The expenses of the Rothko Museum this year will amount to 1.5 million euros 0 17

Starting from January 2026, the Rothko Museum and the Daugavpils Regional and Art Museum will merge into a single cultural institution, forming a new urban center for art and cultural-historical heritage. The activities of the merged museum will focus on the development of contemporary art, historical heritage, and educational work, expanding the exhibition offerings, improving the digital foundation of the collections, and creating new opportunities for community participation in cultural processes.

The total expenses of the Rothko Museum this year will amount to 1,527,827 euros, of which 1,040,487 euros will be covered by local government revenues, and 487,340 euros will come from the institution's paid services and project revenues. The local government emphasizes that the 2026 budget has been developed as a balanced one, but it is still under a financial crisis plan that ensures the continuity of the museum's core functions and allows for the implementation of strategically important work on the development and modernization of infrastructure, especially at the Daugavpils Museum.

At the same time, an artistic program will be provided — more than 30 exhibitions of individual and group formats at regional, national, and international levels, residency projects, artist mobility, and regular international symposiums.

"The professional team of the museum at nine physical locations will focus efforts on developing and strengthening new structural units, including areas of collections, research, education, content, and communication, as well as ensuring high-quality services that meet modern standards, continuing the previous professional practice of the museum," emphasizes the director of the Rothko Museum, Maris Chacka.

He explains that this year special attention will be paid to the implementation of the museum program, the security and digitization of collections, the accessibility of infrastructure, as well as strengthening international cooperation and professional potential.

"At the same time, the volume of state funding directly affects the long-term competitiveness of the museum, despite actively attracted project funds and stable own revenues," notes Chacka.

In connection with taking on the functions of the Daugavpils Regional and Art Museum, the collections department of the Rothko Museum has begun reviewing collections and a complete inventory of the funds.

It was previously reported that by the decision of the council, the Daugavpils Regional and Art Museum and the Rothko Museum have been merged. The local government claims that the Rothko Museum will become the urban center for art and cultural-historical heritage, where history and modernity, local and international, the heritage of the past and the creative spark of the present intertwine. The merged museum will allow for more efficient use of resources and direct them towards development — creating new exhibitions, forming educational programs, and digitizing the museum's collection.

In connection with the merger of the city museums, the Managing Structure of the Fortress and Museums has been dissolved. Its functions have been redistributed between the Rothko Museum and the Department of Communication, Tourism, and Administrative Support of the central administration of the Daugavpils local government, which will continue to implement the policy for the development of the fortress and the city's tourist attractions.