Riga Station (Location)

Rizhskaya (Russian: Рижская) or Riga Station is a station in the novel Metro 2033, as well as the video game. It's a major part of the VDNKh Commonwealth, as it connects the alliance with the rest of the metro. The station carries the same name as the capital and biggest city of Latvia (a Baltic and post-Soviet state), but the name of this station probably is not a reference to the city - instead it must have been named after the Riga flower market that sits a few steps away from the station.

Overview
Riga station is a member of the VDNKh Commonwealth and known to be a poorer rundown station, needing both aid and protection. The station seems to have an overcrowding problem, which is seen by going down the area known as "The Black Street". Many of the residents live in very small houses, barely large enough for the owners. The floor is covered in mud, and the back entrance is not even guarded. Prostitution is known to occur as Nikki will attempt to seduce Artyom while he is in the area. In one diary entry, Artyom calls the station unlucky stating that in VDNKh, the dwellers coming from Riga always used to be in trouble, the station pigs usually get sick (revealing that the station has its own pig farm, just like VDNKh), they deal with ceiling problems, and their merchants sometimes drink all their earnings away. But Artyom limits himself to saying that they are just clumsy.

In the game, the station is very small, although several areas are not accessible. A small bar that deals mostly in shroom vodka takes up the top floor of the station, but seems to be built up, rather than a raised section from the original station. Below the bar is a small vendor area that sells a variety of weapons and equipment. There is a main office area, the equivalent of Alex's office in VDNKh. A man that has a very similar appearance to Alex can be seen in the office, but this would be impossible to be him (this discrepancy was fixed in Metro 2033 Redux, with the man receiving his own unique model).

In the novels, the history of the station is further elaborated on. After the war, the inhabitants made a fortune by selling dried up flowers, found in abundance in the market above Riga. The supply eventually dried up, however, leading to a crisis. The station was able to save itself by switching to the manure trade, buying it from VDNKh and selling to Hanza.

Notable Residents

 * Nikki - a prostitute who tries to seduce Artyom in order to steal his money.
 * Begging Child - a child that offers to take Artyom to Bourbon, who wants to speak with him, in exchange for one military grade round.

Trivia

 * It's hinted in one journal entry that the Dark Ones didn't go so far into the Metro to reach Riga, therefore few in the station had ever heard of them and the ones that do did not believe it.
 * It's possible to see groups of people travelling on foot on the side of the rail between Riga and Alexeyevskaya, suggesting that the main tunnel is indeed well protected by the newly formed VDNKh Commonwealth.
 * There is a shooting range in Riga, just under the bar where you start the chapter of the same name. There, Artyom can look at the box at the middle of the counter and pay MGR to start shooting rats that will show at the range. At the end of the trial, he will be rewarded with some MGR that may vary depending on the difficulty.
 * Note that after the box with the reward opens, another box with a green button will open as well. This you can press to start the infinite mode where the rats appear indefinitely and no reward is offered at the end, to end the mode just press the green button again.

Gallery
Riga Рижская (станция) Ризька