Nature photos of the Uzava coast and Soviet border guards
The story of a protected plant photo in a border guard area.
Back in the 1970s, together with nature photographer V. Klimpiņš, we went to the Kurzeme coast to photograph protected plant species. Our destination was Užava, one of the few places where a rare and protected plant species grows in the dunes - the seaside bluebottle. At that time, we were escorted to the sea by armed border guards. As it was not allowed to photograph the seashore at that time, we asked the border guards - can we photograph the rare plant "on the spot", or do we have to "carry it into the field" and then photograph it? We got permission to photograph it in its natural habitat. It is a rare species, after all.
(notes)
The seaside bluebunch wheatgrass (Eryngium maritimum L.) is a 30 - 60 cm tall herbaceous plant of the hemlock family. The plant has a bluish blush.
The species is most widespread in Europe, along the Atlantic and maritime coasts, from the Baltic Sea to the northern coasts of Africa. In Latvia it is very rare, only in the southern and central part of the Kurzeme coast. Single specimens in the Ventspils - Pape section and the Ziemupe - Akmensrags section.
Jurmala Blueberry - Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
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Related objects
Užava Lighthouse
Užava Lighthouse is located in an uninhabited area 3 km from the village of Užava on a 28 m high dune. The lighthouse was built in 1879.
In 1910, the lighthouse was reinforced with 7-8 cm thick planks and a stone burial mound in front, as the gentle drift caused the sea waves to erode the foot of the dune. During the First World War, Užava Lighthouse was badly damaged: the upper cylindrical part of the lighthouse tower was destroyed, as well as the auxiliary buildings, which were destroyed by artillery shelling. Only the octagonal base of the tower remained intact, on which the new tower of Užava Lighthouse was completed in 1925. The new tower was identical in external appearance to the previous tower. Throughout its existence, the lighthouse has continued to strengthen the adjacent hillside.
The tower is 19 m high, 44 m above sea level and the lighthouse can be seen 15 nautical miles away.
During the Second World War, at the end of 1944, the headquarters of the German 113th Guards Regiment with several coastal defence batteries were located in the vicinity of the Užava Lighthouse. A forward artillery observation post with observation searchlights was located just outside the lighthouse. At the end of World War II, the 7th battery of the 530th Naval Artillery Division with five anti-aircraft guns was located in the vicinity of Užava Lighthouse.
