e-Riga is a project started by the Riga City Council. Its goal is to promote the development of Riga, turning it into a modern, investment-friendly city, as well as providing high-quality customer-oriented services to residents of the capital and entrepreneurs, using the opportunities and solutions offered by information technology.
Electronic services for citizens:
https://www.eriga.lv/ – portal of self-government services in Riga
https://e.csdd.lv/ – Road Safety Department
E-Bank – Internet Banking
e-talons – a unified e-ticket
e-skola – a portal for communication between the school and home via the Internet.
The local media is divided according to the language principle and serves two communities – Latvian and Russian-speaking. Accordingly, publishing houses, television and radio are divided into Latvian and Russian.
Television.
Channels that offer content exclusively in Latvian (films, series, entertainment shows, news, etc.) – LTV1, LTV7, TV3, LNT, TV6.
Latvian Television (LTV) is owned by a Latvian television broadcaster. About 60% of the LTV budget is state funding, the company receives the remaining funds from sponsorship packages and the sale of advertising time.
Russian television in Latvia.
First Baltic Channel (ПБК) (Latvian – Pirmais Baltijas Kanāls (PBK)) is a Latvian TV channel created on the basis of Russia’s largest First Channel for broadcasting this channel’s programs in the Baltic States. The channel is broadcast in Russian.
Programs on the ПБК channel include cultural and educational programs, documentaries, television shows and films. The channel also hosts daily programs for children and programs in Russian, incl. daily news.
3+ – Russian-language TV channel in Latvia. 3+ broadcasts popular programs, talk shows and television series produced by Russian (СТС, ТНТ, ТНТ4, Пятница!, Ю) and Ukrainian (Новый канал, СТБ, ТЕТ) TV channels.
Radio
Latvijas Radio (LR) – Latvian public radio company.
Latvijas Radio 1 – the content of the radio station’s programs consists of news about events in Latvia and in the world, information about the political, social, economic and cultural life of Latvia, programs for children, as well as religious programs and folk music.
Latvijas Radio 2 – popular Latvian music program.
Latvijas Radio 3 – the radio station includes classical, modern, jazz and world cultural programs.
Latvijas Radio 4 – broadcasts in Russian, as well as in languages of other national minorities living in the country.
Latvijas Radio 5 Pieci.lv – youth radio station.
Available in all regions of Latvia via air broadcasting.
Entertainment radio stations, such as EHR www.ehrhiti.lv or STAR FM https://skaties.lv/starfm/, which can be listened online, are also available in Latvia.
Beauty salons throughout Latvia provide a wide range of different services, including hairdressing, manicure, pedicure, facial treatment, depilation, body wraps, aromatherapy and various types of massage. It is also possible to make haircut and styling in hairdressing salon. Many of them are located in large shopping centers.
In most cases, time must be booked in advance. There are many spa centers in Latvia:
Barber shops are also widespread in Latvia – hairdressing salons exclusively for men.
Beauty salons can be easily found with Google, as well as on Facebook.
In indoor gyms in winter you can do aerobics, bodybuilding, swimming, play volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis, squash, bowling, as well as athletics.
In summer, you can do sports outside, such as swimming, cycling, roller skating, kayaking, playing tennis, football, volleyball, golf, etc.
One of the largest marathons in Latvia (the only IAAF GOLD LABEL MARATHON IN NORTHERN EUROPE) traditionally takes place in May and gathers many guests in the capital – http://tetrigasmaratons.lv/ru/dobro-pozhalovat!/
In winter you can ski and skate.
Extreme sports are available in Sigulda, such as bungee-jumping, a bobsleigh track and aerodium https://www.aerodium.lv/
There are many fitness clubs in Latvia.
In Riga you will find a considerable number of street sports fields, sports clubs, bicycle and jogging tracks.
Some of the gyms in Riga:
Music
In Latvia, numerous festivals are held every season, the most significant of which is the Song and Dance Festival – an outstanding cultural event that has stood the test of time. The holiday has become important not only on a national, but also on an international scale. The festival is held every three to five years in Riga.
You can find out about all the concerts and festivals taking place on the websites www.bilesuserviss.lv and www.bilesuparadize.lv here you can immediately purchase a ticket in electronic form.
Theater
The theater is probably one of the most popular scenic arts in Latvia. In every major city in Latvia there is at least one theater.
Mikhail Chekhov Riga Russian Theater – the world’s oldest Russian drama theater outside Russia, with a 120-year history.
The Latvian National Opera – Richard Wagner stood at the beginning of the creation of it, is undoubtedly the main stage of the country. Mikhail Baryshnikov, Maris Liepa, Alexander Godunov began their careers on the stage of the Riga Opera Theater.
Latvian Puppet Theater – a whole world of fairy tales, bright colors, talented actors, a world where children’s dreams take shape.
Dailes Theater – Latvian theater, which often hosts tour performances of Russian non-repertory and repertory theaters.
Cinemas
On the screens of the largest cinemas you can see the latest movies of the world. Movies tend to be in Russian, Latvian and English.
Riga’s largest cinemas are Forum Cinemas, Multikino and Cinnamon.
Check the schedule of all cinemas here – https://riga.kinoafisha.info/cinema/
Museums
There are about one and a half hundred state and municipal museums in Latvia. Also in our country there are more than 200 private museums and collections open to the public. Behind each such exposition, behind every subject is a human story, and sometimes the story of several generations.
The Latvian National Museum of Art is the largest repository of professional art in Latvia.
Riga Motor Museum – here is presented the largest collection of old vehicles in the Baltics.
Latvian Ethnographic Museum is one of the oldest open-air museums in Europe.
Pauls Stradins Museum for history of medicine is one of the three largest historical and medical museums in the world.
Here you can find out more about all museums in Latvia – http://www.muzeji.lv/ru/museums/
Many Latvians prefer to spend their holidays and weekends traveling in Latvia. Here you can visit many small picturesque towns and villages and enjoy the beautiful nature. Residents of large cities have farms or cottages outside the city, which they regularly visit. In Latvia it is easy to travel by bus, train or car. Before the trip, you must pre-book accommodation, because during the short summer season, hotels are usually fully booked.
All major cities have official tourism information centers. They provide information and advice on local sightseeing objects and entertainment in the region. Contact the centers to find out where you can eat well and have a great time.
Simple and accessible information about sites to visit, cities and natural attractions is available here – https://www.latvia.travel/ru
