2024-05-04 05:29:56
VUGD had identified fire safety hazards in the “Corner house” and demanded that they be eliminated by May 7, otherwise there was a threat of closing the exhibition to visitors. The building’s managers – VAS “Valsts nekustamie ipsumi” (VNĪ) – asked to extend the work for two years, and VUGD has granted this request.
As the LETA agency was informed by VNĪ, on May 3 the decision of VUGD was received on the extension of the deadline for the urgent works of “Corner House” until May 7, 2026, thus the Latvian Occupation Museum (LOM) is ensured uninterrupted operation.
“We have received approval for the extension of the deadline for carrying out urgent works, which means that we can ensure the continuous operation of LOM during the carrying out of urgent works even after May 7 of this year. In the near future, the procurement for the necessary design and construction works will be announced, so that we can arrange the buildings as soon as possible wiring,” says Andris Vārna, a member of the VNĪ board.
In April, VNĪ started the urgent works related to the dismantling of the fire detection and alarm system and the construction of a new system in the entire “Corner House” building. Currently, the sealing of the fireproof constructions with sealing, smoke-proof materials has been completed, and the unusable electrical installation is currently being dismantled. According to the instructions of the VUGD inspector, the bearing capacity of building structures is evaluated. The inoperable wiring is currently being dismantled.
In the near future, a procurement will be announced for the design and construction works for the dismantling of the existing fire detection and alarm system and the construction of a new system in the entire building, as well as the dismantling of the fire water pipe and equipment and the construction of a new system and pumping station. As mentioned above, the works are carried out using financial resources, which will later be recovered from the proceeds of the building’s expropriation.
In parallel, VNĪ and LOM review the necessary areas for the future work of the museum and the necessary corrections are made in the lease agreement of the museum premises. The lease agreement and entry in the land book for 30 years will guarantee the operation of the LOM for the specified period, regardless of the status of the building.
VNĪ states that the investment of significant capital company and state funds in the renovation of a building, the content of which and future development opportunities are not clearly defined, does not correspond to the responsible use of funds, as stipulated by the law on the prevention of wastage of financial resources and property of a public entity. Up to now, renovation or development projects in the “Corner House” have not been implemented, because there was no clearly defined need for the property to ensure state functions.
Taking into account that 92% of the premises are not in demand for the performance of state functions, the “Corner House”, also known as the Tetera House, after the decision of the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on March 26 of this year, is being directed for expropriation, and at the same time, LOM’s continuous operation will be ensured.
LETA already wrote that the government conceptually supported as a variant the scenario included in the informational report of the Ministry of Culture (MoC), which envisages the transfer of the Teter House or “Corner House” to expropriation and sale at an open auction.
The ministers expressed the hope that the government’s decision to expropriate the “Corner House” will avoid the closure of the LOM exposition. Funding was needed to carry out the emergency work and build the alarm system. Now VNI will invest its own funds, which the company hopes to recover later in the process of expropriation of “Stūra majes”.
“Corner house” is a seven-story brick building with shop premises on the first floor, built in 1912 according to a project developed by architect Aleksandar Vanagas. In the period from 1944 to 1991, the “Corner House” housed the State Security Committee of the Latvian SSR.
The Ministry of Culture emphasizes that the building is a unique object in which a wide range of testimonies about the political repressions of the USSR occupation and crimes against humanity have been preserved. KM also points out that in the consciousness of the Latvian people, “Corner House” is associated with the imprisonment, torture, killing and moral humiliation of people.
“There is no other object of this type in Latvia, which already in its current form serves as a message to future generations and a warning so that such crimes do not repeat themselves. After regaining Latvia’s independence, the State Police, a subordinate institution of the Ministry of the Interior of Latvia, operated in the “Corner House” until 2008,” the informative report states .
On the other hand, in 2009, by order of the Ministry of the Interior, “Stūra māja” was recognized as the site of a historical event of national importance, “The place of activity of the repressive authorities of the Communist regime – “Stūra māja””, while defining the values to be preserved on the first floor and basement of the building.
The informative report emphasizes that, despite various potential options for property development, for example adapting the “Corner House” to the needs of state budget institutions, addressing the commercial sector and the Riga City Municipality about the possible building development scenarios that VNĪ has offered since 2014, “Corner House” ” the unleased area has not been able to find a suitable use that would give it a new and fulfilling content.
2024-05-04 05:29:56