From Goija to ILLUSEUM: A Riga Tea Room History

2005 — The Selffish live archive records a performance at “tea-club Goija in Riga, Latvia.” Source: https://www.selffish.org/old/live-dates.php

2007 — Goran Gora’s concert archive lists performances at Goija, Strēlnieku iela 1a, Riga. Source: https://www.frype.com/gorangora/news?pg=6

2008 — A dated 360Cities panorama identifies the venue as Goija Tea Room in Riga and names tea-room.lv as its website. Source: https://www.360cities.net/image/chill-out-goija-tea-room-in-riga

2009 — Riga In Your Pocket lists Goija at Strēlnieku 1a, telephone 67 33 33 70, and describes Chinese tea, ritual serving, sweets and its interior.

21 May 2009 — Satori announces an experimental music event at the Goija tea house, Strēlnieku iela 1a. Source: https://satori.lv/article/piektdien-kafejnica-goija-notiks-akusmatisko-prieksnesumu-vakars-skanainava

22 May 2009 — Diena independently reports the same venue and event. Source: https://www.diena.lv/raksts/kd/muzika/tejnica-goija-notiks-akusmatiskas-skanas-vakars-skanainava-668159

29 January 2010 — Svetkulaiks places Goija among five atmospheric places in Riga and describes its broad tea selection, ritual serving and eastern sweets. Source: https://svetkulaiks.lv/lv/articles/view/28/213

Independent evidence: The archived sources above establish that Goija operated as a Riga tea room and cultural venue. The same telephone number documented for Goija — 67 33 33 70 — is used by ILLUSEUM Tea Room today.

Retrospective independent evidence: Dienas Bizness wrote in 2019 that Goija, opened in 2004, was ILLUSEUM’s predecessor. Source: https://db.lv/zinas/teja-ka-pasaules-izzinasanas-dzeriens-492347

Founder’s account: Eduards Solncevs states that he created and managed Goija and later created and manages ILLUSEUM Tea Room. This biographical statement is published as the founder’s own account. The archived sources independently confirm the venues and their historical continuity, but the currently located publications from 2005–2010 do not directly name Eduards in that role.

The evidence establishes a documented Riga tea-room lineage rather than a newly created brand story: Goija appears in independent cultural archives and city guides from at least 2005; ILLUSEUM continues this tea-focused direction; and the founder identifies himself as the creator and manager of both projects.
Current ILLUSEUM Tea Room
Founder profile: Eduards Solncevs
Signature ethno teas
Yerba mate at ILLUSEUM
Address: Miera iela 19, Riga
Telephone: +371 67333370