Zelenska opens audio guide in Ukrainian at Museum of Occupation of Latvia

That’s according to the press service of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Ukrinform reports.

“During a visit to the Republic of Latvia, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska visited the Museum of Occupation of Latvia. Founded in 1993, the museum highlights the country's history during the 1940-1991 occupation by the Soviet and Nazi regimes,” the report says.

The President's wife took part in the launch of the Ukrainian-language audio guide to the main exhibition of the museum, which the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia together with representatives of the Museum had been working on since October 2023.

The event was also attended by the Mayor of Riga Vilnis Ķirsis, his deputies Linda Ozola and Edvards Ratnieks, and the director of the institution Solvita Vība.

The First Lady noted the importance of this audio guide and emphasized that Latvia's historical past is extremely valuable for understanding Ukraine's present. She drew parallels between the actions of the Soviet Union during the occupation of Latvia in 1940 and its successor Russia before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine (destabilization of the domestic situation and the amassing of troops on the border).

"That is why Latvia is now our loyal ally. It is very well aware of the consequences of the enemy occupation," Olena Zelenska said.

According to the Ukrainian President’s Office, the museum's collections include more than 50 thousand exhibits (documents, photographs, written and oral testimonies, physical evidence, objects and memorabilia). The museum's specialists have recorded more than 2,000 video testimonies, and this is one of the largest collections dedicated to the topic of occupation in Europe. The exposition is designed as a lattice labyrinth of darkness between the bright stages of independence. Visiting the museum is part of Latvia's diplomatic protocol, and it welcomes foreign leaders, diplomats, and others arriving on official and state visits.

“The museum's mission is to remind us of what happened to Latvia and its people under the Soviet and Nazi regimes, to honor the memory of those killed by them or those forced to flee the occupation, and to remind the world of these crimes committed by foreign powers against Latvia,” the report says.

The First Lady of Ukraine noted that this mission is important for both Latvians and Ukrainians.

"So I'm glad that thanks to the audio guide we will be able to find even more points of mutual understanding," she added.

The audio guide at the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia is the 78th in the project to introduce Ukrainian-language audio tours at the world's major attractions, which was initiated by Olena Zelenska. In particular, it has been implemented in the Louvre and Versailles (France), Westminster Abbey (UK), the Borghese Gallery and Colosseum (Italy), the Albertina Gallery (Austria), and the Rijksmuseum (Netherlands).

As Ukrinform reported, a Ukrainian audio guide was launched at the Viking Museum in the Swedish capital in October 2023.

Photo: Ukrainian President’s Office