Grestomathy

When a collector’s life is even richer than his collection, a legend is born. Jānis Greste amassed a vast array of objects throughout his life, hoping they might serve an educational purpose in the future. His resolve was rock-solid. A century ago, he created the first “writers’ corners”, laying the foundation for what is now the Latvian National Museum of Literature and Music. Thanks to him, we can still see the bar of soap composer Emīls Dārziņš once used, or the wooden board on which poet Rainis wrote. Greste’s name may be familiar to many today, but it deserves to be remembered for generations to come.