Riga
Riga ranks 64th in number of biographies on Pantheon, behind Atlanta, Tehran, and Lisbon. Memorable people born in Riga include Sergei Eisenstein, Wilhelm Ostwald, and Mikhail Tal. Memorable people who died in Riga include Kim Ki-duk, Albert of Riga, and Friedrich Jeckeln. Riga has been the birth place of many politicians, and soccer players and the death place of many writers, and politicians. Riga is located in Latvia.
Riga is the capital, the primate, and the largest city of Latvia. Home to 605,273 inhabitants, the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga metropolitan area, which stretches beyond the city limits, is estimated at 860,142. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Baltic Sea. Riga's territory covers 307.17 km2 (118.60 sq mi) and lies 1–10 m (3–33 ft) above sea level on a flat and sandy plain. Read more on Wikipedia
People
Between 1745 and 1998, Riga was the birth place of 156 globally memorable people, including Sergei Eisenstein, Wilhelm Ostwald, and Mikhail Tal. Additionaly, 41 globally memorable people have passed away in Riga including Kim Ki-duk, Albert of Riga, and Friedrich Jeckeln.
People Born in Riga
Go to all RankingsSergei Eisenstein
FILM DIRECTOR
1898 - 1948
HPI: 75.53
Rank: 1
Wilhelm Ostwald
CHEMIST
1853 - 1932
HPI: 73.85
Rank: 2
Mikhail Tal
CHESS PLAYER
1936 - 1992
HPI: 70.57
Rank: 3
Isaiah Berlin
PHILOSOPHER
1909 - 1997
HPI: 65.81
Rank: 4
Mariss Jansons
MUSICIAN
1943 - 2019
HPI: 65.15
Rank: 5
Mikhail Baryshnikov
DANCER
1948 - Present
HPI: 64.73
Rank: 6
Nicolai Hartmann
PHILOSOPHER
1882 - 1950
HPI: 64.30
Rank: 7
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga
POLITICIAN
1937 - Present
HPI: 63.12
Rank: 8
Aron Nimzowitsch
WRITER
1886 - 1935
HPI: 61.78
Rank: 9
Vera Mukhina
SCULPTOR
1889 - 1953
HPI: 59.65
Rank: 10
Mischa Maisky
MUSICIAN
1948 - Present
HPI: 59.64
Rank: 11
Egils Levits
POLITICIAN
1955 - Present
HPI: 58.96
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Born in Riga
Go to all RankingsCēzars Ozers
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1937 - 2023
HPI: 53.02
Rank: 31
Heinz Christian Pander
BIOLOGIST
1794 - Present
HPI: 51.80
Rank: 38
Hans-Diedrich von Tiesenhausen
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1913 - 2000
HPI: 50.68
Rank: 43
Walter Zapp
INVENTOR
1905 - 2003
HPI: 50.36
Rank: 44
Matvei Gedenshtrom
EXPLORER
1780 - 1845
HPI: 49.00
Rank: 50
Erik Hornung
WRITER
1933 - 2022
HPI: 48.61
Rank: 51
Evika Siliņa
POLITICIAN
1975 - Present
HPI: 48.38
Rank: 55
Leonid Ostrovski
SOCCER PLAYER
1936 - 2001
HPI: 47.41
Rank: 62
Hermanis Matisons
CHESS PLAYER
1894 - 1932
HPI: 47.02
Rank: 64
Astrid Ivask
WRITER
1926 - 2015
HPI: 46.18
Rank: 68
Valdis Muižnieks
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1935 - 2013
HPI: 44.54
Rank: 74
Vija Celmins
PAINTER
1938 - Present
HPI: 44.09
Rank: 78
People Deceased in Riga
Go to all RankingsKim Ki-duk
FILM DIRECTOR
1960 - 2020
HPI: 62.39
Rank: 1
Albert of Riga
PHYSICIAN
1165 - 1229
HPI: 61.78
Rank: 2
Friedrich Jeckeln
EXTREMIST
1895 - 1946
HPI: 61.46
Rank: 3
Eugen d'Albert
COMPOSER
1864 - 1932
HPI: 60.46
Rank: 4
Jānis Lūsis
ATHLETE
1939 - 2020
HPI: 58.97
Rank: 5
Jānis Čakste
POLITICIAN
1859 - 1927
HPI: 57.59
Rank: 6
Peter Lacy
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1678 - 1751
HPI: 57.04
Rank: 7
Andrei Mironov
ACTOR
1941 - 1987
HPI: 56.64
Rank: 8
Simon Dubnow
HISTORIAN
1860 - 1941
HPI: 54.97
Rank: 9
Inese Jaunzeme
ATHLETE
1932 - 2011
HPI: 54.72
Rank: 10
Nikolai Vasilyeich Repnin
POLITICIAN
1734 - 1801
HPI: 54.28
Rank: 11
Boris Barnet
FILM DIRECTOR
1902 - 1965
HPI: 54.24
Rank: 12
Newly Added People Deceased in Riga
Go to all RankingsAugusts Kirhenšteins
POLITICIAN
1872 - 1963
HPI: 49.24
Rank: 25
Hermanis Matisons
CHESS PLAYER
1894 - 1932
HPI: 47.02
Rank: 32
Emīls Dārziņš
COMPOSER
1875 - 1910
HPI: 46.38
Rank: 33
Astrid Ivask
WRITER
1926 - 2015
HPI: 46.18
Rank: 35
Jānis Akuraters
WRITER
1876 - 1937
HPI: 42.88
Rank: 39
Mārtiņš Freimanis
SINGER
1977 - 2011
HPI: 31.20
Rank: 41
Occupations
Most individuals born in present day Riga were politicians (26), soccer players (17), athletes (14), writers (11), and hockey players (11), while most who died were writers (12), politicians (7), composers (5), film directors (2), and athletes (2).
Occupational Trends
Over the past 100 years, politicians have been the top profession of globally memorable people born in Riga, including Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Egils Levits, and Guntis Ulmanis. Whereas, throughout history, politicians have been the profession with the most memorable people born in present day Riga, including Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Egils Levits, and Pauline Therese of Württemberg.
Places
Overlapping Lives
Below is a visual represetation of the lifespans of the top 25 globally memorable people born in Riga since 1700.