Project title: Assessment of the 2009 – 2014 programme “Conservation and revitalisation of cultural and natural heritage”

Country: Latvia.

Client: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia

Year: 2017.

Alliance partner involved: Smart Continent, Latvia.

Description: The objective of the assessment is to assess the impact of the EEA financed programme
towards the set objectives as well as its impact towards the conservation and availability of
cultural and natural heritage in Latvia and the development of cultural dialogue, to evaluate
and to provide constructive recommendations.
The assessment has been carried out on the basis of information available in the
documentation of the Programme and projects as well as with other information acquisition
methods: a focus group has been organized, online surveys have been carried out, and
different reports provided within the Programme have been analysed.
Revitalisation of cultural heritage has increased availability both by providing for society five
previously closed objects and by restoring and improving the range of offered culture
products, which have been made more available for different audiences. Cultural heritage
objects restored within the Programme have received various local and international awards.
The cultural exchange programme has significantly improved cooperation between culture
professionals from Latvia and donor countries as well as comprehensively promoted cultural
dialogue by providing the largest impact in the special support area of donor countries:
tolerance and multicultural respect. In this area, impact is created also by cultural heritage
restoration projects, as the number of synagogues available to society has increased from two
to four.