The Saeima ¹ has adopted and
the President has proclaimed the following law:

Law on the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia

Section 1. Purpose and Operation of the Law

(1) The purpose of this Law is to promote the conservation and supplementation of the collection of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia - a special and significant part of the cultural heritage of Latvia - and also the development of the scientific research process of the museum and the educational process of the society.

(2) This Law governs the relations of the State and local government authorities and the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia in the field related to the operation of the Museum.

(3) The terms used in this Law correspond to those terms used in the Law on Museums if it is not provided for otherwise in this Law.

Section 2. Museum of the Occupation of Latvia

(1) The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia (hereinafter - the Museum) is a private museum. The collection of the Museum is the property of the Association of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. The Museum is located in Riga, Latviešu Strēlnieku laukums 1.

(2) The operation of the Museum shall be governed by this Law, the Law on Museums, and other laws and regulations, and also the by-laws of the Museum.

(3) The by-laws of the Museum shall be approved by the Association of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.

Section 3. Tasks of the Museum

(1) In accordance with that specified in Section 4 of this Law and the Law on Museums, the Museum shall carry out the following tasks within the scope of the State cultural policy:

1) collect, conserve, document, and study documents, photographs, written, oral, and material testimonies and other cultural values regarding the destiny of the State, land, and nation of Latvia during occupation by the Soviet Union and the national socialist Germany in the time period from 1940 to 1991, regarding the prehistory of the occupation, and the consequences caused by the occupation;

2) improve the Museum as a scientific research and educational information centre available to the society;

3) ensure the availability of the collection of the Museum to a wider society, developing the Museum as an object of cultural tourism the objective of which is to inform and educate the society regarding the history of Latvia during 51 years of the occupation and the impact of the occupation on the development of the State, national economy, society, and culture;

4) ensure the availability of the Museum collection to researchers;

5) for non-commercial purposes, ensure the performance of the tasks stipulated by the State in the field of competence of the Museum - servicing of official and work visits to the Museum and making acquainted of their delegations or representatives with the facts of the history of Latvia regarding the period of the occupation that lasted 51 years and the explaining thereof;

6) ensure the carrying out of other individual tasks stipulated by the State in the field of competence of the Museum;

7) use the premises and collection of the Museum for other purposes not referred to in this Law and of significance to the State whereof the State and the Museum shall reach a separate agreement.

(2) In the performance of the tasks specified in Paragraph one of this Section, the Museum shall be under functional supervision of the Ministry of Culture.

(3) The Museum shall, every year, provide a report to the Ministry of Culture on the performance of the tasks delegated thereto.

[8 September 2016]

Section 4. Financing of the Museum and Use of the Subsidy from the State Budget

(1) The State shall participate in the financing of the Museum in the amount of the financial resources provided for in the law on the annual State budget, providing financing for the following objectives:

1) conservation, supplementing (procurement of materials, expeditions), physical security (security, insurance, and fire safety equipment) of the Museum collection;

2) research and use of the Museum collection;

3) education of the society and the popularisation of cultural and historical values by organising permanent and temporary exhibitions, and also using other ways of education and popularisation related to the work of the Museum;

4) equipment for the maintenance of the microclimate, conservation and restoration of the Museum objects;

5) international cooperation;

6) other purposes for ensuring the operation of the Museum.

(2) The owner of the Museum shall establish a separate administrative body for the administration of the subsidy granted from the State budget. The by-laws of the Museum shall govern the procedures for the establishment thereof and the operation thereof.

(3) The administrative body referred to in Paragraph two of this Section shall prepare a report on the use of the subsidy from the State budget granted to the Museum in accordance with the procedures laid down in the law On Budget and Financial Management and submit it to the Ministry of Culture.

(4) Local governments may participate in financing of the Museum.

Section 5. Provisions for the Operation of the Museum

(1) The Museum may receive a subsidy from the State budget if the following conditions are conformed to:

1) the Museum has been accredited in accordance with the accreditation procedures laid down in the Law on Museums and retains the status of an accredited museum;

2) the Museum collection has been included in the composition of the National Holdings;

3) the Museum ensures the conservation of the collection.

