* In the “The Creation of the Self-Tree” session, participants draw their own tree using the neurographics technique, which is a creative drawing method. By drawing free lines and shapes, it combines art and psychology, helps express feelings and emotions, promotes thinking, and reduces stress. The session is led by a neurographics specialist.
* The tree as a symbol reveals the unity of nature and humanity — continuous formation and transformation. Through the exploration of natural processes and personal
experience, the growth of a tree is compared to a human’s path to self-improvement.
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, future planning, the significance of one’s “Self-Tree” in society, short 1:1 reflection

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

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

Children connect with historical developments through values such as courage, unity, and love for Latvia, without needing to delve into complex historical details.

The program allows history to be understood through one’s own feelings and associations.
The narrative in the exposition outlines 4 major 20th-century events that allowed Latvia to become a free country, integrating a task, game, or interactive activity into each, including important details needed to form the state and its identity.

– How the Latvian people’s desire for their own state developed
– World War I in the territory of Latvia and the War of Independence, riflemen, courage to fight, founding of the state and gaining independence. Identification marks of one’s own and awards. Latvia in the interwar period, its development, inventions.
– World War II, occupation, partisans, forms of resistance, hiding and preserving items valuable to Latvian identity.
– The beginning of the Awakening, the Baltic Way, the Barricades, regaining independence.

In the creative section, children draw what they like about Latvia based on the impressions they have gained. At the end, they sing a song, creating a sense of togetherness.

Activity fee: €1.50/person

Duration: 1.5 h

Registration: uldis.veliks@ogresnovads.lv

📍Brīvības iela 2, Ogre

It encourages reflection on the idea that freedom is not merely a historical achievement or a value won once – it is a continuous process based on people’s choices, responsibility, participation, and actions in daily life. The program will help students recognize their connection to the Latvian state, strengthen their sense of belonging, and develop an understanding of the importance of national identity.

In the first part of the program, participants will embark on an interactive journey through the exhibition, where the narrative will be supplemented with thought-provoking questions, discussions, and moments of reflection. Students will explore Latvia’s path to freedom, tracing in a concentrated manner the most important 20th-century events and personalities whose courage, choices, and actions influenced the nation’s destiny.

The narrative is structured into four significant thematic blocks:

– World War I, the founding of the Latvian state, and the Latvian War of Independence;

– World War II, the occupation of Latvia, and repressions;

– The struggles of national partisans and resistance movements;

– The Awakening and the restoration of Latvia’s independence.

In the second, creative and practical part of the program, students will work in groups, researching various historical sources, documents, and materials. Through tasks, they will analyze information, critically evaluate events, and seek answers to questions about freedom, choices, and identity.

During the work process, participants will be invited to connect historical events with their own experiences, values, and personal identity, developing the ability to formulate and express their opinions with arguments.

At the end of the program, participants will discuss symbols of freedom and their significance in Latvian culture and society, and how Latvian identity, belonging, and values are expressed through them. Students will share their impressions of the program, reflecting on the insights gained, what resonated with them most, surprised them, or inspired them.

Activity fee: €1.50/person

Duration: 2 h

Registration: uldis.veliks@ogresnovads.lv

📍Brīvības iela 2, Ogre

The program will foster an understanding of people’s courage, choices, and actions throughout various historical periods, highlighting personal stories, destinies, and events that have become a vital part of Latvia’s identity.

During an interactive narrative and exploration of the exhibition, participants will gain a concentrated understanding of four significant themes that unite people in their persistent pursuit of freedom:

– World War I, the founding of the Latvian state, and the Latvian War of Independence;

– World War II, the occupation of Latvia, and repressions;

– The struggles of national partisans and resistance movements;

– The Awakening and the restoration of Latvia’s independence.

In the creative practical part of the program, students will work on tasks included in folders, ponder questions, focus on the power of words, search for subtexts, meaning, expressions of identity, and their impact. They will learn about resistance tactics and leaders. They will engage in role-playing, putting themselves in the situations of people from that time when significant choices had to be made and the consequences of actions realized. Finally, they will discuss what they have learned and reflect on the meaning of freedom.

Activity fee: €1.50/person

Duration: 2 h

Registration: uldis.veliks@ogresnovads.lv

📍Brīvības iela 2, Ogre

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.

Program available year-round
Workshop duration: 1.5 h
Fee per session: 1.50 EUR/person

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 map with diodes allows for a better understanding of Ogre’s former territorial division. Audio installations with sword clashing or gunfire volleys transport visitors into the atmosphere of the Middle Ages or World War I.

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 about Ogre’s history, strengthen their ability to work in a team, respecting and listening to others’ opinions; fostering team cohesion. At the end of the activity, results are summarized, and winners receive prizes – museum souvenirs.

Programme available throughout the academic year.

Activity fee: €1.50/person

“One of the most exciting processes in art is learning something new, experimenting, and allowing the material to become a co-author. By working with non-traditional materials, we abandon the notion of the only ‘right’ way and begin to trust the process itself. That is where the most unexpected discoveries are made. In this workshop, I invite you to create your own concrete apple and get to know the material through practical experience. It will be an opportunity to observe how form is created not only as a result of our intention but also by collaborating with the material itself and its properties.” (Dārta Madara Cielava)

During the workshop, participants will create their own concrete apple, which the artist will later finish by varnishing and deliver back to the museum so they can find their way back to you.

