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Another coastal defence battery was sited about 1,500 metres to the East of Lūžņa, where the Lūža River flows into the Baltic Sea. Remnants of Soviet-era buildings can still be seen there.
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This café in Ciemupe in the Ogre District has an exhibit of military equipment, artillery and other objects.
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In the small town of Pļaviņas, at the place where the Skanstupīte River flows into the Daugava (Friendship Park), there are the remnants of a set of small and low fortifications known as the Swedish bastions. This was a place of military and political importance, because here was the place where the boundaries of Vidzeme (under Swedish rule), Latgale (under Polish rule), and the Duchy of Kurzeme (on the opposite side of the river) all came together. In 1625, the Swedes were defeated by the Poles here, and Swedish King Gustav Adolf almost lost his life. Medieval bastions of this kind can be seen in some other places of Latvia, as well.
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The No. 94 Driving School of the Soviet Navy back in Soviet times now houses the Liepāja No. 3 Elementary School.
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A memorial to Finnish soldiers in
Klapkalnciems – five such soldiers from
World War I are buried here. The memorial
was first installed in 1929, but it was
destroyed by the Soviet authorities. It was
recreated in May 2004. The Lapmežciems
Museum features photographs and more
information about the Finnish soldiers.
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The museum is in Gunpowder Tower, which was an important component in the Medieval fortifications system of Rīga. The basic subject of the museum is Latvia’s military and political history, and exhibits are related to these subjects.
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Metsavenna Farm organises forest brethren (or brothers) expeditions for visitors to search out forest brothers in their hideouts, visit an underground bunker, hear true stories of life after WWII, have a taste of home-brew and sing old songs along with the master. The more adventurous can stay a night in the bunker, while in winter a sledding hill is opened for snowy downhill rides. |
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Ein am Ende des 19. Jh. gebautes Teil der Festung. Ein Museum, das Verbrechen totalitäre Regimes gegen Menschlichkeit wiederspiegelt. |
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Brāļu kapos apbedīti aptuveni 2000 karavīru. Pirmos kritušos strēlniekus — Andreju Stūri, Jēkabu Voldemāru Timmu un Jāni Gavenasu — apbedīja 1915. gada 15. oktobrī. Sākot ar 1915. gadu, kapos sāka apbedīt Pirmā pasaules kara kaujās kritušos strēlniekus, vēlāk Februāra revolūcijas laikā nošautos kareivjus. Stučkas valdības laikā 1919. gada pavasarī šeit apbedīja Brīvības cīņās pret vācu vienībām un Dienvidlatvijas brigādi kritušos latviešu strēlniekus. Pirmās Latvijas brīvvalsts laikā Brāļu kapos apbedīja ap 800 Latvijas armijas kareivjus un virsniekus. 1941.—1942. gadā Brāļu kapos apbedīja 15 nacionālos partizānus, kā arī pārapbedīja komunistiskā režīma terora upurus. Līdz 1944. rudenim šeit apbedīja arī vairākus desmitus bijušās Latvijas armijas virsnieku un karavīru, kuri bija dienējuši Latviešu policijas bataljonos un Latviešu leģionā. Abās pusēs ieejas vārtiem (augstums 10 metri, platums 32 metri) divas jātnieku skulptūru grupas (augstums 3,3 metri). Liepu gatve (205 metri) savieno vārtus ar galveno terasi, kuras centrā novietots 1 metru augsts mūžīgās uguns altāris, bet abās pusēs ozolu birzis. No terases abpusējas kāpnes ved uz regulāri veidotu kapulauku. Tā malās atrodas divas "Mirstošo jātnieku" skulpturālās grupas (augstums 3,6 metri), vidus daļā atrodas augstcilnis "Kritušie brāļi". Pret katru kapa vietu novietota smilšakmens vai plienakmens plāksnīte ar kritušā uzvārdu un vārdu vai uzrakstu "Nezināms". Ansambli noslēdz 6 metrus augsta siena ar Latvijas apriņķu un pilsētu vēsturiskajiem ģerboņiem. Pie sienas atrodas četri senlatviešu karavīru tēli, kas simbolizē Latvijas novadus - Kurzemi, Zemgali, Vidzemi un Latgali, bet tās centrā uz 9 metrus augsta sienas masīva paceļas monumentāla figūra "Māte Latvija", kas noliekusi vainagu pār kritušajiem dēliem. Brāļu kapu memoriālais ansamblis ir izcirsts no Allažu šūnakmens, izmantots arī Itālijas travertīns un smilšakmens. Pirmmetu izstrādāja tēlnieks Kārlis Zāle, arhitekts Aleksandrs Birzenieks, Pēteris Feders un Andrejs Zeidaks. |
