Andrejs Upīts Memorial House and garden

At the Andrejs Upīts Memorial House, the writer’s intellectual and physical achievements come together. Visit the museum surrounded by the garden planted by Andrejs Upīts himself and discover stories not only about the writer, but also about the surrounding landscape that inspired some of his best-known works.

In 1908, a house was built according to Upīts’s own design. He lived there from 1908 to 1915. He described the years spent in Skrīveri before the outbreak of the First World War as the “most peaceful” period of his life. In 1917, the house was burned down by the German army.

In the summer of 1921, construction began on the present-day museum building, built on the foundations of the original house according to Upīts’s drawings. He sketched the window shutters and front door and took part in the construction himself. The funds for rebuilding the house came from the royalties he received for his novel Ziemeļa vējš (The North Wind).

In 1952, Upīts donated his house to the state, and a museum was established there. The memorial exhibition explores the writer’s life and literary work in the early 20th century and during the 1920s and 1930s. It was in Skrīveri, before the Second World War, that he wrote his most significant works and translations.

One of the museum’s greatest treasures is the garden planted by the writer himself. Upīts carefully selected hazel, linden, oak, silver willow and walnut trees, as well as other trees and shrubs, bringing saplings from various places. Every tree planted by Upīts has its own “biography”. Today, his garden remains a lively and cherished place rather than a forgotten corner of the past. It hosts concerts and discussions, and schoolchildren are invited to explore the garden through educational museum programmes.

The Skrīveri Memorial Complex reflects the writer’s deep respect for both intellectual and manual labour. It also tells the story of his personal development, from a humble shepherd boy to a talented writer and intellectual.

Opening hours (May 1 – October 31):

Tuesday–Saturday: 10:00–17:00

Sunday, Monday: closed