This year the annual Tet Riga Marathon took place in May 19. Participants run the distances of: 6 km, 10 km, 21 km (half-marathon) and 42 km (marathon). Altogether, 38,398 runners took part in Tet Riga Marathon. As Tet Riga Marathon is the only marathon in North Europe that is awarded with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Gold Label, a record number of foreign participants were registered for the marathon – 4632 representing 82 countries.

Also 30 employees of Skonto Būve participated in the marathon. Three colleagues run the 42 km distance, 12 colleagues 21 km, ten colleagues — 10 km and five colleagues 6 km distance. Congratulations to our colleagues for the participation and great results!

On April 18, 2019, in presence of the representatives of State Construction Control Bureau of Latvia (SCCB) commission the new fire station of VUGD in Riga, Jaunpils Street, has been put into operation after signing the Certificate of Acceptance and Delivery of construction works. The new building will offer employees modern work premises in line with the current sanitary, hygienic, technical and safety requirements. Before accepting the construction works, commission inspected all rooms and tested their compliance with VUGD requirements.

Total area of the new building is 1537 m². The VUGD fire station on Jaunpils Street will be the largest of all of the newly built fire stations, because the premises will not only be occupied by the operative staff, who respond to day-to-day calls, but also the management of the VUGD Riga region administration and fire safety inspectors.

Territory of the building is upgraded with parking place for the transport of employees and vehicles engaged in emergency responses, as well as bicycle stands. Vacant territory of the building has a lawn with greenery - trees, bushes and flowers, as well as recreation places. To allow faster departure of the vehicles engaged in emergency responses from the fire station a connection to the Kārļa Ulmaņa gatve has been established. Costs of the new depot is EUR 5.1 million.

Client: Provision State Agency. The construction company SIA “Skonto Būve” carried out construction works on the site.

On Thursday, September 13, employees of the “Skonto Group” companies participated in the Sir Robert McAlpine Daytona Prix kart challenge races. Purpose of the event was fund-raising to support cancer patients.

Charity kart races took place in the United Kingdom, Daytona Sandown Park, where one of the most popular kart race tracks of the United Kingdom are located. Sir Robert McAlpine Foundation organised the event. For more than 50 years already Foundation provides support to children, young people and seniors, as well as funds new discoveries in the health and social areas. Main purpose of the charity kart races was to collect 20 thousand British pounds to support cancer patients. Donated resources was handed over to the Maggie’s Centres to continue and develop construction of the cancer patients help centre.

On September 13, 2018, with the festive time capsule embedding for future generations, construction works of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia were started. Skonto Būve will perform reconstruction of the Museum of the Occupation and building of new annex using the design of the Latvian-American architect Gunārs Birkerts.

 “Museum of the Occupation is one of the national symbols of Latvia making us to remember the most tragic chapters of the history of our state. Therefore, as a construction company we feel truly honoured and also a great responsibility in starting the reconstruction works of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. We will perform the works with utmost efficiency allowing the Museum of the Occupation to return to their original premises already in 2020 and bring the records of history in new form also to the next generations,” Juris Pētersons, the Member of the Board of the Skonto Būve, emphasized during the festive time capsule immuring event.

Minister of Culture of the Republic of Latvia Dace Melbārde, Minister for Environmental Protection and Regional Development Kaspars Gerhards, Chairman of the Board of the Occupation Museum Association of Latvia Valters Nollendorfs, Director of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia Gunārs Nāgels and Member of the Board of the SJSC “State Real Estate” Ronalds Neimanis participated in the festive time capsule embedding event.

On 29 May, 2018, Skonto Būve and SJSC “State Real Estate” signed a contract on reconstruction of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. The reconstruction of the Occupation Museum is implemented under programme "100 Addresses for Latvia's Centenary", which envisages creation of buildings that we can be proud of even after hundred years.

On Tuesday, September 11, near National Library of Latvia, sculpture work Divi Raiņi by sculptor Aigars Bikše was opened. Artwork was created with the support of the foundation Mākslai vajag telpu, Zuzāni family and patron of the arts Guntis Rāvis, with cooperation of the National Library of Latvia.

“It is difficult to image the world without outstanding art or literature. Rainis was one of the gems of the Latvian literature providing significant contribution also in the development of our country. Therefore I am truly honoured to support this sculpture work Divi Raiņi by Aigars Bikše. I hope that contribution of Rainis will serve as the source of inspiration also for further changes in our society,” emphasizes patron of the arts Guntis Rāvis.

Sculpture work is made of two identical sculptures – the same person Rainis – each sculpture sitting on the opposite side of the bench, still the dimensional relations of the sculpture differ, portraying idea of growing into one’s wisdom and viewpoint, change of perspective both during the life of an individual and nation. Rainis is pictured as an outstanding personality in the scene of culture and enthusiast for strengthening the Latvian identity. He is like the scale and symbol of the idea about the “magnitude of Latvians”. Sculpture by the sculptor Aigars Bikše consists of two Rainis sitting on the opposite sides of bench with different dimensional relations. Large sculpture of Rainis is three metres high while the small – one metre. There is a ten metres long bench situated between the two sculptures, resembling part of the endlessly long bench where numerous figures of Rainis are sitting. There is also a sitting space for the viewer allowing to form an individual connection with the sculpture. Image of the sculpture shows Rainis as a renowned personality in the culture of Latvia and promoter of Latvian identity. He is like the symbol of the idea about the „magnitude of Latvians”.