2025.03.26. Foto: www.janisphoto.com
Today marks exactly one year since the Presidents of Estonia and Latvia inaugurated the new building of the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia in Riga, whose completion had been awaited for more than a century.
The first Estonian embassy building in Latvia was purchased in 1921 at Skolas iela 13. Already during the tenure of the first Ambassador, Aleksander Hellat, there were plans to acquire a new embassy building, as the existing premises did not meet the needs of the embassy – the building had originally been constructed as an apartment house and was merely adapted for diplomatic use.
In 1939 a new project was completed and construction was expected to begin soon, but the war and the occupation prevented the plans from being realised. In 1940 the occupying authorities closed the embassy for more than fifty years. After Estonia regained its independence, the former embassy building on Skolas Street was returned to Estonia, and the embassy moved back there in 1994. In 2007 a decision was made to build a new embassy on Vidus Street, but the global financial crisis prevented the project from going ahead.
At the end of 2019, the current property together with the existing building was purchased. Construction began in 2023, and on 26 March 2025 the new embassy building was officially inaugurated, bringing to completion a project that had spanned more than a century.
A participant in the 2007 architectural competition poetically described the essence of the embassy:
An embassy is not simply a house.
It is a sign … a sign of another cultural space.
It is different, slightly foreign, a little mysterious.
It is open, but not intrusive.
It is confident, but not arrogant.
It is curious, yet sufficiently modest.
It is not talkative,
but it always responds.
And at the same time it is simply a house,
like hundreds of other houses in the city,
where documents are prepared,
meetings are held,
and guests are received.
Here meet
grandeur and simplicity,
uniqueness and everyday life.
Ambassador Eerik Marmei said in his speech a year ago:
“ Our new Embassy is not just a structure, but a symbol of the strong, lasting bond we have forged over the years. It stands as a beacon of the values that we share—freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The ties between Estonia and Latvia are not just diplomatic; they are personal, cultural, and historical. We are in the same space, both physically and spiritually. Artur Albering, a well-known Latvian politician, once raised the slogan: There is no Estonia without Latvia and no Latvia without Estonia. Estonian diplomat Karl Robert Pusta said it more poetically: If one has a stomachache, the other also has a bad heart. It is a shared history, shared toil, blood and tears. But also a shared struggle, strength and success. Our collaboration in matters of security, economic development, environmental protection, digital innovation remains an example to others of what can be achieved when nations with shared goals and aspirations come together. This Embassy will serve as a hub to strengthen that cooperation further, building upon our existing projects, and fostering new opportunities for innovation, cultural exchange, and mutual benefit. Indeed, the new building houses a modern Estonian Business Hub, which offers Estonian entrepreneurs and investors new opportunities to enter the Latvian market, as well as Latvian entrepreneurs to enter our market.”
It is a great pleasure that experts have also noted how successful the renovation of the new home of the Estonian Embassy is: the building reached the finals of the Latvian Architecture of the Year Award (video introduction of the building) and also received 2nd place in the Latvian Construction of the Year 2025 Award in the renovation category.
The new building has allowed the embassy to invite many more people than before and organize more diverse events. Below you can see a photo gallery that provides an overview of the events that took place in the new building.
