New Jewish Cemetery (Šmerļa) in Riga

The cemetery was founded in 1928 when the previous, ancient city Jewish cemetery was no longer sufficient for the needs of the population. This new necropolis was designed by the renowned Riga architect Paul Mandelstam.

In 1934, a monument was erected on the central avenue in honor of the 37 officers and soldiers of Jewish descent who fell in the struggle for Latvian independence between 1918 and 1920.

In 1964, the Soviet authorities decided to open the cemetery for free burials for all residents of Riga, regardless of nationality, renaming it Šmerļa Cemetery.

During the summer of 1990, a memorial stele was erected on the grounds in honor of Žanis and Johanna Lipke, who saved more than fifty Jews during the war (sculptor Leja Novoženec).

After Latvia regained its independence, the cemetery once again became exclusively Jewish.

The cemetery covers 14.6 hectares.

Address of the New Jewish Cemetery

The cemetery's coordinates on the map are: 56.988914, 24.208555.

Address of the cemetery:

Lizuma Street 4, Riga, LV-1006.

New Jewish Cemetery Contact Phone Number

For information, please call the funeral service

+371 2944 9849

Operating Hours of the Cemetery on Lizuma Street

Summer (April 1 to October 31): 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM;
Winter (November 1 to March 31): 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM;
On Memorial Day and other commemoration days, the cemetery administration determines the opening hours.

Cemetery Administration Hours:

Sun - Thu: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM;

Fri - Sat: Closed.

How to get to the cemetery on Lizuma Street

You can get to the cemetery by bus: No. 8, 22, 44, 53.

Services of the New Jewish Cemetery

The Riga Jewish Cemetery offers burials and the placement of urns with ashes only in the graves of previously buried relatives.

Burial of relatives is possible without an additional fee, but partial dismantling and subsequent installation of gravestones is often required, which is paid separately.

Therefore, the final cost of services at the cemetery on Lizuma Street in Riga depends on the required scope of work and the conditions under which it is carried out.

How to obtain a plot at the Lizuma Street Cemetery

The cemetery offers plots for the burial of coffins and urns in earlier burials. Reinterments in coffins can only occur twenty years after the previous burial, while there is no time limit for urns.

Obtaining a burial permit

The Riga cemetery offers reburials in available graves. To arrange a reburial, you must obtain special permission from the Lizuma Street Cemetery administration, providing original death certificates and proof of relationship with the deceased.

Funeral arrangements at the New Jewish Cemetery in Riga

THE CITY FUNERAL SERVICE provides a full range of funeral services at the local Jewish cemetery. You can call us 24/7 for a free consultation at +371 2944 9849.