A Pioneer of Riga’s Art Nouveau: The Life and Legacy of Mikhail Eisenstein Mikhail Osipovich Eisenstein, born Moisey Eisenstein on September 5th, 1867, in the small town of Bila Tserkva within the Kiev Governorate of the Russian Empire (present-day Ukraine), was a figure whose life embodied a fascinating intersection of cultural shifts and artistic blossoming. Though initially rooted in a Jewish merchant family, his journey led him to embrace Orthodox Christianity and ultimately, to become one of the most influential architects shaping the face of Riga during its period of rapid expansion. E…