(2) The Museum may not alienate or withdraw objects and collections of the Museum from the Museum collections without the permission of the Ministry of Culture.

(3) The provisions of the Law on Museums shall apply to the Museum collection included in the National Holdings.

(4) The usufructuary rights to the immovable property in Riga, Latviešu Strēlnieku laukums 1 - the land in the area of 2400 square metres and the structure (the ownership rights have been corroborated for Riga City in the division No. 14557 of the Land Registry Office of Riga City, cadastre number 0100 001 0095) - as the property right should be corroborated in the Land Register in favour of the owner of the Museum collection for ensuring the operation of the Museum and for the placement of the Museum collection.

[8 September 2016]

Section 6. Memorial Complex for Commemoration of the Victims of the Soviet Occupation

(1) The purpose of establishment of the memorial complex for commemoration of the victims of the Soviet occupation is to ensure the implementation of the tasks of the Museum specified in Section 3 of this Law.

(2) The construction project of the memorial complex for commemoration of the victims of the Soviet occupation shall include rebuilding of the building at Latviešu strēlnieku laukums 1, Riga (immovable property cadastre No. 0100 001 0095) (hereinafter - the building of the Museum), including construction of a new addition (Nākotnes nams or House of the Future) and construction of a memorial for commemoration of the victims of the Soviet occupation. The status of an object of national interests shall be determined for the memorial complex for commemoration of the victims of the Soviet occupation.

(3) The construction project of the memorial complex for commemoration of the victims of the Soviet occupation shall be implemented until 31 December 2020 in two rounds, submitting a separate submission of construction intention to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development for each round:

1) the first round of construction - rebuilding of the building of the Museum, including construction of a new addition (Nākotnes nams or House of the Future);

2) the second round of construction - construction of the memorial for commemoration of the victims of the Soviet occupation.

(4) Within the scope of construction of the memorial complex for commemoration of the victims of the Soviet occupation, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development shall fulfil the functions of the building authority specified in Section 12, Paragraph three, Clause 1 and Paragraphs 3.¹ and 3.² of the Construction Law, except for control of conformity with the administrative requirements for construction work and acceptance of structures for service, and ensure that information on the construction intention is available in the construction information system. Control of construction work and acceptance for service of the memorial complex for commemoration of the victims of the Soviet occupation shall be performed by the State Construction Control Bureau.

(5) The structures which have been built in implementing the memorial complex for commemoration of the victims of the Soviet occupation shall be State property to be corroborated in the Land Register in the name of the State in the person of the Ministry of Finance.

[8 September 2016; 21 June 2018; 22 April 2021]

Transitional Provisions

[8 September 2016]

1. Section 5, Paragraph four of this Law shall come into force after the immovable property in Riga, Latviešu Strēlnieku laukums 1, has been corroborated in the Land Register in the name of the State in the person of the Ministry of Finance.

[8 September 2016]

2. The building design of the first round of the memorial complex for commemoration of the victims of the Soviet occupation and the documents provided for in the general construction regulations and special construction regulations shall be appended to the documentation of the submission of the construction intention of the first round specified in Section 6, Paragraph three, Clause 1 of this Law. The technical regulations issued by the authorities appended to the documentation of the submission of the construction intention of the first round and the agreements of the authorities which have been issued until the day of coming into force of Section 6 of this Law shall be in effect if their term of validity has not expired, they conform to the requirements of the Construction Law and other laws, and also to the building design of the first round of the memorial for commemoration of the victims of the Soviet occupation.

[8 September 2016]

3. In examining the submission of the construction intention of the first round referred to in Section 6, Paragraph three, Clause 1 of this Law, the provisions of Section 14, Paragraph two of the Construction Law shall not be applicable.

[8 September 2016]

The Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 5 October 2006.

President V. Vīķe-Freiberga

Rīga, 26 October 2006

¹ The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia

Translation © 2021 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)