The Museum of History and Art is one of the most beautiful monuments of architecture in Liepaja. Activities Liepaja Museum is aimed at acquisition, preservation and scientific study of the collection, as well as creation of exhibitions and expositions. The museum familiarises visitors with the historical past of Liepaja and Southern Kurzeme. Currently, the museum has museum has 110 thousand exhibits.
The opening of the Liepaja Museum of History and Art took place on 30 November 1924. The first location of the museum was on J.Čakste Square. But in 1935, the museum moved to a building that was built in 1901 on Kurmayas Avenue, 16, where it is located to this day. This respectable building was designed by Ernest von Ine. Ernest von Ine by the architect Paul Max Bertschi.
The museum building has a complex configuration, the basis of which is a wide hall with a gallery that connects to two floors. The furnishings in the hall have been preserved in the style of the of the early 20th century. The railing of the gallery, made of wood, forms an arcade like a pointed arc, the portals are decorated with consoles and sandwiches. Doors of the main entrance are made on a high artistic level, and the expressive roof of the of the building is made of patterned red and black tiles.
The founder of the Liepaja Museum of History and Art and its head for many years was an artist, a pedagogue, and an art historian. J.Sudmalis, an artist, teacher and researcher of folk art, was the creator of the Liepāja Museum of History and Art and its director for many years.
The museum consists of several departments. In the department telling about the history of the Liepaja region, it shows the period from the Stone Age (8500-1500 BC) to the Late Iron Age (800-1200 BC). Here visitors have the opportunity the opportunity to get an idea of the ancient ages and to see the famous archaeological and historical monuments found in Liepaja region. In this section you can documents about archaeological research, as well as rich archaeological material of that time. Unique exhibits of this department, which were found by archaeologists in 1988, are a necklace (from the oldest burial site in Kurzeme), a Scandinavian funeral stele (only one such discovery in the Eastern Baltic), many ancient things from the Durbes Diru burial ground, among which it is considered very valuable helmet of a Curonian warrior. These exhibits date back to the 2-1 centuries BC.
The section devoted to the history of Liepaja in the Middle Ages is very attractive, it covers the period of 13-18th centuries. The beginning of the exhibition presents the founding of the Livs Liepaja settlement, and it ends with the transformation of the same settlement into a huge trading and harbour city. At that time, it was difficult to imagine the life of the Duchy of Kurzeme without the city of Liepaja, and in 1795, together with the whole of Kurzeme, it was included in the Russian Empire. Kurzeme it was incorporated into the Russian Empire. This section contains a unique document that has been of crucial importance for the city for many years. On 18 March 1625, Duke Frederick used it to legalise the rights of the city of Liepaja. During the years of the Great Northern War, Liepaja was visited by the Russian Emperor Peter the Great and the the monarch Carl of Sweden. Their wax figures are now on display in the museum. Legend tells that Charles, visiting the city of Liepaja, forgot his cavalry boots, which can now be admired on his double.
The next department of the Liepaja Museum is the “Tin” department, which presents the amazingly diverse creativity of Liepaja masters. Here you can see a variety of pewter plates, bowls, mugs, glasses, spoons, cans, which were used by ordinary people. Pharmacists used tin instruments in their work, and church ministers also used tin candlesticks, vases and other sacred objects to decorate altars.
Very interesting is the section introducing the guests to the formation of the city of Liepaja in the 19th century. The following fact is striking. In about 100 years, starting at the beginning of the 19th century, the small provincial town of Liepaja, with about 900 buildings and 5,000 inhabitants, became a city with a modern port, railway connections and a population of about 65,000 people by the end of the 19th century. This miraculous transformation is evidenced by more than 300 original objects: documentary sources, works of art, photographs. The town of Liepaja, thanks to its marvellous sea climate and healing waters with a high salt content, gradually turned into a famous resort. The Romanovs often visited here. The museum presents a gift to the city from Tsar Alexander II and the Grand Duchess - cast filigree sculptures of two knights.
