Latvian Army Aviation Regiment
I WW1, I Wars of Independence, Independence of the Baltic States, II WW2

Located in the territory of Vecgulbene manor - in the historical center.

In the interwar period, the garrison of the Latvian Army was located in Gulbene, where the 7th Sigulda Infantry Regiment Battalion was stationed. Aerodromes are especially important in places where important railway and road junctions have been established. In 1937, a newly established unit of the Aviation Regiment was stationed in Gulbene, which became the 6th Division of the Latgale Division Scouts, increasing the number of army units near the eastern border of Latvia.

The conservatory building is visible.

Located near Vecgulbene manor, Litenes street.

In the second half of the 1940s, the radar ornament of the Soviet army part No.75568 was deployed in the conservatory of Vecgulbene manor and in the adjacent manor house of the manor; In the late 1980s, they were transferred to Beļava Parish. The Soviet army left Gulbene in 1993.

There is a square with two artificial hills on Litenes Street.

The only sewing machine collection in Latvia with more than 200 different sewing machines from the pre-war and Soviet periods, which played a direct role in the production of military clothing in the pre-war and war years. Collection creator - Juris Beloivans

It is located in Preiļi 1st primary school premises.

The exhibition "Jāzeps Baško - air driver" was created in 2014 and is dedicated to the 125th birthday of the outstanding local man, aviator, commander of the "Iļja Muromec" squadron, organizer of the Latvian Air Force, general Jāzeps Baško and the 100th anniversary of World War I. The exhibition of the museum's collection is designed as a design object - a 6-fold reduced model of the "Ilya Muromec" airplane, on which information can be found in the form of texts and images. The exhibition is enriched by deposits from the collections of the Latvian War Museum and newly acquired information from the Latvian State History Archive, the Spilve Aviation Museum and materials from the private archives of individual individuals.

Mandatory prior application by calling T. 65322731, T. 25640398. Tour in English and Russian is possible. You can go to the exhibition "Jāzeps Baško - Air Driver" from the Museum of History and Applied Arts.

Vaiņode airfield still has 16 Soviet-era aircraft hangars and an 1800 m section of the once 2500 m long runway. The airfield can only be visited with a previous booking. Vaiņode airfield was established during the Latvian independence as one of the cradles of Latvian aviation and was later one of the largest military airfields in the Baltic States. In 1916, two hangars for German Army airships were built. Airships were used to gather intelligence and bomb the positions of the Russian Army. Later the city of Riga bought the airship hangars and used their roof structures to build the pavilions of the Riga Central Market. In May 1940, the 31st Fast Bomber Aviation Regiment of the Red Army moved to Vaiņode, and the construction of a standardized concrete slab runway began. At the end of the summer of 1944 the partially completed airfield was used by various German aviation units, however, at the end of World War II, the same airfield was used by the Red Army aviation units fighting the German Army group called ‘Kurzeme’. After World War II the Soviet Air Forces were stationed in Vaiņode until 1992.

Located in Riga, Pardaugava, Spilve meadows near Ilguciems.

Spilve is famous in the history of military heritage for the large-scale battle of Spilve in the 18th century. and Spilve Airport. Beginning in the 20th century, it was used to test aircraft, but in World War I it became a witness to the history of Latvian aviation.

In World War I, Spilve meadows were used for the needs of the Russian Air Force in the fight against the German Army. With the establishment of Latvia, the airfield became the most important base of the national air force and a place for pilot training. The previous names of the airport were "Spilve Airport" or "Riga Airport", later "Riga Central Airport". It was the main airport in Latvia until the opening of Riga Airport in 1975.

It is possible that Spilve Airport near Riga and the dream of reaching for the stars have contributed to the impressive achievements of many Latvian pilots. Perhaps, however, the beginning of Latvian aviation is much older and can be found in Priekule, where a Latvian blacksmith Zviedris made a flight from the church tower with a homemade device.

Today, Spilve Airport is still open. You can see the airport building built in 1954, which embodies the style of Soviet classicism or "Stalin's Empire".

Sources:

Irbītis, K. Latvian Aviation and Its Pioneers. Riga: Science, 2004.

Brūvelis, E. History of Latvian Aviation: 1919-1940. Riga: Science, 2003.

Official website of the State Agency "Civil Aviation Agency". Available: https://www.caa.gov.lv/lv/latvijas-aviacijas-vesture-isuma [accessed 22.02.2021].