too, through the memorial's haunting audio installation.

From Riflemen Square, your guide will walk you through decades of Soviet architecture visible in a single glance — from Stalin-era buildings to late 1960s modernism. Learn the controversial story behind the Riflemen Monument, and take in views of the Daugava with two more Soviet-era landmarks on the horizon: Vanšu tilts and the iconic TV tower.

Visible from the route, the Academy of Sciences — known locally as "Stalin's Birthday Cake" — is one of the most striking examples of Stalinist architecture outside Russia. Your guide will share the story behind it, including how it was funded, and by whom.

On the Daugava riverbank, your guide will point out the Soviet-era monument marking the spot where Tsarist troops opened fire on peaceful demonstrators in January 1905.