Description of the attraction
The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia was established in 1993 in the very center of Riga, located on Strelkov Square. The purpose of this museum was to highlight the history of Latvia from 1940 to 1991. This is the period of the occupation of Latvia by the two totalitarian regimes of that time. From 1940 to 1941 the country was under the Soviet regime. From 1941 to 1944, the regime of Hitlerite Germany was established in Latvia. From 1944 to 1991, Soviet power was again established in the country. In 1991, Latvia, the first among all the republics of the former USSR, declared its independence.
The goal was set for the researchers and museum workers to provide a multifaceted and reliable coverage of the influence of these totalitarian regimes on the development of the Latvian state. During the formation period, more than thirty thousand various documents, letters and photographs from the places of settlement and imprisonment, testimonies of survivors of repressions, official documents of the period of Hitler's genocide and the period of Soviet occupation were collected.
Scientists from different countries of the world, including Russia, Sweden, the United States, and Great Britain, are involved in the collection and processing of materials and exhibits. Comments on the exhibits are made in several languages at the same time: in Latvian, Russian, German, English and French. This fact makes it easier for museum workers to achieve their goals. Firstly, any visitor, and it should be noted that visiting the museum is free for everyone, can independently understand the meaning of the exhibit and draw his own conclusion about this period of history. Secondly, it facilitates the museum's traveling expositions, including to other countries. During its work, the museum traveled to the USA, Canada, Australia, to various European countries. Remarkable is the fact that the museum's exhibitions were organized even in the building of the European Parliament.
The museum also organizes temporary exhibitions presenting new exhibits. In addition, the museum staff conduct special classes with schoolchildren on the history of the development of Latvia and seminars with history teachers, at which new documentary and audio / video information collected for the museum fund by researchers and enthusiasts is presented.
A special annual almanac of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia was created, available to everyone who wants to get acquainted with the history of the country, the contents of the museum fund and new items with which it has been replenished during the coming year.
One of the most painful topics in world history is the Holocaust. This phenomenon is reflected in a special part of the museum's exhibition. Although the period of the Hitlerite, fascist occupation of Latvia was relatively short in terms of history, this section contains many documents, testimonies and exhibits.
A separate exhibition of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia is dedicated to the victims of political terror and Stalinist repressions. Even the gulag chamber was recreated so that visitors could see the conditions in which political prisoners were kept during the Stalinist repressions. The same section contains documents and video materials testifying to the negative impact of the period of Soviet occupation on the development and formation of people of Latvian nationality. The exhibits reflect especially the stagnation in the development of culture and economy that took place during this period.
The way of arranging exhibitions and methods of selecting and presenting museum materials evoke conflicting feelings among museum visitors. There are even disputes about the correctness of some exhibitions. One way or another, the museum presents documentary evidence for review and each visitor has the right to create his own idea of this undoubtedly difficult period in the life of Latvia.
Reviews
| All reviews 1 Juris Sprogis 2012-09-01 19:19:50
Shame on those who came up with this museum! I am a Latvian. I love my Motherland - Latvia! And I am ashamed of the meanness of the current Latvian authorities in relation to the Russian people. Namely - the hatred of the organizers of the museum is directed at the Russian people, and not at the rulers of the USSR. I'll tell you - only thanks to Russia Latvia was able to survive as a nation. We got it …
