Heroism of Colonel Oscar Kalpak in the Battle of Skrunda
Colonel Oskars Kalpaks won the respect of his soldiers by his personal example and encouragement.
When the battle chain was pressed to the ground by the fire of the opponent in the Battle of Skrunda, the conditions of the area were assessed, Colonel Oskars Kalpaks came to the conclusion that the officers' company had to move forward, because the area was more
To impress the Officer's jewelry with his presence, he decided to go to the jewelry station. It happened under the constant fire of the opponent, Kalpak never visited any cover, and at that time he was the only most visible target with his headquarters. Reaching the jewelry, Kalpaks walked along its chain with a stick in his hand, setting targets for the shooting and cheering the soldiers. When a machine gun started firing directly at him, he did not lie down, but just fell on the road. At that moment, Lieutenant Mālītis arrived with a message from the first commander. The servant stood up and, putting his hand on his hat, received his lieutenant's verbal message, bullets chopping snow around them. It was a truly admirable sight for everyone - they were on the battlefield, just like in a parade ground.
The example of the colonel allowed the soldiers who witnessed the event not only to forget the danger of death, but also to earn the respect of their commander. Under the personal influence of Kalpaka, the attack received a new impetus, and the officers' company was hampered by a new one. Its right wing soon fell into the opponent's flank, taking the left wing of the machine gun fire and forcing it to leave the cemetery. By this time the impact distance had already been reached, which is why both jewelry with a loud "hurray." went forward, breaking into Skrunda, ending the attack with a brilliant victory.
Krīpēns A., Kalpaka Battalion and Balozs Brigade, Belimora, 1963.
Related objects
Battle of Skrunda Memorial and Flag Day
The Skrunda Battle Memorial is located in the centre of Skrunda, in Oskaras Kalpaka Park near the Skrunda Culture House, at the intersection of Kuldīgas and Liepājas Streets. In 2005, a stone was erected at the memorial commemorating the battle of 29 January 1919, when the battalion commanded by Oskars Kalpaks, together with the German and Russian units of the Landeswehr, liberated Skrunda from the Bolsheviks. The tradition of Flag Day has been maintained since 2004, commemorating the first town liberated from the Bolsheviks and its liberators, who raised the Latvian flag at the Skrunda church on 29 January 1919.
During the first months of the War of Independence, the Latvian Provisional Government, under pressure from the Bolsheviks, was rapidly losing territory. On 22 January 1919, the Bolsheviks captured Skrunda. A week later, in the early hours of 29 January, the offensive to recapture Skrunda began. The Latvian Separate Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Oskars Kalpaks was to attack along the Rudbāržu-Skrunda highway and drive the Bolsheviks out of Skrunda. This would be followed by a flank attack by German units with the task of destroying the advancing enemy, while the Russian company would attack between the Latvian and German units, using the Skrunda church as a landmark. The attack was also supported by a German artillery battery. On the day of the attack, the frost was 15 degrees, the sun shone brightly, the Kalpaks had to cross a clear field, and the Bolsheviks were sheltering in the stone buildings of the manor. The Bolsheviks opened fire when the chain of attackers was about 300 metres away, a two-way firefight broke out, and the soldiers under Oskars Kalpaks' command advanced in a rapid advance, forcing the enemy to cease fire and retreat across the Venta. After about 3 hours of fighting, Skrunda was captured at about 9am, with the Latvian Separate Battalion having only 2 wounded.
The Battle of Skrunda was of great importance for the morale of the Latvian Provisional Government's armed Spek soldiers, as it was in fact the first significant victory in the battles against the Bolsheviks. Moreover, the commander himself, Oskars Kalpaks, showed particular courage in the battle, encouraging the soldiers by his example not to be afraid.
