In a weekend, 800 years

  • 2001-08-23
  • Richard Balog
July 11, 2001 marks the day of my arrival in Riga. I don't exaggerate when I say that these 40-plus days have given me a new sense of the meaning of life. My stay reminds me of a quote by Goethe: "Never has my sensitivity to the unknown been richer or deeper, even to the smallest stone, the tiniest blade of grass, and yet I do not know how to express myself, but my powers are so weak that everything floats and fluctuates before my mind."

The quote could throw some light on how the myriad of emotions that Latvia and its culture, history, and people have such had a powerful impact on me.

I thought I knew what to expect about Latvia from my Latvian friends in the United States, and I was right: the unknown. The sheer intensity of Riga with its ornate architecture and delicious food, almost every dish of which contains dill, one of my favorite herbs.

To take away any confusion resulting from the language barrier, you have to at least learn the basics of the Latvian language. That's how I feel out of respect for the people and the pride that has kept their spirit and strength alive throughout the horrific atrocities and hardship that plagued them until only a decade ago when freedom and independence was restored.

These and numerous other reasons are why I am trying to keep the meaning and importance of Riga, this "Pearl of Europe" as it is known, and its 800th birthday close to my heart and give back what it has given to me.

Riga 800 means more than just another European city throwing another enormous party to attract tourists and boost a meandering economy. It raises a positive consciousness for a beautiful city that deserves long overdue acknowledgment for its past, present, and future.

This celebration was not like any other experience I have ever had the pleasure to participate in. The never-ending, ever-widening smiles on the faces of over a million people brought together for 800 minutes, which were 800 years in the making. These were 800 minutes of unforgettable history, which I can proudly say I was a part of.

From the very start of this event my eyes and ears were wide open, taking in the swirling, intoxicating explosions of color of all the joyous dancing and soul stirring music. The first Riga 800 event I went to on the main day was a concert in the Sacred Music Festival conducted by Rihards Dubra in the Dome Cathedral. Here I found myself being sung softly to sleep by the angelic singing and chants of the Latvian singers. This was a sleep by no means from boredom, but from the completely relaxing efforts of these serene melodies. It was my first Latvian lullaby.

The rest of the day was spent pondering that this celebration has been nine years in the making, and half of the entire nation coupled with foreigners from all around the world were brought together for one reason: Riga. Despite the feeling that some of the streets were like giant mosh pits, every step I took was a photograph. There seemed to be no end to it all.

The immense magnitude of the turnout was overwhelming. It took me literally 20 minutes to walk from the Laima clock to the Freedom Monument, a distance of 100 meters. I wondered if "Milda" was just as awestruck as I was.

Even in this tightly packed mass of people, happiness and an enormous sense of pride was made abundantly clear. The smiles were as bright as the sun (the temperature peaked at 32 degrees Celsius), and the constant singing raised my awareness as to what all this was about. Even though I did not fully understand what was being sung, I felt the essence and felt like I belonged here and that I was contributing to something eternal.

My anticipation grew for the grand finale. Everyone had the same sense of excitement and longing for what turned out to be the grandest, most impressive firework display this American has ever witnessed. I have seen firework displays in New York City, and nothing comes close to the powerful magic that lit up the Riga skyline at midnight Aug. 18. The cheers from the crowd almost drowned out the fireworks' explosions.

It was worth waiting 800 years for Riga to get the world's attention and adulation for this event. My thanks to the president, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, and all those who helped organize and participated in such a remarkable event.

My memory of what took place during those 800 minutes will last a lifetime. May Riga live long, be proud and prosper for 800 years more.