The Museum’s permanent exhibition consists of three sections, each dedicated to one period of occupation: the first Soviet occupation (1940-1941), the Nazi German Occupation during the War (1941-1944/45), and the second Soviet occupation (1944/45-1991). The last section also reflects the emergence of an independent nation state in Latvia (1985-1991). The exhibition displays historical documents, photographs and items testifying to the terror of the occupational powers against Latvia’s population and against members of resistance groups. In one hall the inside of a labour camp barrack has been reconstructed. Explanatory comments are provided in Latvian, English, German, French, and Russian.
The Museum has also created a number travelling exhibitions (in fewer languages): ‘Latvia from 1939-1991: from Occupation to Freedom’ which is exhibited in Latvian schools and Museums; ‘Latvia Returns to Europe’, exhibited in Europe, Australia and Canada; ‘Latvia Returns to the Free World’, exhibited in the USA.
The Museum regularly holds events, at which the newest additions to the collection are presented.
The Museum’s collection comprises roughly 30,000 documents, photographs, and written and oral testimonies recounting the history of Latvia between 1940 and 1991, as well as items found at prison camps and special settlements. The video and photo archive contains about 600 testimonies. A database with information on archives and collections has been set up, which can be accessed by researchers and interested members of the public.
The staff conducts research into the history of the period of occupation. In addition, the Museum is compiling an oral history archive, consisting of video and audio recordings of interviews with survivors of the totalitarian regimes. Every year the Museum produces the calendar ‘Yearbook of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia’. The Museum organises lectures for schoolchildren, history contests for children and seminars for teachers of history. Textbooks for the teaching of the recent history of Latvia are being published on a regular basis. Another project is the collection of material on the history of Latvia’s memorials.
