In Riga, work on the dismantling of the monument to Soviet soldiers was completed. The 79-meter stele, which remained from the monument, was not blown up, it was thrown deep into the park. Demolition of all elements of the memorial ensemble took three days. On Tuesday, a group of sculptures depicting Soviet soldiers was demolished, on Wednesday - a sculpture embodying the image of Nika.

In anticipation of the dismantling, the authorities did not agree on holding protests against the demolition of the monument and warned foreigners that "unauthorized actions" at the monument could be followed by expulsion.

Since August 22, in the vicinity of the monument in Victory Park, the police have detained 27 people for various reasons.

In mid-May, the Riga City Council voted to demolish the monument. 39 deputies voted “for” and 13 “against”. This was preceded by the suspension of the bilateral agreement with Russia on the preservation of memorial structures, which was approved by the Latvian Seimas on May 12 in the final reading.

“The image and symbols of the Soviet army are now directly and unambiguously connected with the aggression of Russia and the crimes committed by its armed forces in Ukraine,” said Rihards Kols, head of the Latvian Seimas Foreign Affairs Commission.

On May 9, residents of Riga laid flowers at the monument, but the very next day they were removed by a bulldozer. On August 23, 14 people were detained during protests over the demolition of the monument.