Elvīra Kalniņa. 10.09.2017.
So, we’ve arrived here at Torņu Street 11. At the Swedish Gate, which was built 319 years ago
(after the Polish-Swedish War, when the Swedish Kingdom took over the city and started the socalled Swedish Times, which lasted for almost 100 years (92y 1629–1721)). But that’s not the only
reason the gate got its name, it’s also rumored that the Swedish soldiers used exactly this gate to
move around as they had received their pieces of land near Jēkaba barracks right nearby.
This gate, like many other gates, was built to connect the houses and barracks built outside the city
walls that went around Riga during the medieval times, serving as both fortification wall and as an
important border for trade purposes. And like other gates in Riga they opened by sunrise and closed
by sunset. At night, the gates were carefully guarded and not a single living soul could pass
through. The keys were kept in the City Hall (Rātslaukumā).
Like many medieval buildings, this one has a legend too:
Back in the days in the place of the Swedish Gate, there was a house that belonged to a rich
merchant. Like any other merchant at that time, he had to pay a tax to bring goods into the town
of Riga. As he was a clever merchant, he though “instead of paying, I’d rather get rid of the house
and build a gate”. And so he did, he cut out a gate inside his home to stop all the traders going
through Sand city’s gates. As the gates lead through his property, he demanded fees from anyone
wishing to pass through. And that’s how the Swedish Gate got erected…
Like many other historical monuments, the Gate has received several restorations, which is easily
noticeable by the different colour bricks, however it is the only structure in Old Town Riga that
has preserved its original look.
While we’re on the subject of bricks, another legend entails that there was a plague and the city
was in quarantine. But a girl was desperately trying to get through the gate to see her lover.
However, the guards noticed her and for not obeying the law punished her quite severely – they
immured her into the wall. Since then screaming and wailing can be heard from one side of the
wall. And there are many other legends of lovers.
Maidens or virgins were not allowed to meet with the soldiers. However, a city girl and a Swedish
soldier started secretly meeting at the gate. Once the soldier was not able to make it to the meeting
and the Rigans, knowing about this ban and law, captured the maiden and punished her by
immuring her into the wall. It is said that at midnight, you can hear unhappy whispers of a longgone lover, saying “But I love him still”. You can only hear these words if you are to love selflessly
as she does to this day.
It’s funny how in these legends only the female characters get punished.
This is a popular tourist attraction for photographs and a chance to jump into the medieval times
atmosphere. But this place also houses Latvian Architecture Union and a library, where you can
find out about the culture and history of Latvia.