Russian Language Academy BORN
About a fifteen minute walk through parks from the school, and you’ll arrive at the Latvian National Museum of Art. There this gorgeous building is houses Latvian art of the 19th and 20th century, and more. In the basement you can see how works of art are carefully stored. On the other floors modern art exhibitions of varying mediums present Latvian art from other perspectives. While the building is meant to look classic, the 4th floor has windows that peer down into the exhibits below. This museum offers a few price options for partial or full access to its exhibits. The student ticket for full access is only 3 euros! This Riga art museum is an absolute must-see for both the art lover and the general tourist!
If you didn’t know already, Riga is home to one of the world’s largest art nouveau galleries. So, a walk down Alberta iela is essential when visiting Riga. After a 20 minute walk from the school, at the end of Alberta iela, you can find the Riga Art Nouveau Center. Depending on the season, student admission to this Riga art museum is 3-5 euros. While the museum is on the smaller side, the basement is full of immersive technology that makes the experience worthwhile. You can interact with a map to see all the buildings around Riga, including their architects and facts. Additionally, you can see clothes, furniture, and other household items from the era. Also, upstairs the rooms keep their original style to show you what life would have looked like at the time. Certainly, this is a great place to use your imagination to envision an art nouveau life for yourself!
Conveniently located in Old Town, MDAD is not more than 10 minutes from the school. For students, three euros allows you to take a look at the exhibitions in St. George’s church. This building is one of the oldest stone buildings in Riga. The church has records going back to 1209! Everything about Latvian decor and design can be found here from exhibitions of furniture, to clothing, to household items, to architecture. Here there are many opportunities to interact with the art. You can play with digital textile prints or learn to write your name in traditional Latvian fonts. A visit to this art museum will help you better appreciate the Latvian art you will find all around the streets of Riga!
Whether you consider yourself an art appreciator or not, these museums provide an awesome opportunity to connect with Latvian culture. Not to mention many of these Riga art museums offer Russian texts and guided tours. This is why they’re must-see spots for those studying Russian in Riga!