Broadcast: The Ministry of Culture lacks money to maintain the third oldest museum in Europe

The Riga History and Shipping Museum, located in Old Riga right next to the Cathedral Church, is one of the oldest museums in Europe. At the moment, it is in a critical condition, reports the program “Neka personalisa”.

The Ministry of Culture lacks money to maintain the museum. The Ministry of Finance, on the other hand, has refused help to save the museum, which is in critical condition.

The Riga History and Shipping Museum celebrated its 250th anniversary a year ago. This is not only the oldest public museum in Latvia and the Baltics, but the third oldest in Europe. The museum has more than half a million exhibits. Many with unique value.

One building’s facade was renovated four years ago.

But the last significant renovation works in the museum took place from 1988 to 1989.

At that time, the tiles on the roof of the building were replaced, but tagad ceiling in one of the archive rooms on the upper floor. At least 15 centimeters. This happened because the wooden constructions of the roof in the attic were deformed.

Only a small part of the sewage, heating, water system is located in the basement of the museum. Most of them have already been replaced there, because they become limescale and simply stop functioning. As a souvenir, one such pipe, which was removed by engineers, is kept in the office of the manager of the farm department. But most of the communications are buried in the yard part of the ground, where there is a historical cover that cannot be dug out on your own. Therefore, the museum lives on a “powder keg”. Water and heating can run out at any moment.

A year ago, the commission of the Riga City Council inspected the museum. They have concluded that one of the facades of the museum’s courtyard is in such bad condition that it is on the list of objects that degrade the environment. Therefore, this year the Riga municipality has to pay an increased real estate tax – 42 thousand euros.

The main value of the museum – the collection is mostly kept in rooms that do not correspond to it.

The condition and wear and tear of the museum building has already reached about 40%, which can be described as unsatisfactory. Management and use contracts are said to have been concluded with other museums. This helps to accumulate a special fund to be used for larger works. And do not lower the condition of the building. As the Ministry of Finance responded to the program – the Ministry of Culture has asked for money for the next 3 years for the repair of the museum – a total of almost 3 million. As well as the money that would allow us to conclude a lease. This would require another 394,200 euros per year.

As the Minister of Culture Agnese Logina (P) commented during the program, “It worries me a lot. That’s why I’m glad that this conversation has started, because it’s really dramatic. What goes into the national collection is what we are as a society, as a nation we have agreed that this is our core and to be preserved for the future. And if we cannot preserve it, that is a very serious problem.”