The protest campaign against the construction of the Daugavpils hydroelectric station in 1986-1987 was the first issue during perestroika in Latvia to involve the wider public, especially the intelligentsia, and it was the first step on the path that led to the restoration of national independence. This was the first case during the Soviet occupation when the endeavours of the intelligentsia to defend the natural and historical riches of Latvia were successful. The collection consists of material gathered by the staff of the Museum of the River Daugava, and donated to the museum in 1987-1998 by several people who were involved in the 1986-1987 protest campaign, mostly among the protesters, but there is also material provided by their opponents too.
Protest letters and other materials against construction of the Daugavpils HPP (1986-1987)
Provenance and cultural activities
In 1986, the journalist Dainis Īvāns (b. 1955) and the engineer and writer Artūrs Snips (b. 1949) published an article in the Literatūra and Māksla (Literature and Arts) weekly about the anticipated dire ecological and economic consequences of the construction of the Daugavpils hydroelectric station, which had already started. The article aroused considerable public interest and discussion. Although the authorities did not want to discuss the problem, the pressure from influential intellectual circles, especially from the Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, could not be ignored under perestroika, and after heated discussions, the construction of the hydroelectric station was stopped. It was the first protest action in the Latvian SSR involving so many people (around 34,000 people signed letters of protest against its construction). It was also the first event to show that collective protest actions could be effective. The collection consists of material gathered by the staff of the Museum of the River Daugava and donated to the museum in 1987-1998 by several people who were involved in the 1986-1987 protest campaign, mostly among the protesters, but there is also material provided by their opponents, too. Apart from materials reflecting the development of the discussion about different aspects of the consequences of the construction of the hydroelectric station, the material also consists of protest letters against the construction of the hydroelectric station. Some of them were written by individuals, but most were produced collectively, by students, the staff at the Academic Drama theatre, the Opera and Ballet Theatre, etc. The staff of the Museum of the River Daugava (its name used to be the Dole History Museum) were actively involved in the protest activities. The director of the museum spoke at meetings of several organisations about the history of the valley of the River Daugava, and about the consequences of the construction of hydroelectric stations in the 1960s and 1970s (Pļaviņu and Riga hydroelectric stations). Some of the material about the 1986-1987 protest campaign was collected by the staff of the museum, and some was donated by people who were aware that the museum, due to its high profile, was the best place to store it. The material is used in the permanent exhibition of the museum. It was also used in the book Atmiņu Daugava (The Daugava of Memories) about the part of the valley of the River Daugava that was flooded as the result of the construction of the Pļaviņas hydroelectric station. On 21 September 2017, the exhibition 'Let the River Daugava Be', about the campaigns to preserve the river valley in 1958-1959 and in 1986-1987, opened at the Latvian National Museum of History.
Description of content
The protest campaign against the construction of the Daugavpils hydroelectric station in 1986-1987 was the first issue during perestroika in Latvia to involve the wider public, especially the intelligentsia, and it is considered to be the first step on the path that led to the mass movement for the restoration of national independence.
