Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Timeline of Riga

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Timeline of Riga

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Riga, Latvia.

Contents

12th–14th centuries

  • 1158 CE – Area settled by Bremen merchants.
  • 1190 – Augustinian monastery established.
  • 1201 – Town built by Catholic bishop Albert.
  • 1202
  • Bishopric of Livonia relocates to Riga from Üxküll.
  • Order of the Brethren of the Sword founded.
  • 1209 – St. Peter's Church active.
  • 1211 – Church of the Virgin construction begins.
  • 1225
  • Riga Town Council active (approximate date).
  • St. James's Church dedicated.
  • 1234 – St. John's Chapel built (approximate date).
  • 1255 – Archbishopric of Riga established.
  • 1260 – St. Mary Magdalene's Church built.
  • 1282 – Riga joins Hanseatic League.
  • 1330 – Brotherhood of Blackheads organized.

    • 16th century

  • 1510 - December: Christmas tree displayed in marketplace.
  • 1515 – Riga Castle rebuilt.
  • 1524 - Public library established.
  • 1541 – Riga joins League of Schmalkalden.
  • 1547 – Sigismund II of Poland in power.
  • 1558 – Riga area besieged by Russians.
  • 1561 – Territory converts to Lutheranism from Catholicism.
  • 1581 – Riga is granted status of Imperial Free City.
  • 1582 – Polish in power.
  • 1584 – Calendar riots begin.
  • 1588 – Nikolajs Mollīns sets up printing business.
  • 1591 – St. Gertrude Church rebuilt.

    • 17th century

  • 1621 – Riga taken by forces of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.
  • 1638 – Church of Jesus consecrated.
  • 1650 – Powder Tower rebuilt.
  • 1656 – Riga besieged by Russian forces of Alexis Mikhailovich.
  • 1698 – Swedish Gate constructed.

    • 18th century

  • 1710 – Siege of Riga; Russians in power.
  • 1721 – Riga becomes part of Russian empire.
  • 1728 – St. Peter and St. Paul Church built (approximate date).
  • 1765 – City Hall built.
  • 1773
  • Great Cemetery and Pokrov Cemetery established.
  • Himsel Museum established.
  • 1781 – City becomes capital of Riga viceroyalty.
  • 1785 – Our Lady of Sorrows Church built.
  • 1796 – City becomes capital of Livonia.
  • 1798 – Grebenstchikov House of Prayer rebuilt.

    • 19th century

  • 1812
  • Fire.
  • Siege of Riga by French.
  • 1817 – Wohrmann Park inaugurated.
  • 1818 – Annunciation of Our Most Holy Lady Church built.
  • 1825 – St. Alexander Nevsky Church built.
  • 1833 – Homeopathic pharmacy opened by the Association of Chemists and Pharmaceutists.
  • 1845 – Museum of Natural History founded.
  • 1852 – St. Martin's Church built.
  • 1854 – Riga blockaded by British.
  • 1855 – Exchange built.
  • 1857
  • Large Guild built.
  • Population: 70,463.
  • 1858 – City fortifications dismantled.
  • 1859 – English Church built.
  • 1861 – Riga Central Station built; Riga – Daugavpils Railway begins operating.
  • 1862 – Riga Polytechnical Institute founded.
  • 1863 – Riga City Theatre built.
  • 1866 – Small Guild built.
  • 1867 – Population: 102,590.
  • 1868
  • Riga – Jelgava Railway begins operating.
  • Riga Latvian Society founded.
  • 1869
  • Polytechnic built.
  • Riga City Art Gallery opens.
  • Latvian Museum of National History founded.
  • 1870 – Kunstverein founded.
  • 1873 - Latvian Song and Dance Festival begins.
  • 1877 – Tornakalns – Tukums II Railway begins operating; Brasa Station opens.
  • 1878 – Imperial city self-government statute in effect.
  • 1881 - Population: 169,329.
  • 1883
  • Riga Russian Theatre established.
  • Nativity Cathedral built.
  • 1887 – St. Paul's Lutheran Church built.
  • 1889 – Riga – Lugazi Railway begins operating.
  • 1890 – Ludvigs Vilhelms Kerkoviuss becomes mayor.
  • 1891
  • Church of Luther consecrated.
  • Russian language becomes official language of Baltic provinces.
  • 1892
  • Municipal "counter-reform" enacted by imperial government.
  • St. Francis Church consecrated.
  • 1895 – Holy Trinity Orthodox Church built; Holy Archangel Mikhail Church dedicated.
  • 1897 – Population: 282,943.

