Latvian Academy of Sciences

The building of the Academy of Sciences was constructed after World War II, between the years 1953 and 1956, as a gift from the workers and peasants of the USSR to Latvia, and is decorated with hammers and sickles and other communist motifs and decorations. It is 108 meters (353 feet) tall, and was the first skyscraper in the Latvian Republic. It is a representative building of Stalinist architecture that is similar to other buildings in other capitals which are "allies" of the USSR, such as Warsaw. You can have an incredible view of Riga from the balcony on the 17th floor that is open to the public