Lielie Kapi, Riga - February 2016

There are vampires in the park Mawgojzeta, but I only hear the sound of dancing bears.....

Visited with Tbolt, whom thankfully pounded the winter streets with me to this long closed cemetery in Riga.

Having previously visited Latvia back in October the slight problem we had found with Latvia was that a lot of places look derelict, then you spot a light on or the glow of a television - this is not say that Latvia is a dump, it just has a certain style that is very photogenic.



We found ourselves in Riga during a break in its usual brutal winter weather and we wandered across the city to this old cemetery.

Lielie Kapi or Central Cemetery was established in in 1773, the Soviet authorities removed many of the headstones and destroyed a great number of the graves. The cemetery finally officially closed in 1957 and this now park has a number of mausoleums that have fallen into disrepair. Whilst very photogenic you wouldn't want to hang around after dark.












A number of the tombs are boarded up, as if to keep its occupants from escaping....



Others almost invite investigation, as if luring you in.





















There are vampires in the park Mawgojzeta, Tbolt and I found the tubes of stage blood.

8/10

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Soviet Aircraft Graveyard, Riga, Latvia - October 2015

If your ever kicking your feet at Riga Airport take the 5 minute walk to Riga Aviation Museum.

I personally wouldn't really call it a museum, more of a hording of Soviet era helicopters and aircraft cluttering a strip of land at the side of the airport car park behind a rather bland fence.

Hit the (the rather loud) buzzer on the gate and someone will let you in, pay the chap the 7 Euros and have a wander round this cluttered collection of wonderful Soviet Cold War relics of yesteryear.



At times it feels a bit like a junk yard, but this is part of its appeal, with guys banging away on bits of machinery. Its looks at first glance uncurated and has little pieces of string hang round some of the exhibits, as a barrier. I suspect that if the late Fred Dibnah ran a museum, it might be a little like this place.









Now top tip for Latvia, show an interest and ask - you may get and often do, such as a look inside this troop carrier.







But for me this is the star of the show






Not urbex, but very well worth a visit.

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