The Symbols of Riga
The current coat of arms of Riga was approved on 31 October 1925 and the approval was renewed in 1988. Riga has a large and small coat of arms.
The shield of the coat of arms depicts a silver field with opened gates and two towers that symbolise the city’s rights to autonomy. Under the raised grate of the gates is a golden lion’s head. Above the gates are two crossed black keys symbolising the patronage of the Pope, and above the keys is a golden cross and a golden crown, indicating subservience to the bishop. The holders of the large coat of arms are two golden lions on a grey plinth. The small coat of arms is contained within the shield of the large version.
The current flag of Riga was approved on 4 May 1937, using the white and blue colours of the 17th century flag as a foundation. To these are added the city’s coats of arms.
The flag of Riga is a square with two horizontal bands of equal width. The upper band is light blue and the lower one is white. In the middle of the flag is a large, coloured coat of arms whose height is 2/5 of the flag’s width. The proportions between the flags width and height are 1:2. The flag’s dimensions are 1x2 m and 1.5x3 m; the heights of the coats of arms are 40 cm and 60 cm respectively. Two crossed keys are displayed on the flagstaff.
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