Bolderāja is a neighbourhood of

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

, the capital of

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

. It is located on the left bank of the

Daugava River The Daugava ( ), also known as the Western Dvina or the Väina River, is a large river rising in the Valdai Hills of Russia that flows through Belarus and Latvia into the Gulf of Riga of the Baltic Sea. The Daugava rises close to the source of ...

, in Kurzeme District. Bolderāja probably began as a fishing village. The area has been inhabited since at least the 10th century and possibly for a longer period, however there is no firm evidence because of variations in the course of the

and the shifting of sand dunes. The area was made into a Polish customs post in 1606. The wooden houses built during the Polish era in 1603 may be the oldest in Riga. Bolderāja was the last district added to the city of Riga in 1924. Bolderāja was a district consisting mostly of private houses and low rise buildings, but after the 1970s five to nine floor blocks of flats were built by the Soviet government. The population of Bolderāja is largely

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

-speaking. From time immemorial the inhabitants of the area around the mouth of the Daugava river were renowned for being hard-working and courageous. River mouths were historically key strategic positions. Consequently, many battles were fought with numerous invaders.

Geography

Bolderāja is located in the northwest part of Riga city, on the left bank of the

and about 2 km away from the

Gulf of Riga The Gulf of Riga, Bay of Riga, or Gulf of Livonia (, , ) is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia. The island of Saaremaa (Estonia) partially separates it from the rest of the Baltic Sea. The main connection between the gulf and t ...

. Bolderāja is surrounded by water. From the south-east, the Hapaka Ditch (), from the east, the

, from the north, the Loču Canal (), and from the west, north-west, the Buļļupe ("Bull River"). There are also two noteworthy islands. North of the district is Mīlestības saliņa ("Love Island") the name of which originates from the previous existence of military bases and as a result many children were conceived in this area. East of the district is Krievu sala ("Russian Island"), which is actually a peninsula.

Gallery

File:Ул. Гобас, Болдерая Gobas street, Bolderaya - panoramio (1).jpg, Former military barracks in Bolderāja File:Stūrmaņu iela 25 (Rīga).jpg, Modern tower block in Bolderāja. Former warehouse. File:Ул. Гобас, Болдерая Gobas street, Bolderaya - panoramio (2).jpg, Soviet built tower block in Bolderāja File:Mīlestības saliņa, Riga, Latvia.JPG, Mīlestības saliņa (Love Island)

External links

History
Neighbourhoods in Riga {{Riga-stub