Gates of Eternity

Honouring the Stalts Family

Gates of Eternity is a memorial to Helmī and Dainis Stalts, created by sculptor Ģirts Burvis at Artists’ Hill in Riga’s Forest Cemetery (Meža kapi). The memorial was unveiled in June 2025. It honours a family whose lives were devoted to preserving Latvian and Livonian traditional culture, striving for Latvia’s independence and strengthening the national identity of both peoples.

During his political career, Dainis Stalts helped bring several of Ģirts Burvis’s works into being, including a monument to Fricis Brīvzemnieks, a Livonian stone boat on Zaķusala — the former venue of the Baltic Sun festival — and the dolomite memorial “To Those Taken by the Sea” at Cape Kolka.

The shared values and ideals that united Dainis Stalts and Ģirts Burvis inspired Gates of Eternity. The completed memorial continues their creative dialogue and celebrates the lasting significance of those values.

The memorial preserves the memory of Helmī and Dainis Stalts and their contribution to Latvian and Livonian culture and Latvia’s independence. It offers a place to remember, sing and reflect, keeping their legacy alive for future generations.

The memorial was made possible by the support of the Stalts family, friends near and far, and Latvia’s State Culture Capital Foundation. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated or helped make it a reality.

Remembering Helmī and Dainis

Dainis Stalts collaborated with Ģirts Burvis on a number of distinctive works and was a prominent figure in Latvia’s non-violent resistance movement. Helmī brought people together through Livonian and Latvian traditional culture and led the folk group Skandinieki for many years.

Their strength always came from being together.

We invite you to visit Gates of Eternity at Artists’ Hill in Riga’s Forest Cemetery, to remember Helmī and Dainis and the values they shared.