Soviet monument in Rīga will be taken down whole
The Soviet 'Victory' monument in Uzvaras park is unlikely to be demolished in stages, but toppled as a whole, representatives of Rīga City Council said at a briefing on August 4.
Rīga City Council has designated a builder for the demolition of the Soviet monument, but the company's name will not be disclosed for the time being.
Rīga City Executive Director Jānis Lange said that it would be impossible to dismantle the monument by breaking down the steps from top to bottom as it would take too long. Given that the builder must also dismantle the bronze statues and pool adjacent to the monument, and then perform the site development work, the demolition of the monument has to be quick.
Consequently, the monument is likely to be dismantled by a method of felling. How exactly the landing of the monument will be arranged, Lange has yet to reveal. This will be specified in the work organization project.
Meanwhile, Rīga Mayor Mārtiņš Staķis said that “the method of removal does not mean there will be an explosion”.
Five companies came forward in the closed price survey, which helped Riga to choose a builder, Lange said. The agreement could be signed the next day, August 5.