First World War Museum in Medumi Museum
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First World War Museum is located in Medumi village, Augšdaugava municipality, in the building of former workshops of Medumi elementary school ~600 m from the A13 road.
During the First World War, the territory of present-day Augšdaugava municipality was crossed by the "Life and Death" front line, on both sides of which trenches and bunkers were built. In the forests of Medumi parish, as well as in the forests of Demene and Svente parishes, German army bunkers have been preserved, which, unlike the wooden bunkers built by the Russian army, were built of concrete.
The exposition of the First World War Museum consists of several parts. In the museum, it is possible to get acquainted with the history of Medumi before the war, with the events of the First World War in Latvia and also in Europe, as well as with the everyday life of soldiers during the First World War. An imitation of a Russian bunker has been created in one of the halls, allowing visitors to get to know the life of soldiers in a bunker. In this part of the museum, it is possible to feel the atmosphere of war the most, provided by the sounds of gunshots and explosions and videos with scenes from the movie "Blizzard of Souls" (“Dvēseļu putenis”).
Used sources and references:
Museum of the First World War opened in Medumi Daugavpils tourist information center https://www.visitdaugavpils.lv/medumos-atklats-pirma-pasaules-kara-muzejs/
First World War Museum | Daugavpils tourist information center https://www.visitdaugavpils.lv/turisma-objekts/primra-pasaules-kara-muzejs/
Educational programs
Future Soldier Breakout Game
The lesson offers students the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the events of the First World War and the everyday life of its participants. Students are offered various activities - studying documents, front-line reports, photographs, actively participating and talking with museum specialists, program participants learn about the types of weapons used in the First World War, the ammunition of the Russian and German armies. Participants are offered the opportunity to decipher the “Morse Code” system message, listen to soldiers' songs, walk through the imitation of the Russian army trenches and immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the front line, as well as write a letter to themselves from the front line.
Traces of the First World War in the Augšdaugava region
The lesson will allow you to look into the history of the early 20th century, study and experience the events of World War I and the everyday life of its participants.
The First World War is most often associated with the involvement of all the great powers in hostilities, with thousands of kilometers of trench systems, the Western and Eastern Fronts, with the flow of 500 thousand refugees, with the use of poison gas, however, this is only part of the events of the war. No less extensive hostilities took place here in the territory of the Augšdaugava region. The war, which changed the landscape of the region beyond recognition, lasted almost three years near Dvinsk (Daugavpils). Although more than 100 years have passed since these events, the echoes of the war - trenches, bunkers, ammunition - can still be found.
During the lesson, using archival documents and artifacts, there will be an opportunity to find out how the war entered this area, which determined the location of the positions of the warring parties, the characteristics of the battles, creating an understanding of the course of hostilities. Visitors will have the opportunity not only to gain theoretical knowledge about the war, but also to work interactively, restore the events of that time, walk through the trenches of the Russian army (an imitation of which is located in the museum itself), feel the atmosphere of the front line, and draw conclusions about the meaning of war in the modern world.
