Irši is a place that was established by Catherine II of Russia in the second half of the 18th century; it was the biggest Baltic-German colony site in the Baltics. 

In order to preserve and restore the historic building, in 2020 the project "Architectural and artistic research of the Iršu Manor Barn and Magazine" prepared by the Koknese Municipality was supported by JSC Latvia's State Forests and the State Culture Capital Foundation in the Zemgale Culture Programme 2020, and the Architectural Research Group carried out the research work.

The restoration of the Magazina began in June 2021 and extensive renovation work took place over more than six months, taking into account the results of the research and preserving the authenticity of the ancient two-storey stone building as much as possible.

The wooden roof structure of the Irsi Manor barn was restored and a new roof covering - imitation wooden shingles - was installed. Aigars Kalniņš, a member of the board of the construction company RRKP būve, says that the barn's bicentenary door, which shows traces of history in the form of wrought nails, has been preserved and restored with particular care.

The ground floor is divided into two parts. Lāsma Ruža-Riekstiņa explains that one part of the room will house an exhibition of the history of Irsi parish, while the other will be a conference room for 50 visitors. A projection screen will soon be installed and chairs will be brought to the conference room.

As in the building's early days, there are stairs to the second floor. On the second floor, you can see a unique historical testimony - a sack lifting wheel, perfectly preserved from the time of the manor. The glass ceiling makes it possible to see the historical exhibit from the ground floor. "During the renovation works, we made sure that the device works perfectly and successfully used it to lift heavier objects to the second floor," says Aigars Kalniņš.

The people of Irsi are determined to honour the heritage of antiquity by continuing to explore the past and finding new ideas for tourism development. During the Soviet era, the manor barn was used as a carpenter's shop, an outbuilding and a warehouse, but now, with a new look, it will become a place for cultural activities and tourist attractions.