Riga City Council Condemns Quadrupeds: Cultural Wars at the Municipal Level 0 7

The Real Estate of Our Lives

Then the Riga authorities took up the discussion of thematic planning for the site between Dzelzava and Vaida streets. Your author noted that the discussion took only 1 minute at the City Property Committee, leaving unanswered questions: how will fire trucks access the block via a service road (easement) that is only 3.5 meters wide; and what is planned for parking for personal vehicles, which continue to be placed in the so-called green zone, turning it into dust and dirt.

Ms. Melle noted that at the mentioned committee, all participants had the right to ask questions. However, the Deputy Chair of the Privatization Commission of the Riga City Council, Normunds Beinarovichs, replied that if residents are not satisfied with the width of the road, they should write to the Department of External Space and Mobility. As for parking spaces near the houses, there is a shortage of them throughout the capital... In general, the decision was made almost unanimously.

The head of the City Property Committee, Dainis Locis (National Alliance), announced a whole list of properties to be transferred – apartments, plots of land, buildings. Among the latter, attention can be drawn to addresses on the former Turgeneva and Maskavas streets, which are being transferred for gratuitous use to the public benefit organization – the society "Shamir," which supports the Museum of the Riga Ghetto there.

Who Are You, Masters of Culture?

Next, party colleague Dāvis Stalts spoke from the podium about the creation in the Riga City Council of a whole series of new commissions for the allocation of co-financing: for professional music, art, and dance educational programs; creative quarters and territories, and professional non-governmental cultural organizations; amateur art groups...

In total – 6 new commissions! Interestingly, just in the fall of 2025, the new composition of the Riga City Council created a Culture Commission, led by D. Stalts himself. And isn't it possible to resolve all issues regarding assistance to creative individuals through it? The answer was simple: leading a commission can bring in some money!

An opposition deputy stated that provocative images exploiting child sexuality are shown at cultural events supported by the Riga City Council. The Deputy Chair of the Culture Commission, Agnese Logina (Progressives), responded that censorship is prohibited in Latvia. And in general, such delicate matters as the inspiration of a creator cannot be regulated on a party basis, noted the former Minister of Culture.

– Deputies do not have the right, when making administrative decisions, to base them on their political views, – commented Natalia Bulgakova, head of the Legal Department of the Riga City Council. For example, when voting on a ban on gambling, representatives of this sector filed a lawsuit against individual council members who caused damage to their business with their verdict!

In her opinion, depriving funding for creative initiatives based on the subjective views of politicians and their voters is also unacceptable.

People Think Deputies Are Dishonest

– Why are politicians even here? – asked nationalist Girts Lapiņš. "Good question, in the future we will get rid of them altogether," said A. Logina. Apparently, she has never been a politician – she issued the sentiment that this is "speculation" and "conspiracy theories."

Deputy J. Stepanenko still took to the podium and cited the 2ANNAS festival as an example, which featured a program of homosexual short films: "Let the deputies address the issue of values, defending the interests of Riga residents."

– We are intelligent, thinking people! – said Laima Geikina (Progressives) about herself. The time she and those like her spend in the Council is "very precious," so raising rhetorical questions, in her opinion, is unacceptable.

– Society gets the impression that we are dishonest! – complained Ms. Geikina.

"My vote in one commission caused emotions and pressure," said the opposition deputy.

– We do not promote or impose heterosexual culture, – stated the deputy. – Why is it necessary to specifically consider sexual orientation and give money to people for sleeping with strange people in their beds?

She reminded that about half of Riga's residents are Russian-speaking. "If we all start attending festivals and promoting our culture, then you will mention the neighboring state."

– Culture also includes writings on the walls of toilets, – proclaimed Liana Langa (National Alliance) from the podium. And she criticized the "left-liberal ideology," which, unlike Aristotle or Kant, prioritizes human rights. But what if such a person turns into a quadruped, dresses in fur, eats from a bowl on the floor, and meows all day?

– I wouldn’t wish that on my children! – said Langa.

For reference: Quadrupeds are participants in a youth subculture who imitate the behavior, movements, and appearance of animals, moving on all fours and wearing masks and tails.

The Mayor's Weighty Word

Viesturs Kleinbergs (Progressives) called what is happening a "theater," which occurs because some deputies want to shoot their campaign videos. But, on the other hand, one must honor the truth – and go to lunch...

– We have worked hard to create a support system, – lamented L. Geikina.

For his part, a prominent opposition figure reminded that before the last elections in the USA, several officials from Latvia's ruling party, such as the current Minister of Finance Arvils Ašeradens, stated that Trump would lose. Now everyone is rushing to meet the new American ambassador.

At the same time, the magazine Ir, led by Aivars Ozoliņš, receives money from the Integration Fund and calls to fight against "Putinists and Trumpists." So why does Foreign Minister Baiba Braže meet with a diplomat from America who was previously an activist in Trump's campaign?

All these examples show that the work of various funds is extremely politicized, with their leadership belonging to parties of a certain direction.

– Our ally, the USA, is the only state that can ensure Latvia's independence for a long time, – stated the opposition representative.

Learning from Western Democracies

– The distribution of material values, money, – pointed out the direction of the new commissions veteran domestic politician Sergey Dolgopolov. – In this regard, such debates have been, are, and will be.

– We need to learn from Western democracies, from the Parliament of the United Kingdom, – wished his colleagues Rudolf Bremanis.

Your author shared his latest cultural impression – seen in the window of a municipal building in Vecā Riga, rented until 2040 by the City Property Department. It showcases an object by Ukrainian artist P. "Black Swan," which is a mix of a fighter jet (for some reason an F-35), a swan, and some other unpleasant dripping substances. What is this? The curator of the exhibition, Denis Khanov, explains in the commentary how Ukraine is being bombed, and on this basis, it is necessary to visit the theater nearby.

"Black Swan" in the center of Riga.