The dedicated work and skilled craftsmanship of professionals in restoration has kept our cultural heritage alive throughout history.

To honour the skill and contribution of craftsmen, European Heritage Days in Latvia are celebrating the "Art of Restoration" for this year's edition of European Heritage Days. From 12 to 15 September, numerous events country-wide will be dedicated to honouring the discipline and the people involved in it.

Tracing the achievements of the restoration industry through history, 2019's EHDs in Latvia will highlight the important role it plays in the protection of cultural heritage. Moreover, the theme aims to raise awareness of the value of authenticity, to encourage dialogue with the general public and to address the future challenges faced by the restoration industry.

International conference on challenges of restoration

The National Heritage Board of Latvia on the occasion of the European Heritage Days is organising an international conference with the aim to face the challanges of restoration discipline and profession development in the future. In order to strengthen the capacity of profesional it is crucial to facilitate effective dialogue within wider society, as well as raise awareness on authenticity issues, original and historic substance, and respecting values of informative and sensory creative expressions. You can follow it online: https://mantojums.lv/lv/tiesraide/

Latvia exploring restauration technics

The Kraslava Roman Catholic Church and the Preili Palace in Latgale, and the Koknese Castle Ruins in Vidzeme, are just some of the sites that will be open to the public at European Heritage days in Latvia. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore restoration at a wide range of educational events across the five regions.

Kurzeme will host a series of events for visitors of different ages. The Kuldiga Restorations Centre invites participants to take a tour of the premises, take part in a restoration workshop and join a lecture by a professional restorer – Jan Merten. The restoration of the historic Great Synagogue of Ludza in Latgale will be the topic of a guided tour and an exhibition that will be on display from 13 to 15 September. Vidzeme and Zemgale will explore the restoration of the architecture in the Aluksne Park and the Rundale Palace Park, respectively, while Riga will present solutions to the current restoration problems at The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia. Alongside these, Latvian restoration techniques will be explored at various other public buildings, cultural monuments, museums, and religious sites.

By discovering the art of restoration throughout various participatory activities at European Heritage Days in Latvia, visitors will be able to get a better understanding of their cultural identities and find links that tie all European cultures into a unique cultural mosaic. In addition to this, creative events offered by national organisers will evoke a sense of a greater responsibility towards the preservation of the shared built heritage.

The 2018 heritage events in Latvia celebrated 100 years of its independence with a special series of events. This year, the National Heritage Board of Latvia invites visitors to continue the successful celebrations of heritage and explore the Latvian history through achievements in the restoration sector.

More information about the programme in different regions is available on the National Heritage Board website.