New exhibition in RSU Museum: The Many Faces of Scales

The new Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) History Museum exhibition, The Many Faces of Scales, is currently on display outside the Great Hall at 16 Dzirciema iela.

Scales and balances as instruments to measure mass

The Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) History Museum features a collection of various scales and balances. It dates back to around 2009, when the museum received the majority of the items from the Faculty of Pharmacy. In the 20th century, these scales were used in the study process to measure various substances.

Scales as an exhibit in the museum collection

As an institution for documenting and preserving cultural heritage, the RSU History Museum builds its collection based on certain principles, so that the contents, significance, and scope aim to tell the story of the University's institutional development, academic life, and scientific and extracurricular activities. The scales currently on display were used as tools in the learning process and form part of the collection "The History of Studies, Research, and Academic Activities". At the same time, they can also be related to the collection "The History of Structural Units", as they served as equipment in the Department of Dosage Form Technologies and the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

SVARI is the Latvian word for weighing scales or balances. This word is often used figuratively in both Latvian and English. Some examples:

• SCALES of justice (the scales that Lady Justice is commonly featured as holding symbolise fairness in the legal system)
• To balance the SCALES (to achieve justness, fairness, or equality)
• To turn the SCALES (to change the balance of a situation, so that one side is favoured, or gains advantage)
• To strive for BALANCE in life