Memorial moment in the Garrison Cemetery
After the restoration of Latvia's independence, Uldis Veldre, the head of the department of the Alūksne Brothers' Cemetery Committee, took care of the maintenance of the Garrison Cemetery, the identification of the LKOK-related resting places related to Alūksne and the installation of memorials in the Garrison Cemetery.
"When I learned that V. Spandegs (1890-1941) had died, I was already celebrating his 100th birthday in the Alūksne Garrison Cemetery at the Great White Cross during the Soviet occupation, on December 19, 1990, revealing to him there the white Lāčplēsis marble. plate. This memorial plaque always has fresh flowers, it has been carefully tidied up, we especially note the dates of birth and death of General V. Spandeg - December 19, October 16 and Lāčplēsis Day - November 11. It was also on October 16, when we commemorated the 60th anniversary of the death of Lāčplēsis Vilis Spandegs. The guard of honor with the Latvian flag and the battalion flag stood the brave guards of the homeland - soldiers of the Alūksne Mobile Rifle Battalion (MBS), flag bearers of E. Glika Alūksne State Gymnasium. In 1938, Colonel Vilis Spandegs presented the flag - a gift from the 7th Sigulda Infantry Regiment to Alūksne State Gymnasium. At the end of the Fatherland Love Hour, representatives of our national hero - Lāčplēsis Viļa Spandega family, Alūksne Brothers Cemetery Committee, Alūksne MSB, Lāčplēsis Eduards
Kokle's grandson Sandris, grandson Alberts and grandson Adele Līviņi planted an oak tree so that the bright memory of the last commander of the 7th Sigulda Infantry Regiment, a knight of the Lāčplēsis Tomb Order, then Colonel Viļa Spandega, would live forever. Together with the MSB guys, we brought Ozoliņa from the land of the great Latvian Zigfrīds Kalačs. The choice was not random. In the early spring of 1919, in the battles near Rezaka, Jaunlaicene, Ape, the second battalion of Valmiera regiment was commanded by our county resident (Gaujaen) Kārlis Bojārs - III class knight of the Lāčplēsis War Order, commander of the 7th Sigulda Infantry Regiment The heroes do not die. They will live in the heart of our nation even when there will be no children of my generation - Alūksne and the true history of Latvia more than 60 years ago. May there never be a shortage of heroes who are able and willing to give away everything they have for their homeland, for their country and for the Nation. ”
The video is dedicated to the memory of Vilius Spandega
Uldis Veldre, Head of the Alūksne Brothers Cemetery Committee. Vili Spandega is mentioned in Aluksne. We are talking about Lāčplēsis. Free Latvia: Joint "London Newspaper" and "Latvia", November 10, 2001, no. 43.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtzCjhm80so
Related timeline
Related objects
Alūksne Garrison Cemetery
Located on the shores of Lake Alūksne, on the Kapsēta peninsula, in the territory of the Great Cemetery.
They were started and maintained by the soldiers of the 7th Sigulda Infantry Regiment in the 1930s and consecrated on November 11, 1932. After the restoration of Latvia's independence, Uldis Veldre, the head of the department of the Alūksne Brothers' Cemetery Committee, took care of the maintenance of the Garrison Cemetery, the identification of the resting places associated with Alūksne and the installation of memorials in the Garrison Cemetery.
Military personnel of the Army of the Republic of Latvia were buried in the garrison cemetery, as well as soldiers and civilians killed in the fight against the Bolsheviks on July 4, 1941 in Alūksne near Jāņkalniņš and on July 7, 1941 in Ziemera parish.
Most of the buried have white wooden crosses with metal plaques, which indicate the name of the deceased, the rank or occupation, as well as the date of birth and death.
On December 19, 1990, a memorial to Vilius Spandeg, a knight of the Lāčplēsis Military Order, was unveiled in the Garrison Cemetery. Standard memorial plaques were also erected to the LKOK, who died or were killed in communist concentration camps and were not buried in Latvia. On November 11, 1990, a memorial was erected to Voldemārs Zaķis, who died in the communist concentration camp.
Monument to the soldiers of the 7th Sigulda Infantry Regiment who died in the Latvian War of Independence
Located on the shores of Lake Alūksne, on the edge of Pleskavas Street (Kolberg Road).
On June 22, 1923, the President of Latvia, Jānis Čakste, unveiled a monument to the fallen soldiers of the 7th Sigulda Infantry Regiment. The monument is based on the design of the artist Jūlijs Miesnieks.
The soldiers of the regiment also improved and maintained the area around the monument. Soldiers gathered at the monument on the eve of the regiment's annual holiday, when the holy fire was lit, as well as on the day of the regiment's year after the parade and intercession in the garrison cemetery.
1940/1941 The Bolsheviks removed and destroyed the plaque in 1953, but the monument itself was demolished in 1953 and its stones were laid in the foundations of the corner of the barracks house.
At the beginning of the Awakening, in the autumn of 1989, the vicinity of the destroyed monument, which was still in the territory of the USSR occupation forces, was cleaned up. On November 11, a temporary granite memorial was unveiled at the former location of the monument, with the text: "The monument of the 7th Sigulda Infantry Regiment will be restored in this place on November 11, 1989."
Thanks to the initiative of U. Veldre, the head of the Alūksne Brothers Cemetery Committee, the restoration of the monument was started and on October 16, 2009 the restored monument was unveiled.
Unlike the original monument, a cross was created on the obelisk regiment instead of a chest sign. Both sculptures of the monument were wrought by the sculptor Ainars Zelcs. Both the part of the 22 original obelisk blocks found on the territory of the National Armed Forces Infantry School and the newly built blocks were used for the restored monument.
On June 20, 2019, as part of the centenary of the Sigulda Infantry Regiment, a memorial site and a granite memorial plaque to the fallen soldiers of the unit were unveiled at the foot of the monument hill. The memorial site was built with funds donated by the staff of the Infantry School of the National Armed Forces.
