On March 21, an event dedicated to the remembrance of the national resistance movement took place in the museum building at 2 Brīvības Street, within the “Road to Freedom” exhibition space. During the event, a discussion was held with members of the Latvian Independence Movement, Jānis Rožkalns and Jānis Vēveris, regarding resistance to the regime in the early 1980s. Both participated in various anti-Soviet actions, and in 1983, the Supreme Court of the Latvian SSR sentenced them to imprisonment.

During the discussion, a handmade flag of the Republic of Latvia, which had been hidden by members of the Latvian Independence Movement in the early 1980s, was donated to the museum.

The event also commemorated national resistance member Bruno Javoišs and his heroic deed. The story of B. Javoišs can be found in the “Road to Freedom” exhibition.

Discussion moderator: Ritvars Jansons

Video: Kristaps Dravenieks

Based on facts and documents, historians Iveta Šķiņķe, Ainārs Bambals, Zigmārs Turčinskis, Inese Dreimane, and Ritvars Jansons discuss the mechanisms of decision-making regarding the crimes committed by the occupation regime – the deportations of residents from Latvia on June 14, 1941, and March 25, 1949. Stereotypes still persist in society that merely denouncing a neighbor to repressive authorities was enough to be deported to Siberia. Understanding the repressive decision-making in Moscow and the role of local Chekists in their implementation allows for a critical look at false narratives about “poor souls” who were themselves to blame for the crimes committed in Latvia.

On February 28, the Ogre History and Art Museum opened the contemporary textile art exhibition “One of Us”, featuring artists from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Curators: Aet Ollisaar, Māris Grosbahs, Monika Žaltauskaitė Grašienė (Žaltė)

The exhibition “One of Us” at the Ogre History and Art Museum brought together internationally recognised textile artists from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. In their works, the artists explore, in various ways, the participation of non-human entities in our human world. As society evolves, increasing attention must be paid to other species around us, as well as to the ability of materials to connect and interweave us with non-human organisms within the textile world.

Participants: the artistic group “Baltos kandys” (Austė Jurgelionytė–Varnė, Karolina Kunčinaitė, Miglė Lebednykaitė, Rasa Leonavičiūtė, Laura Pavilonytė–Ežerskienė, Julija Vosyliūtė), and Kaspars Lielgalvis, Diāna Janušone, Egle Ganda Bogdanienė, Liisa Hanvere, Lina Jonikė, Mari-Triin Kirs, Severija Inčirauskaitė Kriaunevičienė, Krista Leesi, Gerda Liudvinavičiūtė, Aet Ollisaar, Laima Oržekauskienė, Kadi Pajupuu, Marilyn Piirsalu, Maryliis Teinfeldt-Grins, Ieva Krūmiņa, Monika Žaltauskaitė Grašienė (Žaltė).

Supported by: Ogre Municipality, Vilnius Academy of Arts, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, Pallas University of Applied Sciences.

We present a short series about the OHAM exhibition “Road to Freedom”, which tells the story of the struggle for the freedom and independence of the Republic of Latvia by the residents of Latvia and the Ogre region.

In the video series, you can learn:

1. Where in the Ogre region did the battles of the Latvian Riflemen take place?
2. What was the core of the Republic of Latvia’s army in March 1944?
3. Did national partisans operate in the Ogre region?
4. Was there an assassination attempt against Vilis Lācis?
5. Was there an attack during the Barricades of 1991?

Presented by Dr. of History Ritvars Jansons, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Ogre History and Art Museum

Video by: Oksana Okmi Mizgajeva

We present a short series about the OHAM exhibition “Road to Freedom”, which tells the story of the struggle for the freedom and independence of the Republic of Latvia by the residents of Latvia and the Ogre region.

In the video series, you can learn:

1. Where in the Ogre region did the battles of the Latvian Riflemen take place?
2. What was the core of the Republic of Latvia’s army in March 1944?
3. Did national partisans operate in the Ogre region?
4. Was there an assassination attempt against Vilis Lācis?
5. Was there an attack during the Barricades of 1991?

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

Video by: Oksana Okmi Mizgajeva

We present a short series about the OHAM exhibition “Road to Freedom”, which tells the story of the struggle for the freedom and independence of the Republic of Latvia by the residents of Latvia and the Ogre region.

In the video series, you can learn:

1. Where in the Ogre region did the battles of the Latvian Riflemen take place?
2. What was the core of the Republic of Latvia’s army in March 1944?
3. Did national partisans operate in the Ogre region?
4. Was there an assassination attempt against Vilis Lācis?
5. Was there an attack during the Barricades of 1991?

Presented by Dr. of History Ritvars Jansons, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Ogre History and Art Museum

Video by: Oksana Okmi Mizgajeva

We present a short series about the OHAM exhibition “Road to Freedom”, which tells the story of the struggle for the freedom and independence of the Republic of Latvia by the residents of Latvia and the Ogre region.

In the video series, you can learn:

1. Where in the Ogre region did the battles of the Latvian Riflemen take place?
2. What was the core of the Republic of Latvia’s army in March 1944?
3. Did national partisans operate in the Ogre region?
4. Was there an assassination attempt against Vilis Lācis?
5. Was there an attack during the Barricades of 1991?

Presented by Dr. of History Ritvars Jansons, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Ogre History and Art Museum

Video by: Oksana Okmi Mizgajeva

We present a short series about the OHAM exhibition “Road to Freedom”, which tells the story of the struggle for the freedom and independence of the Republic of Latvia by the residents of Latvia and the Ogre region.

In the video series, you can learn:

1. Where in the Ogre region did the battles of the Latvian Riflemen take place?
2. What was the core of the Republic of Latvia’s army in March 1944?
3. Did national partisans operate in the Ogre region?
4. Was there an assassination attempt against Vilis Lācis?
5. Was there an attack during the Barricades of 1991?

Presented by Dr. of History Ritvars Jansons, Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Ogre History and Art Museum

Video by: Oksana Okmi Mizgajeva

On March 28, 2024, an exhibition titled “Consolation” by Polish artist Laura Makabresku opened at the Ogre History and Art Museum. Laura Makabresku (real name Kamila Kansy) is an internationally renowned visual artist and storyteller.

The artist’s photographs convey a painterly aesthetic narrative, using surrealism and symbolism to detach from the real world and enter a timeless space. Closely aligned with the Symbolist movement, Laura Makabresku’s photographs create visual metaphors. Consolation, representing the soul’s eternal transcendental journey, is the central theme — almost a manifesto — of the artist’s work.

The exhibition “Consolation” reveals the sacred dimension of contemporary art. The artist states that she is inspired by silence, Orthodox icons, and magical realism literature.

On November 15, 2024, the Ogre History and Art Museum opened the exhibition “Field Research in Ogre Municipality”, presenting visitors with the artistic research results of Japanese artist Ikuru Kuwajima from the first international artist residency held at the museum in 2024.

Over six months, the artist explored the landscape and history of the rural areas of Ogre Municipality. He undertook expeditions along the Daugava and Ogre rivers and searched for archival photographs in the municipality’s museums and libraries. The artist visualized his research with references to several folk tales and legends.

Kuwajima visualised his research through references to several folk tales and legends, using a combination of archival photographs, his own photographs, and found objects. For example, the installation dedicated to the Ogre River features collages of linden leaves and photographs taken along the riverbank, referencing the legend “How Ogre Came to Be”, which tells that the river originated from a linden tree. Another work draws inspiration from several legends associated with the Daugava River and Ķente Hillfort, as well as Andrejs Pumpurs’ epic “Lāčplēsis”. The exhibition presented both historical images and entirely new depictions of the area.