By-law of the Latvian War Museum

Issued pursuant to
Section 16, Paragraph one of the State Administration Structure Law

I. General Provisions

1. The Latvian War Museum (hereinafter - the Museum) is an institution of direct administration under subordination of the Minister for Defence. The Minister for Defence shall implement subordination of the Museum through the Ministry of Defence.

2. The purpose of operation of the Museum is the education and development of the society by collecting, safeguarding, studying, exhibiting, and promoting intellectual and material evidence related to the military and political history of Latvia.

II. Functions, Tasks and Rights of the Museum

3. The Museum shall have the following functions:

3.1. maintenance and development of the Museum collection as a part of the national museum collection;

3.2. provision of public access to the values of the Museum;

3.3. research of the military and political history;

3.4. performance of scientifically educational work in the society;

3.5. promotion of the field of national defence.

4. In order to ensure the fulfilment of the functions, the Museum shall perform the following tasks:

4.1. addition, registration, safeguarding, and use of the Museum collection, as well as provision of safeguarding, preservation, and restoration thereof in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations;

4.2. establishment and maintenance of the informative system of the Museum collection;

4.3. preparation and implementation of State and international projects and programmes in the field of the study of military history and co-operation between museums;

4.4. development, arrangement, and maintenance of permanent expositions and exhibitions, provision of public access thereto;

4.5. publishing of the studies of the Museum and information on the collection;

4.6. development and preparation of informative and scientific publications, publishing;

4.7. preparation and conducting of educational programmes and excursions, provision of consultations, reading of lectures, organisation of public events;

4.8. maintenance and development of the infrastructure necessary for the operation of the Museum;

4.9. performance of other tasks laid down in laws and regulations.

5. The Museum has the following rights:

5.1. to request and receive free of charge the information necessary for fulfilling the functions of the Museum from State administration institutions, as well as, in accordance with the procedures laid down in laws and regulations, from private individuals;

5.2. according to its competence, to co-operate and enter into contracts with State and local government institutions, non-governmental organisations, private individuals, as well as international institutions on matters related to the operation of the Museum;

5.3. to provide paid services, as well as to collect payments for the services provided;

5.4. to receive donations, contributions, foreign financial aid, participate in project competitions for attraction of funds, to conduct procurements for supplementation of the Museum collection;

5.5. to implement other rights laid down in the Museums Law and the laws and regulations related thereto.

III. Administration of the Museum

6. The work of the Museum shall be managed by the Director of the Museum.

7. The Director of the Museum shall be appointed to and removed from the office by the Minister for Defence upon consultation with the Latvian Museum Council.

8. The Director of the Museum may have Deputy Directors. The Deputy Directors shall be appointed to and removed from the office and their competence and responsibility shall be determined by the Director of the Museum.

IV. Property and Funding Arrangements of the Museum

9. The Museum shall act with the Museum collection in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Museums Law.

10. The funds of the Museum shall consist of:

10.1. State budget grants from general revenue;

10.2. revenue for the services provided by the Museum, other own revenue and funds allocated in project competitions;

10.3. donations and gifts;

10.4. foreign financial aid.

V. Ensuring the Lawfulness of Operation of the Museum and Submission of Reports

11. Administrative acts and actual activities of the Museum employees may be contested by submitting a relevant submission to the Director of the Museum. The decision taken by the Director of the Museum may be appealed to a court.

12. Administrative acts issued and actual activities performed by the Director of the Museum (except the cases referred to in Paragraph 11 of this Regulation) may be contested in the Ministry of Defence in accordance with the procedures laid down in the laws and regulations governing the administrative procedure. The decision taken by the Ministry of Defence may be appealed to a court.

13. The Museum shall submit an annual report on the operation of the Museum and the utilisation of funds to the Ministry of Defence on annual basis.

VI. Closing Provisions

14. Cabinet Regulation No. 560 of 26 July 2005, By-law of the State Agency "Latvian War Museum" (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2005, issue No. 119), repealed.

15. The Museum is the successor of the functions, rights, liabilities, claims, property in the balance sheet, record-keeping, and archives of the State Agency "Latvian War Museum".

16. This Regulation shall come into force on 1 January 2013.

Prime Minister V. Dombrovskis

Minister for Defence A. Pabriks

Translation © 2016 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)