The year 2025, which is coming to an end, was not just rich but even oversaturated with cultural events, sometimes even of global significance. And here is the mystery - in previous years, there was no such abundance. What happened?
Better Times Will Come
It has been noticed by many - in the last decade, the cultural program in Latvia is quite diverse. The classic phrase by Pushkin "Three houses call for the evening" is very relevant. At the same time, it should be noted that ticket prices are often quite undemocratic (sometimes reaching three-digit sums), but the halls are full. This has become especially noticeable after the pandemic, during which for a couple of years, audiences stayed at home and watched cultural events remotely. Was it the pandemic that taught us to appreciate the moment? Or has the people's wealth increased? Or is it something else?
It seems that it is this very "something else" that is to blame. People are seeking emotional protection in these anxious times. Exhibition and concert halls, theaters - serve as a protective shell from unpleasant news. And perhaps, the best expression of this state was given by the legendary Chris Norman (once the leader of the band Smoky), who visited Latvia again in April and gave a concert at Arēna Rīga.
The 74-year-old maestro said something very important at that time: "We must remember that there have been worse times in history. Do not get carried away with conspiracy theories, try to remain optimistic, keep a cool head!" This was said by a seasoned person who performed half a century ago both in the USSR and in the USA during the "Cold War." But with his timeless hits, he knew (and knows) how to captivate a diverse audience.
TOP-3 Events of the Year
If we had to determine the three main events of the year in the field of culture, the first place should rightfully be given to the national treasure Raimonds Pauls, who will celebrate his 90th birthday on January 12 of the coming year! Just on December 20, he performed at the Dome Cathedral - the hall was, of course, packed. And on that same evening, thousands of viewers attended the concert of the band "BI-2," and tickets for the pre-New Year concerts in theaters were sold out.
LETA
The second place is undoubtedly the Latvian animated film "Stream," which has received a hundred awards at various world film competitions and in February brought Latvia its first Oscar (and shortly before that - a Golden Globe). This achievement is quite historic, so it is not surprising that the small hall of the Riga municipal cinema Splendid Palace reopened in December after reconstruction under the new name - Straume ("Stream").
And the honorable third place should be given to the evening that took place on August 24 at the large stage in Mežaparks. More than fifty thousand people filled it to see a concert by their favorite band Prāta Vētra (also known as Brainstorm).
Sounds of Music
The summer season program of the Jūrmala hall "Dzintari" was rich, one of the central points of the program being the already traditional Laima Vaikule festival Laima Rendezvous Jūrmala. The three days of the festival reminded us of such a wonderful concept as "friendship of nations." On the first day of the musical event, Alla Pugacheva was in the hall with her husband Maxim Galkin, who later gave several concerts in Jūrmala and other cities in Latvia. By the way, Pugacheva lived in Jūrmala for a full three months this summer - this is unprecedented (previously, she only visited for a month).
In the field of literature, the very fact of the arrival of Vladimir Sorokin to Latvia in December was pleasing - one of the iconic figures of contemporary Russian literature. He visited Riga for a creative meeting held at the home of the Riga Jewish community. He presented his latest book "Fairy Tale."
Theatrical Life
The "Dailes" theater periodically impressed. In January, the premiere of Shakespeare's comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" took place there, where a car exploded on stage under the direction of the director Viesturs Kairišs! And in April, the premiere of the play "Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead" took place there - featuring the magnificent Chulpan Khamatova in the lead role.
In the new season, the theater made a splash with the premiere of "The Oracle," the second joint work of the theater and Polish director Lukasz Twarkowski. The budget was a quarter of a million euros. Don't worry about the budget - it wasn't taken from our pockets. The play was simply included in the program of the prestigious Ruhr Triennale - its world premiere took place on August 28 in Duisburg (Germany). The play was produced in collaboration with several foreign partners. Lucky us!
The touring of theaters is currently difficult due to global upheavals. But the arrival of the "Gesher" theater (Tel Aviv, Israel), which showcased the latest work of the outstanding director Rimas Tuminas (who passed away a year and a half ago) - "Cyrano" based on the play by Edmond Rostand, was a delight.
Cinema and Us
The twelfth Riga International Film Festival took place. The main prize (a bronze rooster by Ervins Broks and 5,000 euros) was awarded to the film "The Guest" by Lithuanian director Vytautas Katkus.
It was impressive that during the film festival, an exhibition dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the outstanding Latvian film director Juris Podnieks was opened at the Latvian Museum of Cinema. The centerpiece of the exhibition was an impressive panoramic installation set up on the first floor of the adjacent Latvian Academy of Culture.
At the Splendid Palace cinema in Riga, as part of the "Baltic Pearl" film festival, two screenings of the new film by Kirill Serebrennikov about the Nazi criminal "The Disappearance of Joseph Mengele," most of which was filmed in Latvia, took place. At that time, the Latvian premiere of the film "Two Prosecutors," also made with the participation of Latvia by the well-known Ukrainian director of Belarusian origin Sergey Loznitsa, who has been living in Berlin since 2001, also took place.
Opera and Ballet
The opera divas delighted. In the small and large halls of "Dzintari," two concerts were held in one evening as part of a new tradition organized by opera diva Inessa Galante - Baltijas Balva/Baltic Awards. The award ceremony from the singer's foundation to three figures in culture and science from the three Baltic countries (in four nominations), which took place in May, concluded with a musical part in the summer. The already traditional gala concert "Elīna Garanča and Friends" took place at "Dzintari."
And where would we be without ballet? In the Opera, the premiere of the ballet "Esmeralda" took place in April. In short - a success, and quite deserved.
In May, with two concerts dedicated exclusively to the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, one of the leading conductors in the world, Andris Nelsons, visited his homeland again. This time - with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Very expensive tickets were sold out six months before the event.
In August, Grigory Sokolov - one of the most renowned contemporary pianists, "the last of the Mohicans" - performed at the Opera.
Fashion Verdict
In the Riga Museum of Fashion, with the participation of fashion guru Alexander Vasilyev, an exhibition "I Love Art Deco" was opened in the spring, dedicated to the brightest design direction of the 1920s and 1930s. Recently, he also opened an exhibition of lingerie "Boudoir. What is Not Talked About" there.
And it is pleasing that in August, in the very heart of Old Riga, in an ancient house on Marstal Street, 6, new premises of the Latvian National Museum of Literature and Music opened. The event was marked by an exhibition "Procrastination & Creativity," which presents some hidden secrets of the classics of Latvian literature and music - both those who have passed away and those who are still alive.
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