The Mazirbe coast, from where refugee boat traffic to Sweden took place in 1944 Trail

The Mazirbe coast was an important place during World War II, from where refugee boat traffic to Sweden took place in 1944.

Memories of boat refugee Ilona Cīrule (nee Mālītis): “I was 13 years old at the time. I remember that at the end of September we traveled in a caravan from Riga to Mazirbe for a whole week. The trip remains in my memory as something unpleasant: the Russian candles in the sky worried me to the core. We lived in Mazirbe for about three weeks, and every day I heard talk about crossing over and about looking for boats. Finally, on October 21, we had to get ready. [..] There were about 90 of us on the boat. I sat on my father’s lap on the deck. The small children with their mothers were below, and they were short of air. I must have been dozing, but in the morning of the next day a plane was spotted and a ship on the horizon. Then the people became quiet. In the afternoon, the ship came again, and this time it came right at us. But it happened like in a fairy tale: it was a Swedish military ship! They pulled us all onto the ship, gave us warm cocoa and took us to the port of Nynashamn. Our boat was tied to the ship and its owner Zariņš-Petravs received it safe and sound. Among the guests were Šici, Zanderi, Vanagi, the former Minister of Justice Mrs. Apsīša, our family and others. I know that the boat had to be paid in gold. But how much - I don't know.