The Ogre History and Art Museum offers guided tours led by museum specialists at two locations: Brīvības Street 36 and Brīvības Street 2. At Brīvības Street 36, visitors can explore current history and art exhibitions with a guide. Tours are currently available for the exhibitions “Ogre’s Dawn” and “Boy, Listen!”. At Brīvības Street 2, the museum offers guided tours of the permanent exhibition “The Road to Freedom”, as well as the exhibition “Us or Them”, located on the third floor of the museum (recommended for visitors aged ten and above).

THE MUSEUM OFFERS THEMED TOURS

Tour of the permanent exhibition “Stop Ogre”

The origins of the once-popular Ogre resort date back to 1861, when the Riga–Dinaburg railway line was opened. In the 1930s, 30. following the devastation of the First World War, the resort experienced a period of rapid development. Buildings designed by renowned architects – including Vladimirs Šervinskis, Dāvids Zariņš, and Teodors Hermanovskis – were constructed, and a vibrant cultural life emerged. The town and its surroundings attracted visitors with picturesque landscapes and a health-promoting environment.

BOOKING

Tours can be booked by calling +371 65022251 or by visiting the Ogre History and Art Museum at Brīvības Street 36, Ogre.

Tour of the museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Individual visitors or groups of up to 30 people:
– €15 (Latvian-language tour)*
+ €0.50 entrance ticket per person
– €20 (English-language tour)*
+ €0.50 entrance ticket per person
– Free of charge for Ogre Municipality school groups

Activities provide an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of an exhibition or display theme, to explore its content through a variety of approaches, examine objects closely, and discover something new through hands-on engagement. The museum offers permanent activities and creative workshops available throughout the year, as well as seasonal and temporary museum education programmes developed specifically for individual exhibitions.

The Ogre History and Art Museum team is currently developing a new museum education programme, which will launch in January 2026.

OGRE'S HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURE

The Cardboard House Folding Workshop, Ogre – a city of historic summer houses – offers an engaging and educational experience that aligns with cultural and educational goals while fostering creativity, collaboration, and sustainable thinking.

Target audience: Grades 3–12

The creative workshop offers insight into the museum’s exhibition section dedicated to the city’s historic summer houses, their architecture and distinctive features, as well as Ogre’s significance as a resort town in pre-war Latvia. Ogre’s buildings are associated with prominent Latvian architects, including Art Nouveau master Konstantīns Pēkšēns, the notable representative of functionalism Teodors Hermanovskis, and Vladimirs Šervinskis, the author of many summer houses in Ogre.
Participants are invited to embark on an engaging and creative journey by taking part in the cardboard house-making workshop “Ogre’s Historic Architecture”. The workshop introduces the art of cardboard house folding while familiarising participants with Ogre’s historic architecture, offering a creative and educational experience suitable for both children and adults.

Programme available year-round

Workshop duration: 1.5 hours

Participation fee: €1.50 per person

STATION O G R E

Target audience: Grades 5–9

The museum’s permanent exhibition presents the story of the city of Ogre across many centuries through visual and interactive means, using digital technologies such as projections, sound showers, interactive maps, and video and audio materials.

Accompanied by a museum educator, students become acquainted with the history of their city through the exhibition, learning about its earliest inhabitants and the settlement on Ķente Hillfort.

An interactive LED map helps students better understand Ogre’s former territorial divisions, while sound showers featuring clashing swords or volleys of gunfire immerse visitors in the atmosphere of the Middle Ages or the First World War.

During the activity, students also learn about the stories of visitors to Ogre’s renowned air and bathing resort, as well as the successes and challenges of the notable Soviet-era enterprise, the Ogre Knitwear Factory.

Following an introduction led by the museum educator, students work in teams to view, research, and explore historical exhibits, placing them within the appropriate historical periods of the exhibition. The activity also includes creative worksheet-based modelling tasks that engage all participants.

Benefits of the activity: participants gain knowledge of Ogre’s history, develop teamwork skills, and learn to respect and listen to different viewpoints, thereby strengthening collaboration and team spirit. At the end of the activity, results are reviewed, and the winning team receives museum souvenirs.

Programme available throughout the academic year.

Participation fee: €1.50 per person

WAX CANDLE MAKING

Target audience: all interested parties

This museum education activity is designed for students and adults. Wax candle making is a traditional craft and an important part of our cultural heritage. During the activity, participants gain hands-on experience in the ancient craft of candle making, learn about the history of wax extraction and its uses, explore methods of lighting living spaces before the introduction of candles, and become acquainted with ancient Latvian festive days and traditional candle-casting techniques. The programme is enriched with insights into ancient Latvian beliefs. Through practical engagement with this traditional craft, each participant creates their own wax candle during the activity.

Programme available year-round

Workshop duration: 1 hour

Participation fee: €1.50 per person

The Making of a Tree

Embark on a creative and educational journey to discover natural geoprocesses and the unique natural and cultural environment of the Ogre region. Experience how the environment has changed over time – and how you, too, change along with it.

