Series of Events to Commemorate Those Who Have Donated Their Bodies to Science and Medicine

On 28 September, Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) held a memorial event at the RSU Anatomical Theatre for people who have donated their bodies to science and medicine. A total of 14 urns with remains were laid to rest in a special ceremony that was attended by RSU management and staff as well as the media. Members of the general public also responded to the invitation to participate in the public events. Those who came out to honour these people later said that they been moved.

The commemorative events started with a service at the St Martin’s Church in Riga, which was attended by pastors from the four largest denominations – Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox, and Baptist. After the service, the urns were taken from the church in a special ceremony to St Martin’s Cemetery nearby, where the university has acquired a specially designated site with the permission of the Riga City Council. In the afternoon, everyone was invited to the unveiling of the memorial urn in the courtyard of the Anatomical Theatre on 9 Kronvalda bulvāris in Riga. This concluded the public part of the events. Later, two new books were presented in a much smaller circle: RSU Anatomijas un antropoloģijas institūta saņemto mirušo cilvēku saraksts, kuru ķermeņi ziedoti zinātnei un medicīnas studijām no 1920. gada līdz 2017. gadam (A List of Deceased People Received by the RSU Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology Whose Bodies Were Donated to Science and Medical Studies from 1920 to 2017, restricted edition), published by the RSU Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology and compiled by Professors Māra Pilmane, Kristīne Maskale-Bērziņa, and Linda Tomberga, and Embrioloģijas daudzveidība (The Diversity of Embryology, by Professor Māra Pilmane).

These commemorative events are unique and were first organised by RSU in 2002. At that time, cremating and burying the ashes of people from the Soviet era whose bodies had been used for educational and scientific purposes took place in the crematorium of the Great Cemetery in Riga. In 2015, the public burial of previously cremated ashes took place in St Martin’s Cemetery for the first time, which was received positively by the public.