The organisers and supporters of the Big Cleanup Action came together at the Riga Radio and Television tower on the 19^th of January to discuss processing and further development of the project. It is the second year when Skonto Būve Ltd will be one of the general sponsors of the event. 

A big part of the activities are devoted to water, which is the theme of this year’s Big Cleanup Action. The goal is not only to clean the rivers and other big watersheds from pollution, but also to spruce up their surroundings.

Vita Jaunzeme, manager of the Big Cleanup Action says: “The Big Cleanup is an action which appeals to everybody’s sense of responsibility. It does not last for just one day. People who are involved in organisation of the action have been working for it since last autumn and the Cleanup, which will take place in the spring, is just the final event of the chain. We can all live in a more beautiful and better world if everybody takes responsibility for what they do in their thoughts and deeds.” 

Juris Pētersons, Skonto Būve project leader: We are honoured to be the general sponsors of the Big Cleanup Action for the second time. This year’s theme “water” is very up-to-date as we also run other projects related to water, such as“MillionTrout Return”, “Tar Ponds’ Treatment”, and others.

This will be the fifth year when the Big Cleanup Action takes place in Latvia, but the second year when the educational and the yard landscaping projects will be run simultaneously. 

This year the Big Cleanup Action all over Latvia will take place on the 21^st of April. The President of Latvia Andris Bērziņš has agreed to be the patron of the action, thus continuing the tradition started three years ago.

Read more about the project on www.talkas.lv

By 1 December this year, significant restoration work has already been carried out in the Grand Gallery of Rundale Palace using the donation granted by Skonto Būve. Rundale Palace is the greatest Baroque and Rococo art monument in Latvia.

The western wall of the room has undergone artistic restoration of three painted bays and three decorative areas. The restoration of a gravely damaged painting in the third bay has begun. The southern wall has undergone restoration of the painted areas on the eastern and western sides of the door. On the eastern wall, restoration works have been carried out in the first and second window boxes, reinforcing the layers of paint and primer and partially retouching the painting.

More complex artistic retouching work was done by three certified monumental painting restorers from the IRU (individual restoration company) Rokajs. These restorers have extensive experience in restoring ceiling domes and wall paintings in the most luxurious halls and rooms of Rundale Palace. For educational purposes, five of the best students of the Latvian Academy of Arts Faculty of Restoration (according to their teachers’ assessment) were also involved in the restoration of the Grand Gallery monumental paintings, with the approval of the administration of the Rundale Palace Museum.

Restoration of the third bay painting with elements of reconstruction is still to be completed by 1 June 2012, as is the restoration of paintings of two window boxes in the eastern wall.

During the second construction period of the Palace, the Grand Gallery was made from five small rooms into a 30 m long dining room connecting the White Hall and the Golden Hall.

Full version of the acknowledgment: For the contribution of SIA Skonto Būve in the renovation of Rundāle Palace

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Edmunds Sprūdžs, visited the Inčukalns sulphuric acid tar ponds to personally inspect the site where Skonto Būve is the general contractor for remediation works.

Other participants of the event were the deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, director of Investment Department Vija Gēme, Chairman of Inčukalns regional council Arvīds Blaus, Director General of the State Environmental Service Vilis Avotiņš, Skonto Būve project manager Juris Pētersons, assistant project manager Rihards Kalniņš and member of the board of Geo Consultants Jānis Ābeltiņš.

Edmunds Sprūdžs, Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development: “I am satisfied that in a few years this polluted area will be prepared for certain commercial use as a part of the municipal vision and area development plan. The acid tar ponds will be a place where grass is green and flowers bloom, not where migratory birds and wild animals die.”

The remediation of Inčukalns acid tar ponds will prevent further pollution of groundwater and adjacent areas from the site. The quality of groundwater, underground water and soil in the area surrounding the waste disposal site will also be improved to prevent threats to human health and the environment.

This year, the Skonto Būve Christmas tree, called the Riga Rooster Tree, is decorated in the Latvian national spirit and designed as a Latvian national blanket. The chequered ornaments are associated with traditional Latvian patterns. The decoration of the tree has been created so as to encourage each person passing by to imagine that home feeling that brings peace and warmth to the heart. The colours used on the Riga Rooster Tree are red, white and dark green. These colours symbolise love, light and peace, making the time before Christmas so special.

Traditionally, for the fourth year in a row, the tree is located in the heart of Riga – on the corner of Elizabetes Street and Brīvības Boulevard.

After the four-month long intensive building work, the reconstructed Sakta flower market was opened. In the historical opening event, Riga Mayor Nils Ušakovs and his deputy Andris Ameriks, as well as the Chairman of the Skonto Būve Board Guntis Rāvis took part.

Guntis Rāvis, the Chairman of the Skonto Būve Board: “After years of debates, the authorities of Riga have completed the project. In my opinion, this flower trade site is one of the most interesting and modern flower markets in Europe. We have put our
warm-heartedness into the building process of the new Sakta flower market. Now it is more than just a market – it is one of the symbols of Riga.”

Now flower merchants work in modern premises instead of the 14-year-old temporary buildings. The new trade pavilions are fitted with a water supply and drain, heating system and air-conditioning system; climate control is also installed. The market is also fitted with a fire detection system.