Войны и воин сквозь время в Елгаве

War and warriors are society’s eternal guides from the beginning of civilization until nowadays. Wars separate families, friends, and acquaintances, destroy the present, and leave an imprint on the future. In all military conflicts, there are two sides – one starts and the other participates. The side that starts a war, usually kings, dukes, or emperors is motivated by economic or political interests. The other side – Latvians, Latgalians, Semigallians, and others – were forced to fight to protect their families, lands, or nation at one point or another. Every soldier had equipment and uniform, different for each era of history and in line with the development of military technology of that time. Swords, arrows, shields, armour, musket, military ship of Duchy, canon, rifle, machine gun, and uniforms of the First and Second World War are just a few objects of the exposition that reveals the intricacy of military history. Local tradition and universal tendencies. The reconstruction of Tērvetes castle mound tells the story of the fight between brave Semigallians and German crusaders. Reconstruction Ložmetējkalns invites us to think about Latvian riflemen in the First World War during the Christmas battles. Ancient Latvian warrior, Viking, knight, mercenary, Latvian rifleman, soldier of an army – legionnaire, all had their reasons and conditions for picking up weapons – to defend or conquer. Wars in Latvia can be seen in the context of the local history of Semigallia and Europe’s geopolitical history. From prehistoric times through the Livonian period, Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, Courland Governorate, both World wars to the establishment of the Republic of Latvia soldiers and their bravery, conviction, and belief were the main force in every military conflict and their outcome.

Exposition in the museum offers a small insight into war chronology that has happened in the territory of Latvia. The interactive part of the exposition allows visitors to travel through time to Semigallians at the Tērvete castle mound, to the destroyed Jelgava in the Seconds world war.

Author of the concept – Marjus Zaļeckis

Author of the design– Mārīte Leimane, Marjus Zaļeckis

Artists – Mārīte Leimane, Uldis Zuters