The Riga City Council on Wednesday decided to rename Maskavas iela and several other Soviet-era street names in the capital.
Maskavas iela will be renamed Latgales iela, which is the historical name of this street.
Due to the fact that there is already a Latgales iela in Riga, this street will be renamed Jana Klidzeja iela. Klidzejs was a Latvian writer and poet from Latgale.
The City Council also decided to rename Puskina iela to Karla Milenbaha iela. Milenbahs was a Latvian linguist.
Lomonosova iela will be renamed Valerijas Seiles iela. Seile was the first ever woman in the Latvian government, a member of the People’s Council of Latvia.
Gogola iela will be renamed Emilijas Benjaminas iela. Benjamina was a Latvian journalist and publicist.
Tipografijas iela will be renamed Augusta Sparina iela. Sparins was a military officer and pilot who participated in the liberation of Pardaugava from the Bermondt army.
Lermontova iela will be renamed Vila Pludona iela. Pludonis was a Latvian poet.
Turgeneva iela will be renamed Vilhelma Purvisa iela. Purvitis was a Latvian painter.
As explained by Riga Vice-Mayor Edvards Ratnieks (National Alliance/Alliance of Regions) at the Council meeting, the renaming of the streets will cost the municipality about EUR 80,000.
During the debate, two opposing views on the renaming of the street were expressed. Representatives of the Latvian parties mostly argued that in the current geopolitical situation in Riga, all names related to Russia should be changed. “We simply cannot leave these names. The name of Moscow Street should go where the warship went,” said City Council Member Kaspars Spunde (National Alliance/Alliance of Regions).
The second opinion, expressed mainly by members of the Latvian Russian Union, was against the renaming of streets and urged to keep the existing street names. For example, Council Member Miroslavs Mitrofanovs argued that Maskavas iela had no connection with Moscow and the actions of the current Russian government and the war in Ukraine. Maskavas iela is part of Riga’s history he claimed.
Source: BNS
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