Museum of the Barricades

Museum of the Barricades, Riga - darkometer rating : 3 - A small museum about the crucial days of January 1991 when the citizens of Riga tried to defend their city from the threat of an attack by the Soviet army that had been sent in to put an end to Latvia 's (and Lithuania 's and Estonia 's) independence movement. Though there was some violence, the barricades in the Old Town held and it all ended well for the Baltics. So this is yet another shrine to this success. Well worth popping in when in Riga, provided you know a bit about the historical background. That's because this is not an educational museum, but primarily an “atmospheric” one. > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos What there is to see: This small museum has a very visual approach, quite different from most other exhibitions on this or related topics. There is very little interpretative text, and what there is is almost entirely in Latvian only, except for a few general captions in English and some bits in Russian. So to get the most out of this museum, especially if you do not speak Latvian, you should either be pretty familiar with its subject matter already – or take a guided tour (see below ). You can prepare yourself by learning about the story of the barricades e.g. in the Occupation Museum ; and the Museum of the Popular Front can also be good for preparation. Both of these are much more educational and informative than the Barricades Museum, where it is all rather about recreating the atmosphere of those dramatic days. Once you've found the building (it's a bit hidden) and climbed the stairs to the first floor you are greeted by a whole-wall painting of the map of Latvia (in red).