Museum of the Occupation of Latvia Museum

Address: Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, Riga district, Latvia

Website: https://okupacijasmuzejs.lv/en/

The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia is a public museum in Riga established in 1993 to document 20th-century occupations and their impact on Latvia.

The museum’s main displays present documented evidence, photographs and personal items related to the Soviet and Nazi occupations, covering political repression, deportations and daily life under occupation. Exhibits include archival material and audiovisual testimonies and the site regularly hosts temporary exhibitions and public programmes.

Founded in the early 1990s to preserve memory and provide research resources, the institution has grown its collections and archival holdings and now serves both public visitors and researchers. It continues to develop temporary shows and educational outreach.

The museum sits in central Riga, within walking distance of Republic Square and other cultural institutions; the nearest major city is Riga itself.

• Exhibition scope: The main exhibition chronicles occupation periods between 1940 and 1991 and includes oral histories and original documents.
• Location note: Located in central Riga close to other museums and cultural sites, making it convenient to combine with a walking tour of the Old Town.

What to See#

• Permanent exhibition: Houses a permanent exhibition covering life under Soviet and Nazi rule, including documents, photographs and personal items collected in archives and displays.
• Archives and library: Contains research archives and a reference library used by scholars and family researchers documenting 20th-century occupations of Latvia.
• Temporary exhibitions: Rotating temporary exhibition space hosts shorter shows on related themes such as resistance, deportations and human rights.

The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia is in central Riga near the Old Town. From Riga International Airport take bus 22 into the city centre (or a taxi of about 15-20 minutes) and then walk a short distance to the museum; it is a brief walk (around 5-15 minutes) from central tram/bus stops and from the Old Town.

• Visit in a weekday morning or late afternoon to avoid organized school and tour groups; the museum is centrally located near Riga's Freedom Monument, so you can combine it with a short walk through the city center.
• Allow about 1-2 hours to move through both the main exhibition and the deeper displays about deportations and resistance-many visitors rush the ground floor and miss the powerful documentary material in the lower galleries.
• Take the museum's audio guide or join a guided tour where available; the narratives and personal testimonies add essential context that many self‑guided visitors overlook.