Aleksandrs Krasilnikovs Formal Info Page

I live in Europe, Latvia. It is a small state near the Baltic Sea. It is cold in winter up to -31 C°. It looks like this:

My native city is Riga, capital of Latvia. Located on the Daugava River, near its mouth on the Gulf of Riga (an arm of the Baltic Sea), the city is a major seaport and a cultural and industrial center. The old section of Riga is surrounded by a moat and contains several medieval structures, including a 13th-century cathedral and guildhalls from the 14th century.

Europe Latvia

Probably founded in the 12th century, Riga was made the seat of the bishop of Livonia in 1201. The city developed into a commercial and craft center, joining the Hanseatic League in 1282. It subsequently achieved a measure of independence but passed to Poland in 1581. The city was taken by Sweden in 1621 and was granted self-government. In 1721 it was ceded to Russia after Sweden was defeated in the Great Northern War. By the end of the 19th century Riga was one of Russia's most industrialized cities. During World War I it was occupied by the Germans from 1917 to 1918, when it became the capital of independent Latvia. During World War II it was annexed (1940) by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and then held (1941-44) by the Germans before being returned to Soviet control. The city was the capital of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) until 1991, when Latvia again became independent.