Lielais Kristaps - Big Christopher
Lielais Kristaps - Big Christopher
3.5
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3.5
59 reviews
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Sergey K
Moscow, Russia47,061 contributions
July 2024 • Solo
A replica of the sculpture of the martyr Christopher of Lycia, who later became a character in religious traditions and legends, is placed on the Daugava waterfront in a pavilion with armoured glass. The original is in the Museum of Riga and Shipping History. The large Kristap is a wooden sculpture of a very tall man with a small boy on his shoulder. He holds a paddle in one hand and a small lamp in the other, by which he, as a carrier, lights his way along the river, through which he, by virtue of his long service to the people, transports all those who wish. For a long time, St. Christopher was regarded as the patron saint of pilotage, carpentry, porterage and transporter workshops. He was traditionally revered in Hanseatic Riga as the supreme guardian of all crossings and bridges.
Automatically translated
Written 21 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Swedishtomcat
Diss, UK4,605 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
The myth goes that Christopher was a local giant who helped ferry people across the river. On one occasion, he only just managed to carry a weight-gaining baby across - legend has it that the child was Christ. Exhausted, he fell asleep but, when he woke, as a reward, Christopher had been left a load of gold which he used to build Riga. This version of Big Christopher isn’t the original (he is housed in the Riga museum).
Written 13 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DeanMurphy2020
Orlando, FL7,755 contributions
Aug 2016 • Solo
The Big Christopher (Kristaps, Latvian for Christopher) legend dates to the early 1500s with embryonic Riga. Residing in a cave on the east bank of Daugava River, Kristaps was the city’s protector from floods and natural disasters. Carrying Baby Jesus across the deep water, he found a hoard of gold, which he used to build Riga. Residents now offer tribute in the form of flowers at the base of this glass-enclosed replica statue before venturing on journeys, possibly a parallel to Catholics wearing a Saint Christopher pendant. (Wish I had done that to prevent the 8-hour flight delay and missed connections☺) Beside the Daugava, the current statue is a replica; the original eight-foot statue sculpted from a single log circa 1590 is housed in Museum of Riga’s History and Navigation, adjacent to St Mary’s Dome Cathedral.
The Kristaps legend and its significance to Latvian history/culture is what earns this oversized statue carrying an infant on his shoulder warrants my high rating. After all, isn’t the Statue of Liberty just a shell of copper, Stonehenge simply rocks stacked on each other?
The Kristaps legend and its significance to Latvian history/culture is what earns this oversized statue carrying an infant on his shoulder warrants my high rating. After all, isn’t the Statue of Liberty just a shell of copper, Stonehenge simply rocks stacked on each other?
Written 25 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roman
Prague, Czech Republic38 contributions
Jan 2020
Interesting installation, though way more interesting story behind foundation of Riga. Worth reading.
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YO_LOOK_AT_ME
San Antonio, TX2,892 contributions
June 2019 • Solo
I wouldn't go out of my way to see this, but if you're in the area and walking towards Riga Palace, might just take a quick look. It includes a placard outlining how Riga came to being, etc.
Written 29 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lonewolf44
Kingston upon Thames, UK1,303 contributions
July 2017
This is the kind of thing that makes it on to Atlas Obscura's list of quirkiest city attractions. The legend of St Christopher is well known but I certainly hadn't realised that it originated in Riga and forms the city's foundation myth. It might be tempting to snigger at the apparently tacky figure in a glass box on the river front, but it is apparently a faithful reproduction of a much older statue now housed in the National Historical Museum.
Written 23 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Izy 84
Bracknell, UK118 contributions
Sept 2016
If you have seen the trip advisor photos you have seen big Christopher. There is no reading material there so much better to just google this one.
Written 5 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dbinhou7511
Houston, TX1,652 contributions
July 2023 • Couples
The statue seems a bit cheesy, but the plaque explaining the statue was good to read. It is the story of the founding of Riga related to Big Christopher taking people back and forth across the river.
Written 2 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vasavapr
Lappeenranta, Finland718 contributions
Sept 2018 • Couples
The statue is copy of the original wooden sculpture (now in the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation). The original sculpture was made in honor of man named Kristap who carried people on their shoulder across the river. The child is believed to be son of Christ, whom Kristap carried on his shoulder across the river.
Written 22 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gsockol
Rockville, MD33 contributions
July 2018 • Solo
I took the short walk from my hotel to this statue. It was cool to see, but the view of the water piqued my interest much more. Worth checking out if it's on your walk, otherwise you're not missing much!
Written 4 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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