ABOUT THE MUSEUM

The museum is located in Dzirciems, Zentene parish, Tukums municipality, on the farm “Bisnieki”, where the writer Ernests Birznieks – Upītis (1871-1960) was born. The museum is dedicated to the popular book character Pastarins, as the writer was called as a child. The Pastarinis Museum is a museum for children who want to do farm work themselves, learn traditional games and pastimes, get to know the farm life and traditions of the North Kurzeme countryside, walk the Pastarinis trail and learn about the history of the Birznieks family.

NEWS

Autumn Solstice School in Latvian Traditions

From 10 to 21 September, the Pastarins Museum invites you to take part in the Autumn Solstice School to learn about and celebrate the solstice in Latvian traditions.

Programme: preparation for the Autumn Solstice – harvesting, making apple garlands, traditional solstice dishes; celebration of the Autumn Solstice – games and games, feast.

Programme duration: 2 hours

Participation for individual visitors – 4.00 EUR per person, for groups – students up to 20 persons 80.

Advance registration.

EXHIBITIONS

Pastarins at home, school and life

To celebrate the 147th birthday of writer Ernest Birznieks – Upītis, the Pastarins Museum presents an interactive exhibition “Pastarins at home, school and life”.

An interactive video projector that responds to visitors’ hand movements shows photographs from 1871 to 2017.

Exposition “Barn – a mirror of family wealth”

The exhibition “Barn – a mirror of family wealth” in the Bisnieki barn takes visitors into the daily work of the Birznieki family and allows them to experience the main processes of traditional farming on the farm. Fragments from the trilogy “Pastarins’ Diary” by E. Birznieks-Upītis are intertwined with the objects displayed in the exhibition, imaginatively and realistically illustrating the material world that was commonplace and understandable to Pastarins, but today has become distant and unknown to most children and adults.

The barn houses more than 100 ethnographic objects describing the economic life of a North Kurzeme farmer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: the daily activities of women and men, food storage, agricultural utensils, traditional tools and the skills and crafts required on a farm.

The exhibition “North Kurzeme Farmstead – Pastarinis’ World”

The typical layout and function of the buildings of the North Kurzeme farmstead in the late 19th and early 20th century, when the writer Ernests Birznieks-Upītis, known as Pastarinis in his childhood, lived in Bisnieki.

Visitors can compare the layout of the two homesteads by looking at the buildings that exist today and the model houses that are large enough for the “knevelis” to live in.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES

“The Wisdom of Latvian Life in the Pastarinis Museum”

Attention-activating games, preparation for the work to be done. The roles of the people of the “Bisnieki” household for children, based on Latvian folk beliefs and life experiences. Churning butter with singing and guessing puzzles. Flour grinding, distinguishing different cereals, sifting flour accompanied by singing (with movements).

“Bread Baking at the Pastarinis Museum”

The participants of the programme have the opportunity to learn bread baking skills on a real farm in the North Kurzeme countryside, at the home of the Latvian folk writer Ernests Birznieks – Upītis (Pastarinis).

PRICES

Admission is free.

Guidedtours
In the museum (up to 10 persons/hour):
In Latvian: EUR 8.00
In a foreign language: EUR 15.00

In the museum (up to 30 persons/hour):
In Latvian: EUR 12.00
In foreign language: EUR 21.00

Outside the museum (group of up to 30 persons/hour):
In Latvian: EUR 18.00
In foreign language: EUR 30.00

Guided tours after midday.

Photos from the Tukums Museum archives