Museum of the Barricades of 1991

The Museum of the Barricades of 1991 (1991. gada barikāžu muzejs) is at Krāmu iela 3 in Riga's Old Town, Latvia, in a modest building near the Dome area. It commemorates the events of January 1991, when Latvians gathered in large numbers to defend key buildings against Soviet forces. After Soviet OMON special police units attacked the Ministry of Interior on 20 January 1991, killing five people in Riga, thousands of people from across Latvia came to the capital, and barricades of trucks, tractors, concrete blocks and timber were built around the Supreme Council (parliament), the radio and television buildings, bridges and other strategic places. The protest was nonviolent, and people stayed on the streets in cold winter weather for days, sustained by food, hot drinks and bonfires. The barricades are remembered as a decisive moment that preserved the movement for independence, which Latvia restored formally in August 1991. The museum was founded in 1996 by the Barricade Participants' Society and preserves the memory of those days through photographs, film material, personal items, newspapers, leaflets, and objects used on the barricades. Exhibits include reconstructed elements such as sections of barricade, radio equipment and the symbols of the movement, as well as the stories of the volunteers who took part. The approach is documentary and personal, with recorded testimonies and a film that shows the events of January 1991. The museum is small, volunteer-supported and free to enter, though visitors are encouraged to leave a donation. It forms part of the Old Town's cluster of museums on twentieth-century history, along with the Occupation Museum and the Latvian War Museum. Opening hours are limited and may change, so the museum's website should be checked before visiting.