Riga Sightseeing: House of Chernogolov

House of Chernogolov – this is a famous architecture monument, which is located in the very center of Riga. The first mention of the house belongs to 1334. Initially, he was called the house of King Arthur. At first, after its foundation, the house served as a venue for city meetings. Since 1477, he was rented by the Brotherhood of Chernogolov, in 1713 the house passes to their property. Chernogolov called a group of young foreign merchants living in Riga. The fraternity was organized in the XII century, the patron of association was elected Saint Mauritius: his image was captured on the coat of arms. Merchants used the house both in business and representative purposes. In one part, the stock exchange was placed, the second was used to carry out various secular events.

The house was seriously damaged as a result of bombing of the city in 1941. For a long time he was in a deplorable state and was restored only in 2001, to the 800-year anniversary of the city. The current version of the facade of the house is made in the style of European mannerism and refers to the XVII century. In 2012, the House of Chernogolov, who was one of the main attractions of the city, was closed for visitors, since it became a temporary residence of the head of the Latvian state and its office due to the repair of the Riga Castle. It is assumed that the house will be open again as a tourist facility in 2015.