RIGA SEPTEMBER 01: a night view of the National Opera House in Riga on 01 September 2012. The National Opera House was constructed in 1863 by the St. Petersburg architect Ludwig Bohnstedt, for the then German-speaking City Theatre, and has been refurbished several times; 1882-1887 (following a fire in 1882), 1957–1958, 1991-1995 (following independence).[3] A modern annex was added in 2001 with.