Monument at the site of the Battle of the Schoolchildren's Company
Memorial site
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On the side of the Cēsis-Āraiši highway, near the former Livu parish house.
A monument dedicated to the volunteer student company of the Cēsis Regiment, which participated in the Battle of Cēsis in 1919, can be seen.
The monument was unveiled on May 29, 1930, near the former Livu parish house.
The monument project was developed by former student volunteer K. Dzirkalis, and the installation work was carried out by A. Sproģis' company in Cēsis.
The bronze details were made by M. Pluka according to the author's drawing, and they were cast at the V. Minūtas factory in Riga. After World War II, the monument was destroyed.
Restored on June 6, 1989, the authors of the restored monument were sculptors A. Jansons and M. Baltiņa, and architect I. Timermanis.
Later, the bronze sword and plaque were removed for safety reasons, replaced with wooden parts.
Used sources and references:
https://www.zudusilatvija.lv/objects/object/5575
Tālis Pumpuriņš, Cēsis History and Art Museum
Related timeline
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The monument dedicated to the Cēsis Regiment student detachment near the former Livu Parish Hall
The Cēsis Regiment volunteer schoolboy company participated in the 1919 Cēsis battles, which formed as a combat unit from 108 young people from Valmiera and Cēsis schools on June 5 in the premises of the Cēsis Progymnasium. Already on the night of June 5 to 6, about an hour after midnight, there was an alarm and the company was ordered to move to positions. The company moved to the Mācītājmuiža - Meijermuiža line, which was considered the most important battle area.
In the first battle, several schoolchildren were wounded, but Edgars Krieviņš, a Valmiera native, died on the same day from a very serious wound to the stomach. He was buried with military honors at the Valmiera City Cemetery on June 13. Edgars Krieviņš was posthumously awarded the Lāčplēsis War Order.
The unusual story of the monument to the Cēsis Regiment's School Company
The Cēsis Regiment volunteer schoolboy company participated in the 1919 Cēsis battles, which formed as a combat unit from 108 young people from Valmiera and Cēsis schools on June 5 in the former Cēsis German Progymnasium premises on Dārza Street (now Bērzaines Street 4). Already on the night of June 5 to 6, about an hour after midnight, there was an alarm and the company was ordered to go to positions. The company went out to the Mācītājmuiža – Meijermuiža line, which was considered the most important battle area.
The beginning, course and conclusion of the Battle of Cēsis
The victory in the Battle of Cēsis was destined to become a turning point in the Latvian and Estonian struggle for the independence of their country. This victory put an end to the plans of the Andrievs Niedra government and the German general Rüdiger von der Goltz to conquer the Baltics. Instead, the Latvian Provisional Government of Kārlis Ulmanis resumed its activities in Liepāja.