The main aim of the reconstruction and restoration of the Riga Castle convent building was to preserve its historical heritage. The rooms carry a medieval atmosphere with a little contemporary touch.
Rīga Castle is centuries old. It has layers of cultural heritage, so it has brought many surprises, said Renārs Griškevičs, Chairman of the Board of the State Real Estate Ltd (VNĪ).
“Various murals, different tiles, a furnace that was found in very good condition,” Griškevičs said.
The findings have taken extra time, research, and solutions, but have been saved for visitors to view.
“We're not talking about decades, but centuries. Here are revelations from the 16th century, the 14th century, the 17th century. We are talking about the contributions of several generations that were preserved in these works,“ Griškevičs added.
Riga Castle has been home to the National Museum of History of Latvia since 1920. After more than 10 years, in May 2024, it will return to those facilities again. An opening exhibition is planned for the second half of 2025.
“This house regains its previous look. It has been heavily rebuilt over the course of history. Even very rebuilt. In this case, the two rooms on my left - the dining room and the chapel- were long overlooked in their original appearance. People will now have the opportunity to see how it was intended,” said Arnis Radiņš, director of the Latvian National Museum of History.
Riga Castle convent renovation was launched a decade ago, and it took almost EUR 26 million.
The project is financed from the funding raised by the Ministry of Culture – support from European Union funds, as well as from the State budget.
Led by VNĪ, the first and second rounds of the Riga Castle Convention were carried out by JSC “LNK Industries”, investing the State budget and ERDF funding raised by the Ministry of Culture. The project was completed in 2023 and the premises were commissioned on December 4, 2023.
