Landmark

Memorial to the Victims of the Soviet Occupation (History Tactile)

Riga, Latvia

Beside the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, a memorial wall uses a blanket pattern, a wagon and a copied handkerchief to remember people repressed under Soviet rule.

Guide preview

On Latvian Riflemen’s Square, beside the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, a wall carries a pattern resembling a traditional blanket. At its centre is the form of a railway wagon. Around the other side, facing Grēcinieku iela, names cover a large reproduction of an embroidered handkerchief. Together the two faces of History Tactile offer places for public ceremony and personal remembrance.

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Quick facts

  • The memorial opened to the public on 14 June 2021, the 80th anniversary of the 1941 deportations.
  • A reproduction of Mērija Stakle’s embroidered handkerchief appears on its street-facing side.
  • Its creators are Kristaps Ģelzis, Ilze Miķelsone and Voldemārs Johansons.

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