On 21 November, industry professionals – Riga Mayor Mārtiņš Staķis, together with the management and representatives of Rīgas Meži, the Dean of the Faculty of Forest (FF) at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU) Linards Sisenis and students, as well as members of the VEF Culture Palace children's vocal ensemble "Momo" – selected two main Christmas trees for Riga. These will decorate the Dome Square and Town Hall Square during Advent and the festive season.
For the first time in the history of tree selection, the evaluation considered not only the external quality of the evergreen decorations but also the specific forest stand, growth conditions and the health of the trees. It was assessed by three teams: members of the ensemble "Momo" with team captain Mārtiņš Staķis, LBTU Faculty of Forest students led by Dean Dr. silv. Professor Linards Sisenis, and the Rīgas Meži team with the company's Chair of the Board Anita Skudra.
"A beautiful and genuine festive tree requires fertile soil, enough light and a certain amount of shelter and protection provided by the surrounding forest. A spruce tree that has naturally seeded in a birch stand is not only aesthetically beautiful and symmetrical but also very healthy," explains Dean of the Faculty of Forest, Professor Linards Sisenis.
Selecting the city's main trees, Riga Mayor Mārtiņš Staķis said: "Decorating a Christmas tree in the Town Hall Square is a Riga tradition with a history dating back centuries. This year, festive trees will decorate not only the city centre but also the capital's neighbourhoods, bringing a sense of Christmas into our hearts. I am pleased that so many slender and bushy spruce trees grow in the Rīgas Meži territory, as it was not easy to choose the two most beautiful ones. Only thanks to a great team did we manage to find the right ones. I can say with confidence that, thanks to professional and sustainable management, we will have stands of beautiful spruce trees even in a thousand years, continuing this ancient tradition."
"To find the most beautiful spruce trees for the capital, you need teams. This year, our teams are particularly competent," emphasises Chair of the Board of Rīgas Meži, Anita Skudra. "Furthermore, this year we – Rīgas Meži and Riga City Council – signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Finding Riga's festive trees was one of the first, perhaps the simplest, but definitely one of the most responsible joint projects in our newly launched collaboration. Moving forward, we will work together to ensure that the university has extensive study opportunities regarding the sustainable management and development of urban forests, while the company Rīgas Meži will gain increasingly professional employees."
On 30 September 2022, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between Riga City Council, Rīgas Meži, LBTU and the LBTU Faculty of Forest.
Both of the selected magnificent Christmas decorations come from the Olaine district of the Rīgas Meži Tīreļi Forest District. They are approximately 15 metres tall and are aged around 30-40 years. In total, more than 40 Christmas trees from Rīgas Meži will decorate the capital this year. Half of them will be in the city centre: in the main squares, by cultural and educational institutions, and also at children's healthcare facilities. The other half of the festive trees, similar to last year, will decorate significant locations in the city's neighbourhoods.
Chair of the Board of Rīgas Meži, Anita Skudra: "Thinking about the differences from previous years and about the future – I would like to specifically emphasise that Rīgas Meži is a sustainable company. Therefore, we hope that the capital finds locations in the city where it can gradually plant festive trees. Let them grow and flourish just as beautifully as in our Riga forests! And may the city, its residents and visitors receive a bright, safe and enduring decoration for the holidays!"
The Rīgas Meži Tīreļi Forest District is significant both for the Christmas trees chosen for the capital and for the fact that the Christmas Battles, so important to Latvia, took place in this area. The Tīreļi Forest District is the largest Rīgas Meži forest district, covering more than 23 000 ha. The districts of Olaine and Tīreļi manage forests owned by the capital in the Mārupe, Olaine and Ķekava municipalities. The main tree species are: pine (approximately 60%), birch (approximately 20%) and spruce (approximately 15%).