Museum Night 2012 on 19 May

Museum Night this year will be dedicated to the colour blue and the sea. This begins a three-year cycle reflecting three of Latvia's treasures - the blue sea, the green forest (2013) and the red amber (2014). The three-colour harmony echoes the three-colour sun code expressed in Rainis's poetry: "The sun rises three-coloured again: Now blue, now green, now red."

The sea is a treasure we are proud of. Fate has blessed Latvia with 490 kilometres of coastline. The sea is our lifeblood, which for centuries has fed the people, hardened them through hard work and raised them in self-respect. The maritime schools founded by Krišjānis Valdemārs educated not only the first seafarers, but also the future owners of the land. The sea has given much, but has also taken much. The knowledgeable listener will hear in the splash of waves something of Sudrabu Edžus's Dullā Dauka's hunger for knowledge, the loyalty of Vilis Lācis's Vanadziņš, and the quiet strength of Rūdolfs Blaumanis's Grīntāls. Although Latvia has no museum dedicated specifically to the sea, countless historical artefacts and artworks about the sea are held by many Latvian museums.

This year at Museum Night, letting the colour blue shine, we will look at the sea through museum collections and seek answers to questions crucial to Latvia: how to keep the sea clean and biologically rich today and in the future? How to preserve the traditional way of life of coastal communities? How best to let the sea strengthen our country's economy and economic independence?

You can view the programme here >>>

Source: www.muzeju-nakts.lv