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The Freedom Monument ((ラトビア語:Brīvības piemineklis)) is a memorial located in Riga, Latvia, honouring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918–1920). It is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of Latvia.〔 Unveiled in 1935, the high monument of granite, travertine, and copper often serves as the focal point of public gatherings and official ceremonies in Riga. The sculptures and bas-reliefs of the monument, arranged in thirteen groups, depict Latvian culture and history. The core of the monument is composed of tetragonal shapes on top of each other, decreasing in size towards the top, completed by a high travertine column bearing the copper figure of Liberty lifting three gilded stars. The concept for the monument first emerged in the early 1920s when the Latvian Prime Minister, Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics, ordered rules to be drawn up for a contest for designs of a "memorial column". After several contests the monument was finally built at the beginning of the 1930s according to the scheme "Shine like a star!" submitted by Latvian sculptor Kārlis Zāle. Construction works were financed by private donations. Following the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 Latvia was annexed by the Soviet Union and the Freedom Monument was considered for demolition, but no such move was carried out. Soviet sculptor Vera Mukhina is sometimes credited for rescuing the monument, because she considered it to be of the high artistic value. Soviet propaganda attempted to alter the symbolic meaning of the monument to better fit with Communist ideology, but it remained a symbol of national independence to the general public. Indeed, on June 14, 1987, about 5,000 people gathered at the monument to commemorate the victims of the Soviet regime and to lay flowers. This rally renewed the national independence movement, which culminated three years later in the re-establishment of Latvian sovereignty after the fall of the Soviet regime. ==Design== Image:Freedom monument Latvia plan.png|thumb|300 px|left|Diagram of the Freedom Monument (viewed from above, Mouseover to see name of each element, click on number to view image of design element) rect 555 331 611 384 1. Liberty rect 613 329 647 383 2. Latvia rect 554 385 613 424 3. Lāčplēsis rect 493 329 552 383 4. Chain Breakers rect 549 290 624 329 5. Vaidelotis rect 649 329 709 384 6. For Fatherland and Freedom rect 549 425 626 497 7. 1905 rect 554 213 625 290 8. The Battle against the Bermontians on the Iron Bridge circle 685 249 47 9. Guards of the Fatherland circle 676 461 46 10. Work circle 492 459 48 11. Scholars circle 493 251 45 12. Family circle 370 589 56 13. Latvian Riflemen circle 366 122 36 14. The Latvian People-Singers desc bottom-left The sculptures and bas-reliefs of the Freedom Monument, arranged in thirteen groups, depict Latvian culture and history.〔 The core of the monument is composed of tetragonal shapes on top of each other, decreasing in size towards the top. A red granite staircase of ten steps, in height, winds around the base of the monument between two travertine reliefs high and wide, "Latvian riflemen" (13; (ラトビア語:Latvju strēlnieki)) and "Latvian people: the Singers" (14; (ラトビア語:Latvju tauta – dziedātāja)), which decorate its thick sides.〔 Two additional steps form a round platform, which is in diameter, on which the whole monument stands. At the front of the monument this platform forms a rectangle, which is used for ceremonial proposes. The base of the monument, also made of red granite, is formed by two rectangular blocks: the lower one is a monolithic high, wide and long, while the smaller upper block is high, wide and long and has round niches in its corners, each containing a sculptural group of three figures. Its sides are also paneled with travertine.〔 On the front of the monument, in between the groups "Work" (10; depicting a fisherman, a craftsman and a farmer, who stands in the middle holding a scythe decorated with oak leaves and acorns to symbolize strength and manhood) and "Guards of the Fatherland" (9; depicting an ancient Latvian warrior standing between two kneeling modern soldiers), a dedication by the Latvian writer Kārlis Skalbe is inscribed on one of the travertine panels: ''For Fatherland and Freedom'' (6; (ラトビア語:Tēvzemei un Brīvībai)).〔 On the sides the travertine panels bear two reliefs: "1905" (7; (ラトビア語:1905.gads) in reference to the Russian Revolution of 1905), and "The Battle against the Bermontians on the Iron Bridge" (8; (ラトビア語:Cīņa pret bermontiešiem uz Dzelzs tilta), referring to the decisive battle in Riga during the Latvian War of Independence). On the back of the monument are another two sculptural groups: "Family" (12; (ラトビア語:Ģimene)) (a mother standing between her two children) and "Scholars" (11; (ラトビア語:Gara darbinieki)).〔 On the red granite base there is yet another rectangular block, high and wide, and long, encircled by four 5.5–6 meters (18–20 ft) high gray granite sculptural groups: "Latvia" (2; (ラトビア語:Latvija)), "Lāčplēsis" (3; (英語:Bear-Slayer), an epic Latvian folk hero), "Vaidelotis" (5; a Baltic pagan priest) and "Chain breakers" (4; (ラトビア語:Važu rāvēji)) (three chained men trying to break free from their chains).〔 The topmost block serves also as the foundation for the high monolithic travertine column, which is by at the base. To the front and rear a line of glass runs along the middle of the column.〔 The column is topped by a copper figure of Liberty (1), which is tall and in the form of a woman lifting three gilded stars, symbolizing the constitutional districts of Latvia: Vidzeme, Latgale and Courland.〔(Statue of Liberty ), retrieved: 2007-02-07〕 The whole monument is built around a frame of reinforced concrete and was originally fastened together with lead, bronze cables and lime mortar.〔 However, some of the original materials were replaced with polyurethane filler during restoration.〔 There is a room inside the Monument, accessed through a door in its rear side, which contains a staircase leading upwards in the Monument that is used for electrical installation and to provide access to the sewerage. The room cannot be accessed by the public and is used mainly as storage, however it has been proposed that the room could be redesigned forming a small exhibition, which would be used to introduce foreign officials visiting Latvia with the history of the Monument after the flower-laying ceremony.〔 (Iecere atvērt Brīvības pieminekļa iekštelpu ) Tvnet.lv (LNT) 2008-02-20, retrieved on 2008-02-20〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Freedom Monument」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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