90s History Lesson: When Liepāja Showed Rīga How to Live Without Money
Kurzemes Vārds archives revealed a 90s chronicle when Liepāja already knew how to live without gas and with rare trains, while Rīga was still learning the word 'savings bank'.
Research of a historical issue of "Kurzemes Vārds" reveals a shocking fact — turns out, in the 90s Liepāja already knew how to live without gas, with worn-out police cars and rare trains, while Rīga was still learning to whine about heating. It was a time when our city served as an ideal training ground for how to survive without everything.
Special mention goes to maestro Valdis Vikmanis, who founded a symphony orchestra at a time when there wasn't even money to repair police cars. While Rīga was thinking about savings banks, Liepāja had already established Latvia's first one in 1825 — four years before the capital. As one local said: "I already suspected back then that Rīga folks would be slow with everything."
Particularly amusing is the situation with trains — even then, trains to Ventspils ran only three times a week, which today would seem like luxury. Back then, mushroom pickers were outraged that there would be one less train to Rīga and Vaiņode. Now Liepāja University students wonder why anyone would want to go to Rīga more than once a week anyway.
Most inspiring are police chief Jānis Līdeks' words: "Poor police cost the people very dearly." Today in Liepāja we call this a life philosophy — better to be poor but happy than rich and sad like Rīga folks. And about that "Boeing" that landed at Liepāja airport — such a scandal that even spring thunder would be envious. Now we know that such aircraft should land five or six times a month, not once a year like in Rīga.
⚠️ Satirical article. Facts are preserved, but the presentation is humorous. For accurate information, please refer to the original source.