Ogre Installs Illuminated Rising-Sun Sculpture Ahead of Latvia's National Holiday
A rising-sun installation more than 10 metres wide has been set up at a roundabout in Ogre, Latvia, ahead of the country's national holiday celebrations. It is to be dismantled and stored once the holiday period ends.
A new illuminated rising-sun installation has been put up in the town of Ogre, Latvia, at the roundabout where Rīgas Street meets Kalna Avenue, as preparations for Latvia's national holiday period get under way. The object is more than 10 metres wide. According to the Ogre municipality, it symbolises the Latvian people's longing for freedom, the birth of statehood and faith in the country's future.
How it was built
The installation consists of a metal frame and impact-resistant polycarbonate with a yellow, partly translucent stained-glass-style coating. The outline of the sun and its rays are lit with LEDs, so the symbol remains clearly visible after dark.
Official's comments
Egils Helmanis, head of the office of the chairman of the Ogre municipal council, stressed the role of the Latvian riflemen in building national self-awareness and in the later struggles for an independent Latvia. He said the sun on the riflemen's banners was a symbol of hope and of belief that the nation would have its own state and future.
Helmanis noted that freedom in Latvia did not come easily, and that several generations fought for it and gave their lives. For that reason, he said, national symbols should be visible in everyday life and not only in history books, serving as a reminder of the values that must be protected. The municipality wants the rising sun in Ogre to remind everyone that Latvia is their land, their responsibility and their future.
Temporary display
The object has been placed for the month of the national holidays. After the holiday period ends, it is planned to take it down and store it for future occasions.