* In the workshop “The Creation of My Tree”, participants draw their own tree using the neurographic technique – a creative drawing method that combines art and psychology. Through free lines and shapes, the process helps express feelings and emotions, encourages reflective thinking, and reduces stress. The workshop is led by a certified neurography specialist.
* The tree, as a symbol, reveals the unity of nature and humanity – a process of continuous formation and transformation. Through the exploration of natural processes and personal experience, the growth of a tree is compared to a person’s path of self-development.
Content by age group:

• Grades 1–5 (45 min.): Who I am and who I want to become; the name of my tree; power words for the tree.

• Grades 5–9 (60 min.): Life stages of a tree and a human; environment and cooperation; power words (Me – Me/Community – Us).

• Grade 9 and adults (90 min.): Life timeline; growth and future planning; the meaning of one’s “My Tree” in society; a short one-to-one reflection.

The museum provides materials for the workshop.
Participation fee: €1.50 per person

Registration:
📧ogresmuzejs@ogresnovads.lv |☎️+371 65024345
📧liena.subatina@ogresnovads.lv |☎️+371 20217889
📍Brīvības iela 36, Ogre

The Hat Queen and Her Batiks

Have you ever wondered how a felt hat is made, or how fabric transforms into a colorful batik artwork? We invite you to a creative and educational workshop where you will discover the world of artist Ārija Skudra, the secrets of hat-making, and batik techniques. The session will spark imagination and creativity while introducing traditional craft methods through hands-on experience.

In the creative part of the workshop, participants can choose one of the practical activities in advance: a hot wax batik workshop or a wet felting workshop.

Both are included in the cultural education program “Latvian School Bag”:

• Museum educational session “Ārija Skudra’s work at the Riga Felt Factory and her contribution to Latvian fashion design”
• Museum educational session “Exploring the batik art of the artist Ārija Skudra”

The workshops are designed for students (grades 2–4, 5–12) and adult groups.

Younger participants will listen to a story about “The Hat Queen and Her Batiks.” During the session, they will explore colorful artworks and felt hats, and through discussion, learn to recognize different uses of color, patterns, and forms in the works of Ārija Skudra. Afterwards, they can choose one of the following activities:

• Tied, folded, or stencil batik workshop – children will create their own batik scarf and learn interesting facts about how dyes were traditionally made and which fabrics are suitable for batik.

• Wet felting workshop – children will explore different types of animal wool (sheep, goat, rabbit, etc.) through touch and try to guess which animal it comes from.

Participation fee: €1.50 per person

Duration: 1,5 hours

• The history of the city of Ogre, presented in thematic sections, including public organisations, culture, the railway, churches, and more.
• The cultural history and archaeological monuments of the parishes of the Ogre region (former Ogre District).
• The history of historic buildings in Ogre.
• Regional personalities – artists and public figures.
• Latvian history, archaeology, and ethnography.

The reading room also offers access to periodicals, including Padomju Ceļš, Ogres Vēstis, Ogres Vēstis Visiem, Ogrēnietis, Kultūras Ziņas, Kaleidosokops, Atpūta, Brīvā Zeme, etc.

The museum reading room is open to visitors during museum opening hours. Please book your visit in advance!

Museum specialists provide consultations during museum working hours on weekdays. Access to the reading room and specialist consultations are free of charge.

The exhibition “Boy, Listen!” is a personal visual story by photographer Dace Voitkeviča, featuring interactive elements that explore a child’s life with autism spectrum disorder. Challenges related to the autism spectrum are often invisible, yet greater societal understanding can significantly promote support for diverse needs.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 On June 7, Ogre celebrates Family Day with a special programme. The museum believes it is important to engage the community in this conversation and to promote family values, with particular attention to children with special needs and their families.

The environment of the Ogre History and Art Museum is accessible and suitable for visitors with functional disabilities.

🗣️ The author of the exhibition notes: “Sometimes support doesn’t require much – just an understanding of the challenges that people with autism face every day.”

✅ The exhibition will be open to visitors from June 7 until September 28. Admission is free on the opening day.

🔎 More information: https://www.ogresmuzejs.lv/apmekle/izstades/lapa/

Exhibition is open: May 16 – August 3, 2025.

The competitive exhibition aims to provide artists with an opportunity to showcase their work while strengthening the artistic identity and recognition of the Ogre region, and to encourage regional artists to participate more actively in cultural, artistic, and public processes. Artists with a connection to the Ogre region were invited to participate regardless of their professional experience, and we received 51 applications. The works selected for the exhibition were chosen by a jury: Māris Grosbahs, Curator of Exhibitions and Displays at the Ogre History and Art Museum; photographer Georgs Avetisjans; art historian Māra Lāss; graphic artist and art historian Valdis Villerušs; and scenographer and multimedia artist Ineta Sipunova.

For the Museum, fostering dialogue between the past, present, and future is essential, as is seeking connection with people, the region, and the present day through art. We bring art to people – from the heart. We need to present diverse perspectives, which is why we seek to collaborate with artists, partners, and audiences whom we do not always encounter in museum spaces.

