Museum of the Occupation of Latvia 1940-1991

The official Museum of the Occupation of Latvia website

Address: Raiņa bulvāris 7, Rīga (see map below)

The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia presents the history of the fifty-year occupation of Latvia (1940-1991): first, the Soviet occupation (1940–1941), then National Socialist German occupation (1941–1944/45) followed by the second Soviet occupation (1944/45–1991).

The museum exhibition tells of life in Latvia during these three occupations: about power politics, about Soviet and Nazi terror, about the destruction of Latvia's economy, about Soviet and Nazi totalitarian ideologies with regard to cultural policy, about Latvian residents’ opposition to the occupation regimes until they regained their freedom in 1991.

Museum visitors will find historical documents, pictures and other items attesting to the power politics of occupation in Latvia. Many items tell of the regime of terror against Latvian residents, such as keepsakes from places of custody and deportation. Others tell of national resistance to foreign powers, such as guerrilla struggles, activities by national resistance groups, and preservation of Latvian cultural values.

The first section of the exhibition tells of the events that led to Latvia’s occupation: cooperation between the Soviet and Nazi regimes when entering into the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact on 23 August 1939 and dividing Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. Later on, museum visitors can learn about the history of Latvia during the first Soviet occupation (1940-1941), the German occupation (1941-1944/45) and the second Soviet occupation (1944/45-1991). The final part of the exhibition shows the national struggle to renew Latvian independence at the end of the 1980s and finally reclaim its sovereignty in 1991. The museum exhibition also pays tribute to Latvians living abroad during the occupation years (about 200,000 Latvians fled to the West to escape the terror regimes), their cultural life and contribution to the struggle for a renewed independent Latvia. 

The following tour times are available for booking:  13:20;  14:20;  15:20;  16:20.

To register your participation, e-mail: esil.culture@rgsl.edu.lv