The issue has been raised after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Rīga and other cities have already renamed some streets whose names were associated with the Soviet occupation.
The current idea is being driven by politicians of the National Alliance.
Maskavas Street is planned to be renamed Latgales Street, which was once the name of this street for a few years. The problem is that Rīga already has a Latgales Street, which in turn could also be renamed to something "related to Latgale". Plus, a small section of Maskavas Street could have an entirely different name "as to avoid confusion" for police and emergency services.
The city council is also debating the renaming of several other streets – the streets named after Pushkin, Turgenyev, Lermontov, and Gogol could instead get the names of Latvian cultural figures – linguist Kārlis Mīlenbahs, painter Vilhelms Purvītis, poet Vilis Plūdons, and journalist and publisher Emīlija Benjamiņa.
The Committee also supports the renaming of Tipogrāfijas Street as Augusts Spariņš Street. Augusts Spariņš, a military officer, took part in the Bermondt army's expulsion from Pārdaugava. He was said to have been born and lived in Torņakalns district, near current Tipogrāfijas Street.
Lomonosova Street, on the other hand, could be renamed in honor of the first woman in the Latvian governmental structures Valērija Seile.
Riga Vice-Mayor Edvards Ratnieks said on the Latvian Television's morning news program February 16 that changing street names – replacing nameplates and posts – would cost the city about 80,000 euros without value added tax, while it "would cost residents nothing".
The final decision to change street names should be taken by the Riga City Council.
