Adam Steel School Military town

The school building is located in the city center on the left side of Ausekļa Street, next to the Valka Jānis Cimze Gymnasium.

The building, named after the teacher Ādams Tērauds, originally housed a school and its construction was completed in 1923. In 1946, the military headquarters of the army garrison was located here. Thus, a military center was created in the center of the city of Valka, and Valka became an important nuclear weapons facility for the USSR army. The territory of the building was surrounded by a high fence and was called a city within a city, because it had its own shop, hospital, boiler house and even a cafe for the needs of the army. The symbolism of Soviet power – a red star – was placed on the roof of the building. The army left this place in the late 1980s, taking with it everything it could carry.

Right next to it, behind the Adam Steel School and underground bunkers, is the Swedish (Sheremetyevo) rampart. The artificially created earthen rampart was built at the beginning of the Great Northern War, around 1702, to protect Valka against the Swedes. The steepest wall of the rampart faces Ērģemi, while the other side faces Ausekļa Street.

Today, the Adam Steel School can only be viewed from the outside.