Private Collection “Family Barn” Museum

The private collection “Family Barn” is located at the family estate “Ābeļu Putniņi”. Created in 2007, it reveals the history of one family through stories, objects and a reconstructed trench shelter. Visitors are offered an insight into the history of World War I, the Latvian Army, World War II, the Brothers’ Cemetery in Riga and the Christmas Battles. The old barn displays embroidered table cloths, homemade folk costumes, a cupboard with tableware, skis and a chariot wheel donated by Baron Korf. In 2011, the equipping of the restored birch wood trench shelter was com menced. In it, a furnace, a sleeping area, and stands display ing objects related to the First World War – broken tableware, photographs and rusted weapon parts are on display there. The exhibition allows visitors to experience the scenes of the First World War as described in the Blizzard of Souls, a novel by Aleksandrs Grīns. Special attention is paid to the Vidzeme 4th Riflemen Regiment and the Christmas Battles. The following soldiers are mentioned: Robert Soks, who is buried at the Broth ers’ Cemetery in Riga, as well as writers Aleksandrs Grīns, Jānis Akurāters, composer Arvīds Žilinskis and others. The exhibition grounds feature bomb pits from World War I and a spring from which the soldiers drew drinking water. A tour of the site lasts for 1.5–2 hours and is available in Latvian and Russian.