A new memorial site named the Remembrance Garden officially opened on August 31 in Riga’s Zolitūde district, honoring the 54 people killed in the 2013 Maxima supermarket collapse, according to regional reporting by LSM English. Around a hundred people, including relatives of the victims, emergency service workers, and city officials, gathered for the opening ceremony to place flowers and candles at the site located at Priedaines Street 20A.
Design and Features of the Zolitūde Memorial Site
The layout features 54 polished stainless-steel mirrored spheres of varying sizes, with each sphere symbolically representing one individual who died in the disaster. Plantings surround the perimeter of the garden, while an adjoining linear park connects the memorial to the surrounding urban environment.
The opening ceremony featured speeches from Riga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs, State Fire and Rescue Service chief Mārtiņš Baltmanis, emergency medical service representative Sarmīte Leitāne, Regīna Ločmele of the “Zolitūde 21.11.” association, and the garden’s designers. The choir “Rātspuni” also performed at the event.
Remembrance and Ongoing Legal Proceedings
The November 21, 2013, collapse of the Maxima supermarket remains one of the deadliest disasters in independent Latvia’s history, leaving 54 dead and dozens more seriously injured. Building experts concluded at the time that the catastrophe stemmed from a miscalculated roof load-bearing capacity. Viktorija Ulanova, who lost her mother Natalija Igumnova in the collapse, told UA.News that the past 13 years have proved difficult for her family, but noted that the new garden provides a dignified space to remember lost loved ones and find peace.
Emergency responders who handled the initial disaster also attended the August opening. Rolands Leiņš, an emergency medical vehicle driver who arrived first at the scene in 2013, recalled to UA.News that the initial emergency call reported an explosion at the supermarket. State Fire and Rescue Service chief Mārtiņš Baltmanis noted that three firefighters died during the response, while several others sustained injuries requiring lengthy rehabilitation that prevented some from returning to service, according to UA.News. Court proceedings to determine full accountability for the tragedy have continued for nearly 13 years, with structural engineer Ivars Sergets having been found guilty so far.
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