Riga Cathedral

Riga Dome Cathedral is one of the symbols of the capital of Latvia. The doors of the majestic ancient temple are open to believers and music lovers. The Dome Cathedral was built at the beginning of the 13th century and nowadays has the status of the cathedral of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church. It is the largest medieval church in the Baltic States and an architectural dominant of Riga’s historical buildings. Throughout its centuries-long history, the Dome Cathedral has been rebuilt several times, and therefore its external appearance easily reflects Romanesque, Northern Gothic and Baroque features.

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Video: Riga Dome Cathedral

Contents

Highlights

For several centuries now, the ancient cathedral has been the center of musical life for residents of the Latvian capital and tourists. Music in this temple sounds not only when church services are held, but also during regular concerts. Organ music concerts are the most popular among tourists and citizens. In addition, instrumental music of different centuries and choral singing can be heard under the arches of the Dome Cathedral in Riga. Concert programs are organized once or twice a week, and professional musicians from Latvia and other countries take part in them.

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The Great Organ of the Dome Cathedral is known throughout Europe. This historic instrument was installed in the 80s of the 19th century. It has a height of 25 meters and consists of 6768 pipes of different diameters. The complex musical instrument is equipped with four keyboards and 47 levers, which can be used to set different sound modes. When the organ was built, it was considered the largest in the world. Today, there are much larger instruments in different countries, but the delightful sound of the Riga organ is highly appreciated by all music lovers.

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History of the Dome Cathedral

At the beginning of the 13th century, Riga’s first city cathedral burned down. This was a period when building technologies were changing. Buildings were beginning to be constructed not only of stone, but also of brick, finishing the corners of buildings with stone. The construction of the Riga Dome Cathedral began in 1211. At first, the new temple was built in a laconic Romanesque style, but since it had a large size, the construction work stretched for years.

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In 1226, 15 years after the beginning of construction, the Dome Cathedral was not yet finished, however, there were already held here church consiliums, which were attended by representatives of the Pope. At the turn of the XIV-XV centuries, the temple building was expanded, adding to it the western aisles and side chapels, as well as raising the level of the central room. After this, the cathedral became a classical basilica.

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In the mid-16th century, the city experienced a major fire, during which the wooden Gothic spire of the church burned down completely. The townspeople had to rebuild the church tower and erect a new pyramidal steeple on it.

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In the 1770s, Russian Empress Catherine II, due to sanitation problems in cities, imposed a ban on burials in churches. After this, all burials from Riga’s Dome Cathedral were moved to a cemetery that had been arranged by the Riga authorities outside the city, and the floor in the church was raised. Around the same time, the old spire was torn down and a new Baroque completion was built instead, which has survived to this day.

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Riga Dome Cathedral today

For a long time now, Riga’s Dome Cathedral has been actively restored. Large-scale work on the restoration of the ancient temple was started in 2011. Within ten years, experts plan to renew the roof, facades of the building, interior rooms and stained glass windows.

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The cathedral ensemble includes the oldest museum in the country, which tells about the history of Riga and maritime history. It was established in 1773, thanks to the private collections of physician Nikolaus von Himsel. Nowadays about 500 thousand exhibits are exhibited here. For tourists, the doors of the museum are open: from May to September – daily from 10.00 to 17.00, from October to April – from Wednesday to Sunday from 11.00 to 17.00.

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Video: Views from the spire of Riga Cathedral

Dome Square

The square where Riga’s Dome Cathedral stands is considered to be one of the largest in the Old Town. Its appearance began to take shape in the late 19th century. In order to make the medieval temple more visible, the Riga authorities decided to demolish several old buildings covering its facades.

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In 1886, the expanded urban space was named Dome Square. To commemorate the coup d’état of 1934, it came to be called 15 May Square. And in 1940, after Soviet troops entered the country, the place near Riga’s Dome Cathedral received a new name – 17th of June Square. The return of the historical name took place in 1987.

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In addition to the majestic church here stands the neo-Renaissance building of the Riga Stock Exchange, built in the tradition of Venetian palaces. On the northern side of Dome Square stands a monumental house built in the style of European neoclassicism. Nowadays it houses the Latvian Radio, and used to house Riga’s first commercial bank.

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To the west of this building is a house built at the beginning of the last century for the Rossiya Insurance Company. In the middle of Dome Square is fixed a round rondo with the text that Riga’s historical building is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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Visitor information

Riga Dome Cathedral is open: from July to September from 9.00 to 18.00, on Fridays and Wednesdays from 9.00 to 17.00, on Thursdays from 9.00 to 17.30. From October through June, the temple receives visitors daily from 10.00 to 17.00.

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Services are held Monday through Saturday at 8:00 am, and on Sundays at 12:00 pm. On the first Sunday of the month, families with children can participate in a special worship service that begins at 5:00 pm. Note that church services at the temple are conducted in Latvian.

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Concerts are held from May to September – on Wednesdays and Fridays at 19.00, from October to April – only on Fridays at 19.00. There is an additional concert almost every week. Tickets for the concerts can be purchased at the Dome Cathedral box office during business hours.

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How to get there

Riga Dome Cathedral is located on Dome Square, in the historical center of the city. It can be reached by streetcars No. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 10 – to the stop “Grēcinieku iela”. From the city train station it is easy to walk to the cathedral in 16-20 minutes.

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