The picturesque square of Livu appeared in Riga in 1950 on the site of buildings destroyed during the great Patriotic war. Designed her P. seletskyi.

Officially, the area was called the square at the Philharmonic. In 1974 it was reconstructed on the idea of K. Barons. Was broken by a network of paths and places for recreation. In the middle of the square there is a pool with a fountain, which is currently not working. In February 2000 square at the Philharmonic hall was renamed the Riga authorities in Livu square.

In winter, Livu square turns into a city ice rink and in the summer in the beautiful café where you can buy various Souvenirs. Here often in the summer, organize various activities. Square turned on 0.5 acres.

If you walk from the statue of "Freedom" through the City channel to Liv area, you will see beautiful buildings Big and Small guilds, located opposite each other on Amatu street. In 1354, the German merchants, who owned all the Commerce in Riga, organized a Large Guild. Its activity was abolished after the revolution of 1917. The Great Guild hall found in the middle of the XIX century. In 1965 it was reconstructed and adapted for the Latvian state Philharmonic. In the foyer of the Philharmonic, you can see the stained glass Windows, based on sketches by Latvian artist A. Cirulis. The Great Guild hall has a magnificent eclectic English Gothic forms.

The Small Guild hall built in the same style. The small Guild was founded in the XIII century and was the unification of all artisans. Only its members had the opportunity to become the Guild masters. In 1936, was eliminated.

Opposite the Great Guild hall is a Grand building with two turrets, each of which are black cats. This is the famous house of the Black cat or the cat house, which is the unofficial calling card Riga. The building in the style of late modern management was built in 1909 by architect Friedrich Seppala.

There is an ancient legend that wealthy landlord a Blumer was not included in the Riga Great Guild and, of course, was very angry. They were ordered sculptural images of black cats with arched backs. Is they peaked towers apartment building Blumer. But most interesting is that these cats were turned tails in the side of the Windows operating rooms elders of the Great Guild, clearly showing the cynical attitude of the merchant members of the Guild.

According to one of the branches of this traditional tour tales, against Blumer was organized by the judicial process. They say that it could not be forced to deploy cats in the right direction. Most likely, Blumer was a close friend of the judge or paid generous bribes frequently changing judges that the sentence was announced that the cats – free animals, and they walk by themselves, and most importantly, without them Riga will lose some of its architectural wealth. It's hard to say when it was possible to agree with Mr. Blumer, however, at one point, the cats were deployed in a "correct" perspective.

The Livu square, Large and Small guilds and the cat house in Riga are harmonious architectural ensemble, which attracts with its grandeur and beauty.