Mārstaļu 6 has a colourful history.

From the 12th to 14th centuries, it was part of a Livian settlement’s economic zone. Later, merchants built brick structures typical of medieval towns on the narrow plot.

Today, it’s a splendid example of Baroque–Classicist Old Town architecture. Gothic-era elements from the 15th–16th centuries – such as light niches – remain, alongside a 17th-century roof structure and wall fragments. The rococo portal, dated to the 18th century and adorning the central façade, is a protected cultural monument.

Since the early 19th century, the main façade’s composition has been preserved (apart from later changes to the ground floor windows and portal upper levels), along with wooden staircase typical of late-century craft schools, and original wall paintings.

The building has housed merchants, shops, and – before nationalisation in 1940 – the Štreifs brothers’ coffee shop. During Soviet times, the first floor and cellar served as a warehouse for the Riga Central Department Store; the second floor contained flats, and the third was used as a dormitory by the Baltic Assembly. The fourth floor was managed by the Moscow District Food Administration as a sports facility.

Following 1980s restoration, the Latvian Photographers’ Union and Fotonama exhibition halls moved in. In 1991, an interior designers’ and artists’ club, exhibition space, and café opened where the coffee shop once stood. This laid the foundation for the art gallery “M6” under Lauma Ratniece in the early 1990s, becoming a legendary bohemian hub. A hostel followed in the early 2000s, and in 2018 the building was formally assigned to the museum.

After restoration, the museum reinstated this historic building in Riga’s cultural map, installing the contemporary permanent exhibition Procrastination and Creaton.

It consists of nine themed spaces telling the story of 98 Latvian literary and musical figures and the creative process that forms our cultural identity. The exhibition is designed as a “house within a house”, with each room featuring a central theme – highlighting creativity rituals, sources of inspiration, and everyday practices.

Exhibition “Procrastination and Creation.” Photo: Juris Rozenbergs, in collaboration with the magazine “Jauns OK” and the portal jauns.lv.

The exhibition was created to mark the 150th anniversary of the First Latvian Song Festival. It is the first exhibition in Latvia – and the world – devoted to the origins and continuation of the Latvian song and dance festival tradition. Fittingly, it is located at the Mežaparks Great Bandstand, where the tradition itself was born and has taken root.

The exhibition lets visitors experience how personal decisions evolved into a movement that unites a nation. Each Song Festival experience forms part of the grand narrative of the Latvian nation and its state, values, cultural symbols, and people.

It is comprised of four main elements: the Song Festival symbol – the Līgo flag, connecting times and people; an interactive wall Laika upe, providing historical facts along with memory stories and artefacts; a multimedia installation Lielākais koris pasaulē, showing the birth of the festival from nature and spirit to a grand collective performance; and listening seats, where visitors can immerse themselves in the unique choir sound, featuring interpretations of 24 festival songs.

Upstairs on the second floor, the Community Space hosts activities for everyone who values the Song Festival tradition. It features the Heritage Cabinet – a free-access bookcase with Song Festival resources – and rotating exhibitions. It also includes the unique Una Corda Piano, built by master craftsman Dāvids Kļaviņš. The space is used for research and for events such as seminars, lectures, discussions, and more.

SongSpace

Our storage is located within a new complex of museum depositories, built in 2019. It houses collections not only from this museum but also from the National History Museum, National Art Museum, and Cinema Museum.

Since the opening of the changing exhibitions hall in 2020, several key exhibitions have been held: Himnai 100, Es, rakstāmmašīna (nominated for the Museum Association of Latvia’s Exhibition of the Year), Rīgas Strādnieku teātris 1926–1935, and Linards Tauns – mūžīgais mākonis. Currently on display is Mērnieku laiki. Nepabeigts scenārijs trešajai ekranizācijai, part of a thematic series showcasing collection diversity and interdisciplinarity – exploring the interplay between cinema art and literature.

Since autumn 2021, the cultural space Tintnīca has operated under the motto A place for new experiences and meaningful conversations. It hosts event series like Literatūras viesistaba, Melomānu salons, Tintnīca bērniem, and offers a youth programme Tintnīca Dreamers, which includes the podcast SiltumTintnīca sapņotājiem.

Museum Storage