The aim of the Ogre History and Art Museum is to establish the regional artists’ exhibition as a regular event that will serve as a stable platform for showcasing the diversity and potential of local art.

Exhibition Artists:

Agnija Ģērmane, Ainis Erdmanis, Aivars Slišāns, Andris Linde, Dace Voitkeviča, Dagne Ventiņa, Dārta Madara Cielava, Diāna Vernera, Edgars Mucenieks, Elīna Umule, Evija Krīgere, Hoder, Ieva Pienene, Ieva Pukāte, Ināra Liepiņa, Inese Kleine Pētersone, Inta Putniņa Cīrule, Jānis Ziņģītis, Juris Ģērmanis, Lāsma Pujāte, Liene Strazda, Liena Muceniece, Maija Potgītere, Marta Karolīne Ziņģīte, Nikolajs Kondratjevs, Peter Jansen, Pēteris Sidars, Ramona Juhņeviča, Sanita Čevere, Sanri, Tatjana Stumbre, Uldis Stepāns, Vineta Kaulača, Vita Skutele, Žanete Žvīgure

Curator and Exhibition Designer: Māris Grosbahs

Jury: Georgs Avetisjans, Māra Lāss, Valdis Villerušs, Ineta Sipunova, Māris Grosbahs

Working Group: Elīna Cērpa, Laura Tuča, Jānis Ziņģītis

Graphic Design: Anitra Eglīte–Poikāne

Technical Implementation: Guntars Andersons, Nils Miķelsons.

The winner of the Main Prize and the winner of the Audience Choice Award receive the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition in 2026 or 2027 (by individual agreement with the Museum management).

The exhibition tells the story of the struggle for freedom by the people of Latvia and Ogre Municipality, leading to the independence of the Republic of Latvia.

The exhibition provides an understanding of the continuity of the Road to Freedom, the heroism demonstrated by the people of Latvia and the Ogre region, and the sacrifices made in the name of freedom. The exhibition highlights key events in Latvia’s struggle for independence and presents significant personalities from the Ogre region who took part in these historical events.
The exhibition conveys the understanding that the freedom and independence of the Republic of Latvia are fundamental values – values that also define the freedom and independence of each individual. It emphasises that state independence was historically won through great courage, perseverance, and sacrifice.

Visitors are invited to embark on the Road to Freedom, beginning in the early 20th century, when the idea of Latvia’s independence first emerged. The journey leads through the trenches of the Latvian Riflemen and the War of Independence, ultimately arriving at the establishment of Latvia as an independent state. The exhibition emphasises that the struggle for the country and its independence continued throughout the long years of occupation, culminating in the events of 1990–1991. The exhibition concludes with reflections on the responsibility of preserving the state and its freedom.

In the new building of the Ogre History and Art Museum at Brīvības Street 2, on the third floor, visitors can experience the guided tour “Us or Them”, accompanied by a museum specialist. The tour takes place in a specially designed space that allows visitors to form an emotional connection with Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine. The room displays authentic military artefacts and materials from Ukraine, deposited by the Chernihiv charity fund DOBRODIYA. Tours are held on weekdays (except Tuesdays) and are available only with a guide – a military specialist.

Video series about the Ogre History and Art Museum’s exhibition “Road to Freedom”

Narrated by: Dr. hist. Ritvars Jansons, Deputy Director for Scientific Work at the Ogre History and Art Museum

Video by: Oksana Okmi Mizgajeva

1. Where in Ogre Municipality did the battles of the Latvian Riflemen take place?

5. Was there an attack during the Barricades of 1991?

Several legends associated with the Daugava River and Ķente Hillfort, as well as Andrejs Pumpurs’ epic “Lāčplēsis” (Bear Slayer), have inspired Kuwajima’s other works. The exhibition presents both historical imagery and entirely new visual interpretations of the region.

Ikuru Kuwajima is an artist and photographer born in Japan. He was educated at a university in the United States and, since 2007, has lived and worked in various Eastern European and Central Asian countries. His artistic practice focuses on historical and social issues, primarily in post-Soviet regions, and includes photography, video, artist books, and installations. His works have been exhibited and published internationally. His books “Children of the Tundra” (2015, Vienna) and “I, Oblomov” (2017, Moscow) have received wide recognition. Kuwajima is also a Japanese–English–Russian–Ukrainian translator; he speaks French and a little Romanian.

Exhibition curator: Elīna Cērpa
Texts: Ikuru Kuwajima
Graphic design: Bumbierkoks
Text editing: Antra Lezdiņa

The exhibition features images from the archives of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.

Ogre History and Art Museum extends its thanks to: Velta Riekstiņa, Līksma Dzelme, Sarmīte Poikāne, Ingrīda Ķezbere, Dzintars Kvants, Vija Links & Aivars Links, Mirdza Jačino, Daiga Sosnare, Liene Kainaize, Lelde Neimane, Jūlija Berkoviča, the Meņģele branch of Taurupe Primary School, Edgars Kalnriekstiņš, Vita Gžibovska, Ilze Jankuna, the Inķēni family, Daiga and Andris Eklons, Dāvids Zaķis, and Irisa Janēvica.