Dinamo Riga is a Latvian ice hockey club based in Riga. The club was re-founded in 2008 to represent Latvia in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), succeeding the Soviet-era Dinamo Riga that operated from 1946 to 1995. The club’s visual identity has undergone two documented redesigns since its re-establishment, most recently in 2020.
Design and History
When the modern club was presented in June 2008, its first logo retained the traditional Cyrillic “D” letter that the Riga club had used during the Soviet period. The mark added three stars and two lions, symbols representing Latvia and Riga respectively.[1] The logo was selected through a competition among nine companies, and the “D” letter was described as symbolizing courage and strength.[2]
In October 2012, the club announced a new official logo created by artist Dagnis Skrube, whose work was chosen through a competition and approved by the heraldry commission.[3] This version kept the letter “D” and added two lions and three stars, representing the symbols of Riga and Latvia respectively.[4]
In July 2020, ahead of the club’s 13th KHL season, Dinamo Riga underwent a comprehensive rebrand. The new identity was designed by Swedish artist Daniel Carlmatz, known for his 365-day graphic design marathon. The development process lasted about a year and involved club representatives and design specialists.[5] The new logo removed the lions and the classic Dinamo “D” letter that had appeared on previous versions.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2020 logo consists of four elements: three stars, a shield, and the letters “DR”, with the wordmark “DINAMO RĪGA” added depending on the application.[7] The shield and stars are symbols of Latvia, while the integrated “DR” letters form a geometric grid that the project’s authors described as symbolizing stability, strength, and unity.[8]
Advertising specialist Eriks Stendzenieks characterized the new logo as “clean, ordered and balanced,” noting that the previous version had too many superfluous details. He observed that the angularity and sharp corners of the new design convey a sense of purposefulness.[8]
Club chairman Juris Savickis said of the new mark: “With this new logo we see the future of Dinamo Riga, because if we want to grow, we must continue to fight and develop to achieve new goals.”[6]
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