The oldest part of Riga Castle, built in the 16th century, has recovered a number of the oldest and most beautiful rooms: vaulted cellars, vaults, a chapel, a 5-storey lead tower, a gallery, an attic and others, which can now be seen in a form unseen for several centuries. Until the expositions and exhibitions of the museum are set up, it is possible to walk through them both individually and in groups. There is also a specially designed tour of the museum premises for adults and children, and an audio guide is available.
For those interested, the museum offers two express exhibitions: in the exhibition Lost and found the finds obtained during the restoration works and archaeological research are placed – witnesses of the history of the castle at various stages, but in the exhibition Then and now with the help of photographs, you can compare what transformations the recent reconstruction and restoration have brought to the palace premises. In the fall and winter of 2024, the museum will also invite you to excursions, educational classes, and will celebrate Lāčplēš Day and the state founding holiday in larger events.
Visiting the museum premises in Riga Palace and participating in the events are for a fee. According to the new price list, the price of the museum entrance ticket is 5 euros for adults, 3 euros for students, pensioners and disabled persons of group III, 2 euros for students, 6 euros for families (1 + 2), 11 euros for families (2 + 2).
Work on the creation of the museum’s new expositions in the Riga Palace will also continue. Together with the exhibition design, the SIA that won the competition DJA – Didzis Jaunzems Architecture four new exposures have been prepared – Livonia Castle, History of Riga Castle, Sacred Art and Streaming time – technical projects, but their installation in the museum premises will be gradual due to budgetary possibilities and is planned between 2025 and 2028. In the exhibition of Latvian history panoramas Streaming time can be viewed from the end of 2025.
The financing required for the construction of the expositions is around 3.19 million in total. euro – will be covered from the state budget and ERDF funds. In parallel with the furnishing and installation works, the museum will maintain the possibility of visiting the castle as much as possible and organize events. Already now, students are offered museum-pedagogic classes, a new class room for children will be available at the end of 2024.
Simultaneously with the return to the Riga Palace, the museum marks other significant innovations, including a new visual identity, website, audio guide application, the museum’s online souvenir shop and ticket sales platform will soon be available.
The message of LNVM’s visual identity is based on three directions: discovery, preservation, expansion of horizons. It reflects on the nature and mission of the museum’s core activity – creating collections and research, delving into the evidence of the past, as well as providing this knowledge to the public. The system of identity symbols (including the museum’s name sign) includes the uniqueness and commonality of four places of activity – Riga Castle, Daudera, Museum of the Popular Front and Krātuve. LNVM’s new visual identity was developed by SIA as a result of a design competition KiD Design.
Currently, LNVM will have only 4,400 m² of the 12,000 m² of the oldest part of Riga Castle planned for it. In 2015 PS Riga Castle Kastel project (IS MARK the architect an SIA Silver Architecture) the developed reconstruction and restoration project has so far only been partially implemented. The funding involved reached almost 26 million. EUR, works were performed by AS LNK Industries. Deadlines for the full completion of the project are unknown. The construction of the remaining part of the castle requires around 35 million. EUR.
Arnis Radiņš, director of the Latvian National History Museum, emphasizes: “The 3rd round of the unfinished Riga Castle reconstruction project prevents visitors from showing the riches of the collection to a wider extent than the museum could and would like. However, we are pleased that this more than ten-year absence from Riga Castle has ended and we can begin to return to that new quality. To a certain extent, it will be building new relationships with our visitors, trying to preserve the values already established during the development of the museum – the collection, research, the ability to cover the entire story of Latvia’s history and at the same time also use the new potential that the renovated Riga gives the palace premises and the rich history of this building”.
Source: www.diena.lv
