This is how the Brothers' Cemetery was founded in Riga
The narrator describes the conditions under which the most famous Latvian memorial dedicated to fallen soldiers was established. As can be seen from the memoirs, the cemetery of folk heroes faced a number of obstacles and disadvantages - not only from the church, but also from the management of the city of Riga.
"There is no person in Latvia who would not know that there is a Brothers' Cemetery in Riga. There are no people who have visited them. And yet the small number of those who know how they originated and what battles were fought for them in their time. But can anyone not know that too? Shortly after the outbreak of World War II, the administrations of the Dome and Peter's Churches in Riga had allocated 146 graveyards to the Forest Cemetery at their disposal for the burial of fallen Lutheran soldiers who had no relatives in Riga. When in 1915. was founded in Latvia. Rifle Battalion, the organizing committee of this battalion began to bury the first fallen riflemen here. Later, it became necessary to expand the location of these cemeteries. The organizing committee made a request to the administrations of the Dome and Peter's churches. And here we had to experience such a tragic sight, that the riflemen, who had fallen in battle in defense of their homeland, were deprived of the rest of their lives in the same homeland. The battle between the organizing committee and the administrations of the mentioned churches was so hot that the Riga City Council and City Council were involved. The organizing committee submitted to the city board on June 3, 1916. under no. 5827 the following article: “The administrations of the Riga Evangelical Lutheran Dome and Peter's Churches had allocated a plot of land in the Forest Cemetery for the burial of fallen soldiers. As 138 riflemen have been buried in the place so far, org. the committee turned to min. administrations on the basis of which terms they would be willing to allocate an additional plot of land, but received a categorical rejection. It is clear from these statements by the administrations, as well as the excuse that they "do not find it possible to put another plot of land in the Forest Cemetery at all, because this cemetery must first serve the needs of the Dome and Peter's congregations", they do not want to go to the organizing committee.
"(..) The place which will be given as the Brethren's Cemetery to the fallen riflemen will later be confined to the fence when the state of peace in our land is reached, and the people who come to visit these graves will not have anything to do with the members of the Dome and Peter's Church the interests of that administration are planted above all else. In addition, it should not be forgotten that these administrations pay the city only one ruble a year for the huge area of land allocated to them in the Forest Cemetery, and it will not suffer any material losses from allocating a relatively small plot of land to Latv. riflemen. The external appearance of the Brothers' Cemetery of these riflemen will not cause any ugliness in the general character of the Forest Cemetery, as these Brethren's Cemeteries will be constantly cared for by the organizing committee as well as the relatives of the fallen riflemen. In the first time, the org took care of the care of these graves. committee and a little later the Latvian Red Cross.
This is how a cemetery was created, where the legendary heroes from all the farms of Latvia, both riflemen and later participants in the war of liberation, rest. As the brethren they fought, as the brethren they fell, and now in the common tomb they brothered, giving this sanctuary the only name that can be given to it - the Brethren's Cemetery (..) ”
newspaper "Latvian Rifleman", no. 12, 1934. Article title "This is how the Brothers' Cemetery was born in Riga"
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Brothers' Cemetery in Riga
Riga Brothers’ Cemetery is located in the northern district of Riga. The cemetery extends over an area of 9 ha and is the most outstanding and significant memorial ensemble in Latvia dedicated to the fallen Latvian soldiers. About 3,000 soldiers are buried here. The Brothers’ Cemetery was created during World War I after the first three Latvian Riflemen, who fell in Tīreļpurvs in the battle against the German Army, were buried here. Later Latvian soldiers who had died in other battles and wars would also be buried in the Brothers’ Cemetery. The memorial is based on the design of the sculptor Kārlis Zāle, and is the first memorial ensemble in Europe with such landscape, architecture and sculptural value. It uses elements typical to the Latvian landscape, traditional farmsteads, Latvian folklore and history that praise the characteristics of soldiers and tell the story of the way of the soldier. The memorial was unveiled in 1936 and it has three parts: ‘The Road of Though’ which is a 250 m long alley, ‘Terrace of Heroes’ with the Altar of the Sacred Flame and ensemble the Sacred Oak Grove, and the burial ground with the Latvian wall and a memorial of a mother with her fallen sons.
