By December 15, various agencies of the Republic of Latvia must approve the document proposed by the Ministry of Culture regarding the transfer of real and movable property to the state LLC "New Riga Theatre" located at 25 Lacplesha Street in Riga.
It is planned to invest the main capital into this LLC, which has been funded by the state budget.
An Expensive Gift
As noted in the project, "The New Riga Theatre is an artistically vibrant and modern theater that makes a significant contribution to shaping the image of Latvia and its international recognition. The New Riga Theatre was founded in 1992 and has declared itself a bright artistic reformer since its inception. In 1997, Alvis Hermanis became the head of the New Riga Theatre, creating a completely new acting ensemble that became the foundation for further artistic achievements..."
In 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers issued a special decree No. 607 regarding the preservation of state participation in the fate of the theater. This was to allow it to "acquire international experience and continue to develop the unique theatrical language created by Alvis Hermanis, as well as ensure the accessibility of performances for Latvian and foreign audiences, contributing to the theater's repertoire policy and the formation of a socially active society."
In general, everything is in place — and therefore it is necessary to transfer ownership, which, according to the assessment by SIA Interbaltija dated November 11, 2025, is worth 44,000,000 euros. This includes both the cadastral value of the property at 9,567,363 euros (which is a monument of architecture of national significance!) and various equipment and interiors of the theater.
The New Riga Theatre, as noted in the document from the Ministry of Culture, "positions itself as a poetically intellectual theater, whose main goal is to provoke and stimulate discussions in society about current and eternal themes."
Plus Regular "Tokens of Attention"
What is true is true — in terms of provocations, everything is in order here. Especially when it comes to mocking Russian classics, declaring Dostoevsky a fascist, etc. Tickets fly off the shelves like hot cakes!
However, the theater is not quite making ends meet. Specifically, in the first 9 months of 2025, 3,870,615.97 euros were spent, while ticket sales and various other income amounted to 3,215,320.69 euros. It is unlikely that the resulting gap of more than 655,000 euros will be covered by Mr. Hermanis from his own pocket.
Therefore, in addition to the generous gift of tens of millions of euros, the state (i.e., you and I!) will be transferring regular funds for various current payments of the theater. In 2025-2028, they will amount to 748,718 euros per year, and in 2029 — already 1,154,710 euros.
The decision to gift such large assets to a state enterprise, just like that, does not quite fit into EU regulations. Therefore, the Ministry of Culture made a remark that "performances are not advertised outside the territory of Latvia and due to the language barrier do not attract audiences from other European Union countries." Wait a second — what about the international popularity of the unique ensemble mentioned earlier?!
Free Artist
Meanwhile, the last declaration of a public official in which A. Hermanis is mentioned relates to his work as the artistic director of the state LLC "New Riga Theatre"... in 2008. Currently, the only board member (director) of the theater is Gundega Palma. According to the 2024 declaration, the theater paid her 70,663 euros.
And the infamous provocative director now intends to use his talents on the political stage. Hermanis is creating his own new national party!
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