Monument to the executed soldiers of Lieutenant R. Rubenis' battalion
Memorial site

The Rubenis Battalion soldiers' cemetery is located on the Kuldīga - Sabile road, opposite the place where Renda's doctoral thesis used to be located. There is a signpost by the road and a memorial stone is located just a few hundred meters from the road.

Lieutenant Roberts Rubenis' battalion was one of the parts of the military unit formed by General Jānis Kurelis, which did not surrender to the German troops and showed fierce German resistance. During the Usma period, the battalion's numerical composition increased to 650 men with four fully equipped companies, an ambulance and a farm team. Commanding staff: Lieutenant R. Rubenis, Lieutenant Filipsons, Private A. Druviņš, Private Šulcs, Private Briedis, Private Sergeant J. Rubenis, Private J. Bergs, Private Jaunzems.

From November 14 to December 9, 1944, fierce battles took place in the Ugāle, Usma, Renda and Zlēki parishes between parts of the German 16th Army, SD and SS units under the command of Police General Friedrich Jekeln, and a separate battalion of the Kureli unit commanded by Lieutenant Roberts Rubenis. In the battles near Renda and Zlēki, about 250 German soldiers were destroyed, while the Rubenis suffered about 50 casualties.

After the death of Lieutenant Rubenis, Druvinš announced to his men that he would henceforth operate on a voluntary basis, and as a result, several dozen men decided to secede from the Rubenis battalion. On November 20-21, 1944, a group of 11 people was captured by a German SD unit and, after interrogation, taken to a local forest and shot.