Duration of the session: 3 h

You can apply for the session by writing to liena.subatina@ogresnovads.lv

The number of places is limited.

Participation fee: 15 EUR

Location: Ogre History and Art Museum, Brīvības iela 36

The event may be filmed and photographed.

Photo: Oksana Okmi Mizgajeva

Museum Educational Programme Case No. 1918: Freedom and Resistance for Grades 10-12

This programme introduces students to the key events of the 20th century that shaped Latvia’s path towards freedom and independence. Through an engaging and thought-provoking approach, participants explore the courage, choices and actions of individuals during different periods of history, discovering personal stories and historical events that have become an essential part of Latvia’s national identity.

During an interactive guided exploration of the exhibition, students will examine four major historical themes united by the enduring pursuit of freedom:

• World War I, the founding of the Republic of Latvia and the Latvian War of Independence;
• World War II, the Soviet and Nazi occupations of Latvia, and political repression;
• The National Partisan movement and other forms of resistance;
• The Awakening (Atmoda) and the restoration of Latvia’s independence.

The practical part of the programme encourages students to work with specially prepared activity folders, analyse historical sources and reflect on the power of language, symbolism and identity. Through role-playing activities, participants place themselves in the situations faced by people of the time, making difficult decisions and considering the consequences of their actions. The session concludes with a discussion that encourages students to reflect on the meaning of freedom and its significance today.

Participation fee: €1.50 per student

Duration: 2 hours

Registration:  uldis.veliks@ogresnovads.lv

Museum Educational Programme Case No. 1918: Freedom, Identity and Self-Determination for Grades 5-9

This programme encourages students to explore the importance of freedom, identity and self-determination in both Latvia’s history and contemporary society.

It invites participants to consider that freedom is not merely a historical achievement or a value won once and for all, but an ongoing process built upon everyday choices, responsibility, participation and civic engagement. The programme helps students strengthen their sense of belonging to Latvia while developing an understanding of national identity and its significance.

The first part of the programme takes students on an interactive journey through the exhibition. Guided by thought-provoking questions, discussions and moments for reflection, participants explore Latvia’s path to freedom by tracing the most significant events and personalities of the 20th century whose courage, decisions and actions shaped the nation’s history.

The exhibition narrative is organised around four key historical themes:

• World War I, the founding of the Republic of Latvia and the Latvian War of Independence;
• World War II, the Soviet and Nazi occupations of Latvia, and political repression;
• The National Partisan movement and other forms of resistance;
• The Awakening (Atmoda) and the restoration of Latvia’s independence.

During the second part of the programme, students work in groups, examining historical sources, documents and archival materials. Through a variety of practical tasks, they analyse information, evaluate historical events critically and seek answers to questions about freedom, personal choice and identity.

Participants are encouraged to connect historical events with their own experiences, values and personal identity while developing their ability to express and justify their opinions.

The programme concludes with a discussion about the symbols of freedom and their significance in Latvian culture and society, exploring how they reflect national identity, belonging and shared values. Students are invited to share their impressions of the programme and reflect on the ideas, stories and experiences that inspired or surprised them most.

Participation fee: €1.50 per student

Duration: 2 hours

Registration: uldis.veliks@ogresnovads.lv

Museum Educational Programme Case No. 1918: Freedom and Courage Through a Child’s Eyes for Grades 1-4

In this programme, historical events are presented through simple language, educational games and creative activities designed specifically for younger learners.

Children explore Latvia’s history through the values of courage, unity and love for their country, without the need to engage with complex historical details. The programme encourages them to understand history through their own feelings, experiences and associations.

As they journey through the exhibition, students discover four major events of the 20th century that shaped Latvia’s path to freedom. Each theme is accompanied by an interactive activity, game or practical task, helping children understand the key events that contributed to the creation of the Latvian state and its national identity.

The programme explores:

• the development of the Latvian people’s aspiration for their own independent state;
• World War I in the territory of Latvia, the Latvian Riflemen, the Latvian War of Independence, the founding of the Republic of Latvia, the achievement of independence, recognition symbols and military awards, as well as Latvia’s development and innovations during the interwar period;
• World War II, the occupations of Latvia, the National Partisans, different forms of resistance, and the preservation of objects important to Latvian identity;
• the Awakening (Atmoda), the Baltic Way, the Barricades and the restoration of Latvia’s independence.

During the creative workshop, children draw what they love most about Latvia, inspired by what they have experienced during the programme. The session concludes with singing a song together, fostering a sense of community and belonging.

Participation fee: €1.50 per student

Duration: 1.5 hours

Registration: uldis.veliks@ogresnovads.lv

Location: 2 Brīvības Street, Ogre

Photo: Oksana Okmi Mizgajeva

Madara Rutkeviča (b. 1988) is a writer and playwright. She studied screenwriting for television, film, and theatre at the Latvian Academy of Culture. The exhibition is dedicated to Lēdmane Primary School, where she was a student.

“In 1997, my family moved to a new home, and I started third grade at Lēdmane Primary School. On my first day, I was seated at the very back of the classroom. My new classmates and the strange, big building frightened me. Throughout the following years, until I graduated from the school in 2003, those irrational fears never really left me.”

Exhibition artist: Madara Rutkeviča
Curator: Elīna Cērpa