The suggestion came from the former president of Latvia Valdis Zatlers who, strolling through the park one day, wondered why the Freedom Monument was not lit up. As a result, he and his like-minded colleagues began the charity movement “Light for our Freedom”, with the aim of inviting the public to contribute to the lighting of the monument.
"It is shocking that at Christmas, when there are blue stars and white dripping icicles in the park, the Freedom Monument is dark. We would like to add some beauty to the dark hours of the day,” said the board-member of the Freedom Monument Lighting Fund Valdis Zatlers.
The fund is committed to completing the project by the end of the year, collecting financial resources in the form of donations, and informing the public about the progress of the enterprise. The project is estimated to cost between 35 – 55 thousand euro, with 17 000 euro having already come in the form of donations.
The monument is planned to be illuminated on a daily basis and will have three different kinds of illumination – everyday lighting, which will be turned on with the approach of darkness; festive lighting, which will be used on national holidays and other national occasions; and special lighting, which will be used to create a miraculous and artistic ambience.
