The Memorial to Soviet Occupation Victims
Latvia lost its legal independence in 1940 when Nazi Germany and communist Soviet Union signed the secret protocol of the Agreement of 23 August, 1939 on the partitioning of influence zones in Eastern Europe. This document, called Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, predetermined the start of the World War II on 1 September, 1939. Two ideologies hostile to democratic world and the states under their influence started a battle over the redistribution of the world.
In this battle interests of smaller states, including Latvia, were sacrificed. Their peoples were submitted to unfathomable suffering; people were killed and crippled physically and morally. The occupation of Latvia in 1940 carried out by the Stalinist U.S.S.R. was soon followed by a period of occupation by the Hitler's Germany. When after World War II totalitarian communist dictatorship was renewed in Latvia, various in forms but the same in nature it continued up to the restoration of a legal independence of Latvia in 1991.
While Nazism has been generally condemned by the world through legally substantiated evaluation in Nürnberg Tribunal, and the memory of its victims is properly guarded, the ideology of totalitarian communism and its injuries are still not properly evaluated in the world history context. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and totalitarian communist system at the end of the 20th century, the time has come for this debt to be paid.
The consequences of the occupation years may still be felt in Latvia. They have affected people's minds and deformed economy and, partly, destroyed also the nature and cultural heritage. The evil inflicted by the ideology and practice of totalitarian Communism still lacks international evaluation carried out in a legal and evidence-based way.
Notwithstanding the fact that in 1997 Rīga historic centre received the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site as status quo, the City Council took a decision on tearing down the Museum of the Occupation (1999), but after the protests of wider public and the institutions for heritage protection the decision was blocked. The plan for preservation and development of Rīga historic centre was confirmed in 2006 and provides for the preservation of the Latvian Riflemen Square and the Museum of the Occupation.
In June 14 2007 The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia announces a contest for sketches for "The Memorial to Soviet Occupation Victims". The goal of the contest is to produce a concept for a memorial place in the center of Riga the capital of Latvia, and to commemorate the victims and losses of the Latvian nation born within the Soviet regime.
Members of the contest Jury:
Chair: Ms. Helēna Demakova, Art Historian, Minister of Culture;
Assistant Chair:
Mr. Jānis Birks, Chair of the Council of Rīga
Members:
Mr. Juris Dambis, Head of the State Inspection for Heritage Protection;
Mr. Pēteris Strancis, Director of City Development Department of CR;
Mr. Andis Cinis, Head of Building Administration of the Rīga City;
Mr. Jānis Dripe, Director of Municipal Agency "Architect's Office of the Rīga City";
Prof. Daniel Kündig, Architect ETH/SIA/BSA, President of SIA, International Union of Architects;
Mr. Edgars Treimanis, representative of the Latvian Union of Architects;member of the Board for Preservation and Development of the Historic Centre of Rīga
Mr. Bruno Strautiņš, Prof., representative of the Latvian Union of Artists, Head of Sculpting Department of the Latvian Academy of Arts;
Ms. Gundega Cēbere; Art Historian, expert of sculpture art;
Mr. Richards Pētersons, representative of the Museum of Occupation, art historian, historian;
Mr. Jānis Lapiņš, Chair of the Rīga Association of Politically Retaliated Persons;
Mr. Jānis Lauva, Board Member of the Latvian Union of Politically Retaliated Persons;
Responsible Secretary of Jury:
Ms. Māra Ādiņa, Head of Visual Arts and Visual Communication Unit of The Ministry of Culture
|
