With help from the influx of money from the EU that came in after Riga was named one of 2014’s European Capitals of Culture, the city is reopening the Corner House from May until mid-October. Visitors can tour the veritable haunted house, visiting the room where General Bolšteins took his own life and exploring the crypt-like cellar where countless victims lost their lives. Almost nothing has been touched since the fall of the USSR in 1991, providing an uncanny glimpse behind the Iron Curtain.
The only remnant of the era that remains off-limits to the public are the KGB’s administrative documents, meticulous notes detailing the workings of the secret police, including the names of collaborators, informants, and double agents—many of whom are still alive. Despite the newfound spirit of disclosure, these files have been sealed and stored in an undisclosed location. They contain a truth that is still too hard to bear.
Article Appeared @http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/04/secret-kgb-torture-house-opens-its-doors-in-riga.html