Monument to Soviet activists killed in 1941
Memorial site
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It is located in the territory of the castle ruins of Rauna, opposite the stage.
The monument to Soviet activists killed in 1941 and the ruins of Rauna castle can be viewed.
When Nazi German troops occupied the territory of Latvia and entered Rauna, on July 8, 1941, 14 Soviet activists were shot in the castle ruins of Rauna.
Among them were trade union activist Roberts Ogriņš and his son, student Ādolfs Ogriņš, pioneer leader Jānis Lakats, agricultural workers Kārlis Palsis, Jānis Zariņš and Anton Noviks, member of the Rauna parish executive committee Jūlijs Gailītis, farmer Jānis Geižins, tractor driver A. Alders, blacksmith Jānis Kaštanis, militiamen auxiliary service members Jūlijs Ceriņš and Artūrs Milnis and worker Ēvalds Plētiens. In the official articles, this event is treated as a showdown with the supporters of the Soviet government, however, in the memories of local residents, this event is treated more as a personal showdown of one Raunenian with other Raunenians.
After the killing, the victims were buried right there at the foot of the castle ruins, but later they were reburied in the cemetery. After the end of the Second World War, a temporary monument was installed at the shooting site, which was later replaced. The monument currently in the castle ruins was erected in 1982.
Used sources and references:
http://old.rauna.lv/turisms/pieminas-vietas/piemineklis-1941-gada-nogalinatajiem-padomju-aktivistiem?css=1&gads=2015
Rauna Museum
Whatever was written in the official documents, even in Soviet times, my grandfather was extremely angry that his brother's name was shamelessly tarnished. Jūlijs Ceriņš was never a communist activist. The story is quite simple. He, as a militia official, had arrested one local malak who, when the Germans entered Rauna and joined the guards himself, took revenge on Julius and whispered to the Germans that Julius was "the red one". They shot Julia without trial and justice. The younger brother Peter Oskar also remained in the Stutthof death camp as a German hater and political prisoner. Mother's heart could not take it. So hatred destroyed a whole family. And no Soviet activists.