Латыши в армии Российской империи

Он расположен в центре Риги, на Площади латышских стрелков рядом с Латвийским музеем оккупации.

Памятник латышским стрельцам был открыт в 1971 году на Площади латышских стрельцов рядом с бывшим Латвийским музеем красных стрельцов (тег: Музей оккупации). В советское время тема рассматривалась через узкую призму идеологии коммунистического режима. Место служило репрезентации Риги и созданию идеализированной истории, укрепляя миф о латышах как борцах за Советскую власть.

Подразделения легкой пехоты в русской армии назывались стрельцами. В Первую мировую войну для борьбы с немецкой армией на родине были созданы соединения латышских стрелков. Это были мотивированные, опасные и дисциплинированные боевые единицы. Высокий уровень образования и знание немецкого языка пригодились для разведки и внезапного нападения. Когда Российская империя распалась и Германия полностью оккупировала территорию Латвии, очень большое количество жителей Латвии уехало в Россию, где они продолжали сталкиваться с агитацией фанатиков. Первоначально росла поддержка ленинских идей и участия в Гражданской войне в России. Позже последовало разочарование, и большинство латышских солдат отвернулись от левых идей и вернулись в Латвию. Солдаты, оставшиеся в России, в основном погибли в ходе «сталинских чисток» (1936-1938 гг.). Латышские стрельцы имели большие заслуги в создании Латвийского государства и его армии.

Сегодня вы можете увидеть памятник и прилегающий к нему Музей оккупации.

In Plakanciem, Latvian riflemen won their first victory in the historic night battle of October 29, 1915 - only a week after the 1st Daugavgrīva Latvian riflemen battalion had left Riga and started operations at the front. The successful battle of Plakanciems began the heroic struggle of our archers. The night attack near the Misa River also had an invaluable moral significance - no one questioned the fighting abilities of the Latvian archers, they quickly became popular and many Latvians from the Russian regiments joined our national units.

The commemorative stone was made by order of the Ķekava district municipality by the Ķekava district stone processing and restoration company "Akmens prāvaškas centrs "AKM"" - stone craftsmen Guntis Pandars and Pēteris Zvaunis.
Success in the Battle of Plakanciems was ensured by careful continuous four-day reconnaissance, the sudden attack plan prepared by the commander of the 1st company, Friedrich Briež, and the heroism of our soldiers.
The situation at the front at that time was very tense, as German soldiers in several places continued to slowly approach Riga. Near Plakanciems, they recently crossed the river Misa and started to set up a front bridge position, deploying the 2nd battalion of the German 376th infantry regiment and 4 machine guns.
The attack of the Latvian archers was based on surprise, quick action and coordination of various actions. Four hand grenades were issued to each rifleman of the 1st company, 60 soldiers put on their white coats because a thin snow had just fallen. When the attackers crept close enough to the German positions, at 22.00 the signal was given and the strike began. Both of our machine guns fired at both flanks of the enemy so that the Germans could not bring up reserves. Throwing hand grenades, Latvian riflemen quickly stormed the German trenches, Russian artillerymen fired at the bridge over the Misa river and the enemy's main defense line. The enemy soldiers were confused - suffering heavy losses, they retreated across the river and left the bridgehead in the hands of the attackers. One of our companies had defeated an enemy unit four times larger!
Latvian archers lost six fallen - Juri Buteniek, Frici Ārmani, Rudolf Hofmani, Kristaps Krūmiņa, Jānis Nauri and Kirijana Šnurov. They are all buried in the Riga Brothers' Cemetery. Of the eight wounded, two later died - Jāzeps Brūveris (buried in the Pleskodāle cemetery) and Jānis Skuja (buried in the Riga Brothers' cemetery). German losses – 31 soldiers killed, 34 captured and 45 wounded. The attackers received a machine gun and 35 rifles as trophies.

Located in Valmiera City (Center) Cemetery, Lillijas Street 7.

A granite obelisk can be seen, the details of which are forged by the sculptor Wilhelm Trey.
The monument was unveiled on June 22, 1923. About 150 soldiers are buried in the brothers' cemetery.

Several fighters of the First World War and the War of Independence were buried outside the Brothers' Cemetery, including the first dead of the Cēsis Regiment School Company, LKOK Edgars Krieviņš.

At present, there are 14 sets of graves of different lengths in the brothers' cemetery, on which 139 white wooden crosses have been erected, but there are no more plaques with the names of the fallen on the crosses. One black granite cross has survived.

During the communist occupation, intensive civil burials were made in the cemetery of the brothers. After the restoration of independence in 1994, the plan of burials in the brothers' cemetery was changed, and the cemetery clusters are now established crosswise, only one of which has retained its former orientation.