Lielais Kristaps (Big Christopher), Riga

Big Christopher is the legendary founder of Riga and is widely recognized as the city's protector from floods and other natural calamities. Sailors and fishermen would traditionally ask Big Christopher for protection whenever they ventured out to sea.

Legend has it that Big Christopher was a ferryman who carried people across the Daugava River. One night, he heard a baby crying on the opposite bank and rushed to its rescue. He picked up the baby and began carrying it across the river. However, the closer he got to the opposite bank, the heavier the baby became. Finally, when he reached dry land and set the baby down, he fell asleep almost immediately from exhaustion. The next morning, when he awoke, Christopher was astonished to discover that, instead of the baby, there was a large pile of money beside him.

According to the legend, the money was used to build the city of Riga. The child was, in fact, Jesus himself, carrying the weight of the world's sins. This explains the Christian origin of the legend of Saint Christopher-the "Christ-Bearer." For centuries, he served as the patron saint of Hanseatic Riga's movers, raftsmen, and sailors.

In 1682, a wooden statue of Big Christopher carrying the baby was installed at the place where the hero was supposedly said to have lived. Riga's citizens still visit the statue regularly, bringing flowers and lighting candles to ask for Big Christopher's protection. Today, the original statue can be seen at the Latvian Museum of History and Navigation, while a replica stands along the bank of the Daugava River.