Archive Gems: When Liepāja Was So Crazy That Even Riga Was Jealous

Browsing through the 1995 archive of "Kurzemes Vārds," I'm getting suspicious that back then such events were happening in Liepāja that nowadays you could film at least three Netflix series about them.

Let's start with the bridge whose repair cost 35 thousand, and someone asked if they'd gild the railings. Today, for that money in Riga you could maybe buy one tile for the Daugavgrīva bridge. But our ancestors were practical – if we're building a bridge, let it shine like the Karosta lighthouse!

Then the Development Board started checking alcohol sales in the city. According to the report – there's no order. Well, in the 90s everyone in Liepāja lived without order, why should alcohol be different? At least it was honest.

But the real hit is the story about the housing management company "Kurzemnieks" that showed debtors on cable TV! Imagine – you're sitting at home, watching the news, and suddenly: Jānis Bērziņš from Lielā Street hasn't paid 50 lats for heating! Nowadays this is called public shaming, but back then it was an innovative debt collection solution. Riga would never have such audacity.

And finally – Liepāja's freezer plant, which could store 3000 tons of products and supplied the entire former USSR. Director Māris Livčāns said: "We have nowhere lower to fall." Well, Māris, as we can see, there was still room! But that was a time when Liepāja thought globally – while Riga was still learning to properly pronounce "European Union," we were already shipping meat to Vladivostok.