Antisovietinė agitacija ir propaganda
IV Sovietų okupacija

The museum exhibits the history of Latvia from 1940 to 1991, under the occupation of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. ‘House of the Future’ is a reconstruction and expansion project of the Occupation Museum designed by the well-known American Latvian architect Gunārs Birkerts as well as the new exhibit of the museum. The exhibit ‘History of Cheka in Latvia’ was created by the Occupation Museum and it is located in the ‘Corner House’, which is the former USSR State Security Committee (KGB) building. Latvian Occupation Museum was founded in 1993. It tells the long-hidden story of the fate of the Latvian state, nation and land under the occupation of two foreign totalitarian powers from 1940 to 1991. At the end of 2020 the museum had more than 70,000 different historical items (documents, photographs, written, oral and material evidence, objects and memorabilia). Museum specialists have recorded more than 2,400 video testimonials, making it one of the largest collections on occupation in Europe. The events that unfolded in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia clearly show us what the nations had to endure under the two totalitarian regimes.

The former USSR State Security Committee (commonly known as Cheka) building is open for visitors. Here chekists imprisoned, interrogated and murdered Latvian citizens who were considered opponents by the occupation regime. There is also an exhibit from the Latvian Occupation Museum on the activities of Cheka in Latvia. Guided tours of the prison cells, corridors, basement and courtyard are available. The house was built in 1911 and it is one of the most beautiful buildings in Riga. Called the ‘Corner House’ by the people, it was the scariest symbol of the Soviet occupation regime in Latvia, and also one of the pillars of power of the USSR. Cheka operated from the Corner House during the occupation from 1940 to 1941 and then again from 1945 to 1991. Tens of thousands of Latvians were affected by direct political persecution. The fight against enemies of Soviet rule continued also after World War II. Cheka’s approach towards its operation slightly changed after Stalin’s death. Physical torture was replaced by psychological terror. The majority of Cheka agents were Latvians (52%). Russians were the second largest group – 23.7%. 60.3% of the agents were not members of the Communist Party. 26.9% of the agents had higher education. The system was designed in a way to involve local people and thus have greater control over the society. Staff documents and service records are located in Russia. And these materials have not been made available to Latvian authorities and researchers.

Die historische Ausstellung „Das Feuer des Gewissens“ befindet in der Nähe des Schlossplatzes von Cēsis. Sie wurde in den Arrestzellen für Untersuchungshäftlinge aus der Sowjetzeit eingerichtet und informiert über die Okkupation Lettlands und über erstaunliche und mutige Beispiele des individuellen Widerstandes. Im Hof trägt eine Mauer des Gedenkens die Namen von 643 Einwohnern des ehemaligen Kreises Cēsis, die der sowjetischen Verfolgung zum Opfer fielen: Menschen, die 1941 oder 1949 deportiert wurden sowie erschossene oder zum Tode verurteilte nationale Partisanen. Eine Zeittafel veranschaulicht die Abfolge der Ereignisse in den Besatzungsjahren von 1939 bis 1957. Thematisch geordnete Ausschnitte aus Lokalzeitungen stellen die politische Propaganda beider Besatzungsregime gegenüber. Die sechs Arrestzellen für Untersuchungshäftlinge sind etwa in dem Zustand von 1940/41 und – wie in den Nachkriegsjahren üblich – erhalten. Hier waren Einwohner des Kreises Cēsis wegen verschiedener antisowjetischer Aktivitäten für einige Tage inhaftiert, deren Voruntersuchungen und Verhöre hier stattfanden, bevor sie in die Tscheka (KGB)-Zentrale nach Riga überstellt wurden, darunter nationale Partisanen, Partisanenunterstützer, Jugendliche, die „antisowjetische“ Flugblätter verteilt hatten und andere sog. „Vaterlandsverräter“. Hier ist alles original erhalten - die Arrestzellen nebst den mit Essens-Durchreichen ausgestatteten Eisentüren, Holzpritschen, ein Häftlingsklo, eine kleiner Küchenraum mit Herd und die typischen ölgestrichenen Wände der Sowjetzeit.

2019 gewann die Ausstellung den dritten Platz im alljährlichen nationalen Designwettbewerb Lettlands.