Oskars Kalpaks Museum and Memorial Site “Airītes”
The Oskars Kalpaks Museum and Memorial Site Airītes is located between Saldus and Skrunda near the A9 highway. The exhibit has extensive information about Colonel Oskars Kalpaks and his battalion, and shows the history of the Latvian National Army and the memorial site Airītes. The exhibit reveals Colonel Oskars Kalpaks as a personality, as a soldier and as a fighter for Latvia's independence. Audio logs in Latvian, English and German are also available as part of the exhibit. They emphasize the importance of the historic events of 1918/1919 in the protecting the statehood of Latvia. The museum building has been restored.
Entry is free; guided tour – for a fee. The complex has a recreation area, a park, an obstacle course, it is possible to take various classes, and there is a seminar hall for up to 30 people.
"Nature - Strength Trail" of Oskars Kalpaks Museum
The nature trail was created in the territory adjacent to the museum and is based on the idea of the design of the O. Kalpaks Museum and its surroundings in 1936.The nature trail is free of charge for individual museum visitors.
The nature trail features wooden sculptures created during a woodworkers' plein-air workshop organised by the Kuldīga Technology and Tourism Technical School on the unifying theme - "For the Love of Freedom". Also on display are large-format paintings from the plein-air "Guard your Fatherland!" artworks painted by teams of schoolchildren from the surrounding regions.
A mini-air-track has also been created in the nature trail for the youngest visitors of the museum.
Lēnu Manor
The manor castle is located in the village of Lēnu, by the Venta River. The castle is currently privately owned and can therefore only be seen from a distance.
The manor house was used as a support point by the 1st Latvian Separate Battalion from the end of January to 3 March 1919. The Latvian Separate Battalion had to liberate the surroundings of Leni Manor in order to be able to cross the river opposite Jaunmuiža.
The manor belonged to Baron Friedrich von Firks, who also owned the Rudbāržzi and Sieksate manors. The manor house was built in the 19th century. For the Baron, the castle of Lēnu served mainly as a place for hunting and weekend relaxation.
From 1927 to 1937 the castle was a school, and during the Soviet occupation it was a collective farm woodshop. In 1965, a community centre was opened. The ensemble of buildings has suffered many alterations and the park has not been preserved. Several outbuildings have survived.
Skrunda Manor and exposition of Skrunda locator
Skrunda manor has an exhibit about the Skrunda radar (Skrunda radio location station) and the activities of the Latvian Popular Front in Skrunda. The Skrunda radio location station nicknamed ‘Kombināts’ (The Plant) was a USSR missile early warning system in the western sector. Location ‘Skrunda-2’ was a special town (в/ч 18951) created 5 km from Skrunda in the direction of Kuldīga for the needs of the USSR military. The radar station Dņepr operated from here and a new, more modern station Darjal was being built. Construction was stopped and the radar station Darjal was blown up on 4 May 1995. In compliance with an international agreement the radar station Dnieper was shut down on 31 August 1998.
The birthplace of Colonel Oskars Kalpaks “Liepsalas” and the final resting place in Visagals cemetery
The Colonel Oskars Kalpaks family memorial in Liepsalas is located in the area between Madona and Lake Lubāns. Liepsalas is Kalpaks’ childhood home. The memorial site was established here in 1997 based on the ideas and using the resources of the colonel’s niece, Ārija Kalpaks-Grundmane (1922-2006). The site consists of various environmental objects and stone sculptures with a symbolic meaning, signifying Latvian ethical and patriotic values. The largest building houses an exhibit dedicated to the history of the Latvian War of Independence and the 22 years of Latvian freedom (1918-1940). Located in the Visagals graveyard, the monument to Oskars Kalpaks, created by Kārlis Zāle and Arnolds Dzirkals, was unveiled in 1927. The monument consists of a composition of three figures, in the centre of which is an ancient Latvian warrior holding a shield and a sword, with a falling soldier on each side. Placed obliquely on a granite base, a bronze plaque at the foot of the sculptural group contains engraved text, including a poem, dedicated to Kalpaks, by Edvards Virza. Oskars Kalpaks died on 6 March 1919 near Airītes, by the road from Skrunda to Saldus.
