Riga Airmuseum (Riga Aviation museum) Museum

The Riga Air Museum is located in Skulte village, Marupe municipality, in the territory of Riga Airport, next to the aircraft observation area. It is a privately made tourist attraction that opened in 1997. It has taken more than 50 years to create this collection. Aviation equipment has been gathered from Latvia, Russia, Poland, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and the USA. It is one of the largest and most valuable collections in Europe. The idea of a Latvian Aviation Museum was conceived at least 80 years ago. The history of Latvian aviation dates back to the time when the world's first aircraft were being developed. Latvian pilots were among those who participated in achieving many world records. After World War I and the Latvian War of Independence the Latvian Army started to form an air force, and there was a need to preserve historical evidence. In the 1930s, there was an opportunity to start work on creating a museum. It already had acquired some particularly valuable historical items in its collection. World War II thwarted this project and the collection was lost. Nowadays there are about 40 aircraft objects, mainly manufactured in the Soviet Union. And the exposition gives an insight into the history of Soviet aviation.