Soviet Army Observation Tower (Kurgan of Officers)
Infrastructure
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The "Officers' Kurgan" is located less than a kilometre from the ruins of Zvārde Church. The Kurgan is made of the ruins and remains of the surrounding houses and manor house, which have been bulldozed together. An observation tower was built on the kurgan. According to the inscription, the present tower was built in 1981. The tower was used to record bomb hits. The training bombs had a reduced explosive content, so their hits had to be watched more carefully. Unexploded bombs were neutralized immediately, but not all could be found.
The remains of the tower can be seen here today - the brick walls. As the barrage is relatively high, you can even see the Lithuanian oil refinery in Mažeikiai on a clear day.
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The grandfather said that when he climbed up the stairs, on the opposite side of the tower, on the field where it is now overgrown with bushes, there was a map of the target range for the planes, and from the tower he directed people who carried and placed a lamp or some lighting device in the place where the plane had to throw bombs.