    • 20th century

  • 1903 – Commercial school established.
  • 1905
  • 13 January: Demonstration suppressed by Russian army.
  • Museum of Art built.
  • 1906
  • Rīgas Centrālā bibliotēka (library) opens.
  • St. Gertrude New Church built.
  • Apollo Theatre (Riga) established.
  • 1907 – Holy Trinity Cathedral built.
  • 1909 – Church of the Cross and Cat House built.
  • 1912 – Riga Zoo opens.
  • 1914
  • Railway Bridge inaugurated.
  • Population: 569,100.
  • 1915
  • Brothers' Cemetery established.
  • Port closed.
  • 1916 – Riflemen Museum founded.
  • 1917 – 3 September: Germans in power.
  • 1918 – 18 November: Riga becomes capital of independent Latvia.
  • 1919
  • 3 January: Soviets in power.
  • May: Soviets ousted.
  • National Library of Latvia, Latvia Higher School, Latvian Conservatory of Music, and Latvian National Theatre founded.
  • Latvju Opera active.
  • 1920
  • Riga Artists Group formed.
  • Latvian Museum of Foreign Art established.
  • Dailes Theatre opens.
  • 1921 – Art Academy established.
  • 1922 - University of Latvia Botanic Garden created.
  • 1927 – Mezaparks Lutheran Church active.
  • 1928 – Spilve Airport in operation.
  • 1930 – Riga Central Market built.
  • 1932 – Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum opens.
  • 1935 – Freedom Monument unveiled.
  • 1937
  • Mangali – Rujiena Railway begins operating.
  • City hosts EuroBasket 1937.
  • 1940 – Soviet occupation.
  • 1941
  • 13–14 June: Mass deportation.
  • 1 July: German occupation begins.
  • October: Jewish ghetto created.
  • Proletariat, Kirov, and Moscow administrative districts established.
  • 1944
  • 13 October: Soviets in power again.
  • Latvian State Puppet Theatre founded.
  • 1946 – Dinamo Riga ice hockey team formed.
  • 1950 – Riga Medical Institute established.
  • 1954 - Latvijas Televīzija (television station) headquartered in city.
  • 1956
  • Academy of Sciences building constructed.
  • Riga Aviation Museum established.
  • 1957
  • Rīgas Balss newspaper begins publication.
  • Stone Bridge opens.
  • 1958
  • TTT Riga and BK VEF Rīga basketball clubs formed.
  • Daugava Stadium opens.
  • 1964 – Coach Terminal built.
  • 1969 – October, Lenin, and Leningrad administrative districts established.
  • 1972 – Andrejs Upits' Memorial Museum founded.
  • 1973 – Riga International Airport built.
  • 1977 – Island Bridge built.
  • 1979 - Population: 840,000.
  • 1981 – Gorky Bridge opens.
  • 1984
  • Alfreds Rubiks becomes mayor.
  • Zolitūde construction begins.
  • 1985
  • Victory Memorial to Soviet Army erected.
  • Krisjanis Barons Memorial Museum established.
  • 1986 – Riga Radio and TV Tower built.
  • 1987
  • 14 June: Demonstrators commemorate 1941 deportations.
  • Latvian Museum of Pharmacy founded.
  • 1988 – Riga Film Museum established.
  • 1989
  • Arsenals – Fine Arts Museum active
  • Latvian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design opens.
  • Riga Motor Museum founded.
  • 1990
  • Diena newspaper begins publication.
  • Latvian Academy of Culture established.
  • Andris Teikmanis becomes mayor.
  • 1991
  • January: The Barricades.
  • 21 August: Latvia declares independence.
  • 6 September: USSR recognizes Latvian independence.
  • St. Peter's Church rebuilt.
  • Riga Marathon begins.
  • 1992
  • Banking College founded.
  • New Riga Theatre opens.
  • Latvian Institute of International Affairs headquartered in city.
  • 1993
  • Museum of the Occupation of Latvia and Latvian Museum of Photography inaugurated.
  • School of Business Administration Turiba founded.
  • Rīgas Laiks magazine and Vakara Ziņas newspaper begin publication.
  • 1994
  • Maris Purgailis becomes mayor.
  • Latvian Museum of Architecture and Latvian Railway History Museum established.
  • Stockholm School of Economics in Riga campus established.
  • 1995 – Latvian National Opera house renovated.
  • 1996 – Skonto Arena opens.
  • 1997 – Andris Berzins becomes mayor.
  • 1998 – Riga Graduate School of Law established.
  • 1999
  • Riga Aviation University founded.
  • City hosts 1999 European Athletics Junior Championships.
  • House of the Blackheads rebuilt.

    • 21st century

  • 2000
  • Andris Argalis becomes mayor.
  • BK Barons Kvartāls basketball club and Baltic Institute of Social Sciences established.
  • Skonto Stadium opens.
  • International Charter on Authenticity and Historical Reconstruction in Relationship to Cultural Heritage signed in Riga.
  • 2001
  • Gundars Bojars becomes mayor.
  • 800th anniversary of founding of Riga.
  • Riga Porcelain Museum and Kino Citadele open.
  • Bikernieki Memorial unveiled.
  • 2002 - Providus Centre for Public Policy established.
  • 2003
  • Rigas Satiksme founded.
  • City hosts Eurovision Song Contest 2003.
  • Population: 739,232.
  • 2004
  • 1 May: Latvia joins the European Union.
  • Saules akmens (hi-rise) built.
  • 2005
  • 2 February: 2005 Riga railway accident.
  • 12 March: Latvian local elections, 2005 held.
  • Aivars Aksenoks becomes mayor.
  • Latvian National Museum of Art and JFK Olimps football club established.
  • Riga Salsa Festival begins.
  • 2006
  • Riga Planning Region and FK Jauniba Riga football club established.
  • City hosts NATO Summit.
  • Arena Riga opens.
  • City hosts 2006 IIHF World Championship.
  • 2007 – Janis Birks becomes mayor.
  • 2008 – Southern Bridge opens.
  • 2009
  • 13 January: 2009 Riga riot.
  • Nils Usakovs becomes mayor.
  • Pushkin Statue erected.
  • 2010
  • Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications headquartered in Riga.
  • Population: 703,260.
  • 2013
  • 20 June: Riga Castle fire.
  • 21 November: Supermarket roof collapse.
  • 2014 - National Library of Latvia new building constructed.
  • 2015 - Z-Towers built.

    • References

    Timeline of Riga Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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