Former USSR Marcien Army Town or “Gorodok”
Military town
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Located in Mārcienas, Mārcienas parish, Madona region.
In 1957, the construction of a missile base in Mārcienas began, as well as the construction of a concrete access road and railway to Gaiziņkalns, where a missile launch site was planned (when the USA and Great Britain discovered this plan, construction in Gaiziņkalns was suspended). Several apartment buildings were built in the military town for military personnel from other republics of the USSR.
Currently, the former army base territory is partially abandoned and overgrown with bushes, and part of it is owned by companies or private individuals, which is no longer available for public viewing. The army base is mostly a slum of brick buildings. In the village of Mārcienas - apartment buildings (some are still inhabited), an army officers' hostel (the former Mārcienas elementary school building), an officers' house (Mārcienas culture house) and an army store building.
Used sources and references:
Madona Museum of Local Lore and Art, LTV program "Keys": Occupying troops leave Latvia
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USSR army base in Marcien
The Baltics were one of the most important lines of defense for the Soviet Empire, the westernmost bastion, so the concentration of troops there was enormous. It is believed that Latvia was the most militarized territory in the world at that time. The exact number of military personnel is unknown, different sources for different times mention 200,000 to 350,000. In Latvia alone, in 50 years, 3,009 military units were deployed in more than 700 locations. One of these locations was the USSR army base in Mārcienė.