Since 24 February 2022, when the Russian Federation began its full-scale attack on Ukraine, the Riga Municipality has provided continuous and extensive support to Ukraine in its fight against the invaders and to Ukrainian civilians coming to Riga as refugees.
Since then, 25,051 Ukrainian civilians have come to Riga seeking refuge from the war. Currently, 19,309 of them live in the city. Of the Ukrainian civilians who have found refuge in Riga, 63% are women and 37% are men.
Riga mayor Vilnis Ķirsis: ‘It’s been two years since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Continuously providing long-term support is not an easy task, but Riga and its citizens set an example for Latvia’s other municipalities and for other cities across Europe of how to tirelessly and in various ways help people of Ukraine who are defending their country and their right to decide its future themselves. No matter how long it takes, Riga stands and will stand with Ukraine and support it until victory!’
On 7 March 2022, Riga Municipality opened the Riga Support Centre for Ukrainian Residents, originally located in the Congress Centre. Since it opened, the centre has operated at several addresses, but now functions as a one-stop location for state and municipal services provided to Ukrainian residents at Pāles Street 9. The Riga Support Centre for Ukrainian Residents is a place where one can apply for and receive residence permits, register their residence address in Riga, receive personal identity numbers, apply for personalised public transport tickets, register their children at Riga’s education institutions and receive social assistance, and find temporary accommodation in Riga or elsewhere in Latvia.
The centre also provides Latvian language training for Ukrainian civilians and organises job fairs where employers and job seekers can meet. A total of 24 job fairs have been held, attended by some 70 Latvian companies offering more than 4700 vacancies to more than 5000 Ukrainian civilians.
1638 Ukrainian children currently study in Riga’s municipal education institutions. The city’s education institutions also employ 114 Ukrainian civilians. Of these, 60 are teaching assistants, interest education teachers, general primary education teachers, teaching assistants, nannies, and laboratory technicians.
Riga Municipality provides free public transport tickets to Ukrainian civilians. Some 9000 people currently use this service. Ukrainian civilians can visit the Riga National Zoological Garden free of charge, and more than 25,000 have used this opportunity since 2022.
Riga has spent 24.6 million euros in social assistance for Ukrainian civilians since 24 February 2022. A total of 5908 Ukrainian civilians have been provided with temporary accommodation in Riga since 2022. The city council currently provides accommodation to 477 people. Riga’s citizens have accommodated 2648 people in the housing they own.
Riga Municipality has donated 200,000 euros to Mykolaiv to restore its drinking water supply, and 200,000 more to send 115 generators and 100 heat blowers to Ukraine.
Around 70 Ukrainian civilians work for Riga’s municipal companies that are actively involved in providing support to Ukraine. Riga’s municipal company LLC (SIA) ‘Rīgas satiksme’ has donated 21 buses to Kyiv and 10 to Chernihiv, filled with 150 tonnes of humanitarian aid donated by Riga’s citizens. LLC (SIA) ‘Rīgas ūdens’, Riga Maternity Hospital and LLC (SIA) ‘Rīgas meži’ have donated a total of 30,000 euros to support Ukraine, Riga 1st Hospital has donated medical supplies worth 10,000 euros, and JSC (AS) ‘Rīgas siltums’ has donated eight generators to Ukraine with a total value of 11,230 euros. In addition to the buses, LLC (SIA) ‘Rīgas ūdens’, LLC (SIA) ‘Rīgas meži’ and LLC (SIA) ‘Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks’ donated a total of 24 vehicles to Ukraine. LLC (SIA) ‘Rīgas veselības centrs’ has donated an X-ray machine to Svitlovodsk hospital in Ukraine.
148 Ukrainian babies have been delivered in the Riga Maternity Hospital since 24 February 2022.
On 24 February, Riga’s citizens are invited to come to the Together till Victory! rally, as well as the Together with Ukraine and Stop the War charity concerts. In solidarity with the people of Ukraine, the facade of the Riga Congress Centre will feature a special audiovisual story, and special lighting in the colours of the Ukrainian flag will be set up at the City Hall and the Freedom Monument. For more about the planned events, visit riga.lv.
Information prepared by: Edīte Matuseviča, Project Coordinator at External Communication Department of the Riga City Council, e-mail: edite.matusevica@riga.lv.