Restoration Department

The LNMH Restoration Department ensures the preservation of the objects in the Museum’s collections, including assessment of their state of preservation, recommendations for their optimal storage and display, and in-depth research, conservation and restoration where necessary.

The Museum restorers specialise in the restoration of specific materials including polychrome wood, textiles, paintings, documents, books, works of graphic art, ceramics, porcelain, glass, furniture, archaeological material and metal objects. The Museum has a physical chemistry laboratory where the material of the collection items can be studied and identified to support their restoration and scientific research.

Scientifically based restoration has been performed at the Museum since 1931 when the State Historical Museum established a restoration laboratory under the direction of chemist Kārlis Edvīns Avots. After World War II, the Museum’s restoration laboratory was re-established in 1946 under the direction of Eduards Ceriņš, Pāvels Šimanskis, Elizabete Egle and Sarmīte Gaismiņa. The restoration workshops were originally located in Riga Castle, however, in the 1980s, a separate building on Vecpilsētas Street was equipped for the workshops. Since 2020, the restoration has been performed in the Museum Storage fitted out with the equipment necessary for research and restoration.

The knowledge and skills of all LNMH restorers have been assessed in accordance with the State Inspection for Heritage Protection Restorer Qualifications Assessment Procedure.

Head of the Restoration Department Margarita Karpe

margarita.karpe@lnvm.lv