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The first Dnyestr-M radar station was opened here in 1969 to calculate the trajectories of ballistic missiles. The trajectories of satellites were also calculated here. The range of the radar station was 5,000 km. In 1972, construction began on a second, more modern radar, the Dnyepr-M. In 1977, it was ready for use, and the first radar was modernised at the same time. The two radars were located in buildings that were 250 m long and 17 m high. During a 24/hour period, they could identify the height, speed and flight trajectory of up to 750 space objects. In 1985, work began on a third, even more modern radar – the Daryal-YM. This was a radar that could “peek” across the horizon. The antenna building was 117 m high (19 stories), 80 m long and 80 m wide. It had a planned range of 6,000 km, but it was not completed. After the withdrawal of the Russian army in 1995, the building was blown up. That cost LVL 6,172,311 and used up 360 kg of explosives. The territory of the radar stations took up 1,072 hectares, with barracks, a hotel, 551 apartments, a medical facility, a water tower, a war hospital, a bomb shelter, etc. The aim of the facility was to monitor space above Western Europe and North America, as well as to “intercept” any ballistic missiles that were fired at the USSR. The territory is closed to visitors, but it is an important part of Latvia’s military heritage. The abandoned territory can be viewed from the outside. The nearby bus stop is called “Kombināts.” This was the only facility of its kind in the Baltic States. !!! Since March 2018 the Skrunda army base is closed for visitors. |
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The projector buildings of the former border guard facility have been preserved at Labrags, but they are privately owned.
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A shooting range which isn’t really there anymore, but it was once
used for training purposes by the Soviet military. Right now you will see
an overgrown area of land which stretches from the seashore to the
Kolka-Ventspils road. That’s where the shooting range was located.
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The local museum offers an interesting and extensive exhibit related to World War II at the Kurzeme fortress and the fate of Latvian soldiers who took part in the war. There are also exhibits related to the history of World War I and World War II, complete with a collection of civilian and military objects. Among them – a YI-2 airplane, an armoured personnel carrier, a Red Army tank, and all of the trenches and bunkers of the relevant era.
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All that’s left of the battery today are the ruins of a cement blockhouse which have slid all the way down to the beach because of years of abuse by the wind and the waves. It is an interesting monument to history with a long-term fate that we can guess at – it will disappear under the sea.
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Late in September 1944, during World War II, the village of More was witness to some of the bloodiest and most merciless battles in Latvia – only those in the so-called “cauldron of Kurzeme” were worse. Members of the Latvian Legion who were fighting on the German side prevented the ability of the Red Army to break through to Rīga, and they also prevented the encirclement of the German military force. The result of the battle was enormously important to the more than 100,000 civilians who took the opportunity to become refugees and escape the Soviet repressions that were not far in the future. Commemorative events are held in the park each September, bringing together eyewitnesses to the battles and other. There’s a memorial wall with the engraved names of members of the Latvian Legion whose names are known, as well as a stone cross to commemorate unknown soldiers. Two kilometres to the East of the park is a museum, outside which is a Soviet army tank.
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There’s hardly anything left of the zenith missile base which once stood here for the purpose of protecting the western boundaries of the USSR – even specialists would have a hard time finding the location.
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Liepene, in the Ventspils District, was once home to a coast guard division. The facilities are now privately owned and offer accommodations to tourists.
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There are several large territories on either side of the Irbe River that were linked at one time by tank roads. Tank training and inspections were conducted here at one time, but now the territory has been abandoned and is slowly being reclaimed by the forest.
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The former missile transport facility at Karaosta is not used any more. The territory is mostly closed off to visitors.
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National partisans commanded by Rihards Pārups were very active during World War II between Vietalva and Jaunkalsnava. The team was disbanded in 1946. The dugout is at a location that is hard to find and access. It is in the nature reserve of the Veseta Wetlands Swamp. The wood pathway that leads from the East is often hidden by reeds during the summer. During the fierce winter of 2010, the roof of the dugout collapsed, but local enthusiasts plan to reconstruct it. Alongside the dugout is a white cross inscribed with the names of the partisans who lost their lives here.
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