The Corner House
The Corner House is a historic building in the centre of Riga, Latvia, notorious as the headquarters of the Soviet KGB in Latvia from 1940 to 1941 and again from 1944 to 1991. Located at 61 Brīvības iela, it now serves as a museum and memorial dedicated to the victims of Soviet terror and occupation.
At a glance
- Type
- Memorial museum · former secret police headquarters
- Period
- Building constructed late 19th century; KGB use 1940–1991; museum opened 2014
- Style
- 19th-century apartment block, Riga historicist architecture
- Location
- 61 Brīvības iela, Riga, Latvia
- Coordinates
- 56.9582° N, 24.1242° E
Overview
The Corner House (Latvian: Stūra māja) stands at the junction of Brīvības iela and Stabu iela in central Riga, a few minutes’ walk from the Old Town. The building is one of the most emotionally charged sites in Latvia, representing decades of surveillance, interrogation, and repression under Soviet rule. Today it functions as a museum run by the Latvian Occupation Museum foundation, preserving the memory of those who suffered within its walls.
History
The building was constructed in the late nineteenth century as a residential apartment block. After the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, it was requisitioned by the NKVD — the predecessor of the KGB — and converted into the secret police headquarters for Latvia. During the first Soviet occupation (1940–1941) and again after the German occupation (1944–1991), thousands of Latvian citizens were interrogated, detained, and processed for deportation from this address. Following Latvian independence, the building was opened to the public as a memorial museum in 2014.
What you see
Visitors can explore the preserved interrogation rooms, detention cells, and administrative offices that remain largely intact from the Soviet era. The building’s interior retains original fixtures, including security doors, surveillance equipment, and filing systems used by the KGB. Exhibition spaces present documents, photographs, and personal accounts of victims, offering a stark and sombre record of the occupation period. The exterior corner facade, unremarkable by day, carries the weight of a troubled past visible only once one steps inside.
Cultural significance
The Corner House is a key site of memory in Latvia’s post-Soviet national identity, listed among the country’s most important heritage sites related to the occupation period. As one of the best-preserved secret police buildings in the former Soviet space, it draws scholars, educators, and visitors from across Europe and beyond. The museum plays a vital role in documenting and transmitting the history of Soviet repression to new generations.
Practical information
- Address
- 61 Brīvības iela, Riga LV-1011, Latvia
- Opening hours
- Check official website for current hours (guided tours required for some areas)
- Admission
- Check official website
- Website
- sturamajas.muzejs.lv
Getting there
The Corner House is located on Brīvības iela, one of Riga’s main boulevards, well served by trams (lines 11, 18) and trolleybuses stopping at Stabu iela. From Riga Old Town it is a 15-minute walk north along Brīvības iela. Parking is limited on-street; the city centre is best explored on foot or by public transport.