Latvian Provisional Government's armed forces
I Wars of Independence

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.

O.Kalpaka Square is located in the very centre of Saldus, at the intersection of Lielā and Striķu streets. 

The former market square is today a favourite place of recreation for residents and visitors of Saldus, where concerts, commemorative events and festivities are held. On 10 March 1919, Saldus became the first Latvian town liberated by Colonel Oskars Kalpaks' battalion.

On 14 March 1919, the first parade of the Latvian Separate Battalion took place in the square, and in 1992, in honour of Colonel Kalpakas, the square was named after him. 

The Latvian War Museum is located in the Old Town not far from the Freedom Monument in a historic defence building called the ‘Powder Tower’. There are 11 exhibits in the museum. There are various weapons, documents, uniforms, awards, badges and other items detailing the everyday life of a soldier in war. The Latvian War Museum is one of the oldest museums in Latvia. Its origins can be found in World War I. Museum’s collection was made up mainly of personal items of soldiers or items found on battlefields. After Latvia gained its independence the main goal of the museum became to create an exposition on the military history of Latvia and the active role of the population in protecting their land. In 1937 the museum was expanded and was technically one of the most modern museums in Europe at that time. The Powder Tower was one of the fortification towers of Riga. Some evidence dates back to 1330 where it has been mentioned as the ‘Sand Tower’. The tower was destroyed in 1621 when Riga was besieged by the Swedish Army. But in 1650 a new tower for storing gunpowder and weapons was built. After the city’s fortifications were taken down, the Powder Tower remains as one of the most important pieces of evidence of the Riga defence system.

Atroadas, Inčukalns, Atmodas Street 2.

On July 3, 2016, a monument to the first battle for Latvia's independence, dedicated to the Latvian National Guard (Die Lettländische Landeswehr), was unveiled. sides. Eižens Upmanis, the chairman of the Brothers' Cemetery Committee, concluded at the time that this could be the historically first monument to the combined Latvian and Baltic forces in the battle memorials outside the cemetery. At that time, Lieutenant Colonel Oskars Kalpaks was appointed commander of the Latvian units of the Latvian National Guard or Landesver, from whose units the later Latvian army grew and formed during the Freedom Fights.

In 1918, the entire territory of present-day Latvia had fallen into the hands of the German Empire and its troops. However, at the end of the summer and autumn of 1918, the situation began to end badly for Germany, and it was clear that it was only a matter of time before Germany would be forced to concede defeat in World War I. The Russian Empire, which included Latvia before World War I, had ceased to exist earlier, with the revolutions of February and October 1917. On November 18, 1918, the Republic of Latvia was proclaimed. After the ceasefire with the Entente on November 11, 1918, the German army, which was on the territory of Latvia, was no longer motivated for further warfare, and most of its soldiers simply wanted to return home.

Under such circumstances, it was clear that Latvia's defense depended primarily on the national guard formed by the people of Latvia. Initially, due to their education and relatively greater ability to self-organize, the greatest initiative in creating such a national guard was shown by the Baltic Germans living in Latvia. Russian soldiers also joined the National Guard. In order to ensure the supply of the National Guard with uniforms, weapons and other necessary resources, on December 7, 1918, the Provisional Government of Latvia entered into an agreement with the German representative August Vinnig, providing for the provision of the National Guard from the German army reserves in Latvia. This agreement stated, among other things, that the National Guard, officially known as the Latvian National Guard or in German, the die Lettländische Landeswehr, would be the armed forces of the Republic of Latvia.

Two soldiers of the Latvian Red Rifle Regiment (ie approximately 2,000 to 3,000 soldiers) who had previously experienced in World War I and the Russian Civil War faced the Latvian National Guard. Despite the experience and numerical superiority of the Red Army, the Latvian National Guard held Inčukalns for two days in fierce fighting, until finally, in the evening of January 1, 1919, to avoid siege, was forced to retire, losing 43 dead and several wounded, most of whom was taken captive by the Bolsheviks, where they were killed or died of starvation or disease.

Author: Artis Buks. Material: Boulder. The monument is made of large monolithic stone, which was found in Rolls near Jelgava.

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.

The longest pier in Latvia - the Northern Pier - was built at the end of the 19th century as a very important part of the Liepaja Sea Fortress and military port. The length of the pier is 1800 metres, the width - 7.35 metres.

The Northern Pier is one of the first port structures of Emperor Alexander III, built between 1890 and 1892 before the excavation of the Karosta Canal. Together with the North Breakwater, the South Breakwater and the South Pier, the pier formed the outpost of Liepaja.

Liepaja Fortress Battery No 3 was located next to the North Pier of the Karosta and was planned to be the largest in terms of armament. Platforms were built for four 6-inch (152 mm) guns of the 1892 model of the Canet system, five 11-inch (280 mm) guns of the 1887 model and two 57 mm Nordenfeld anti-tank guns, as well as 18 9-inch (229 mm) guns and mortars.

Today, Battery 3 is most affected by the prevailing south-north sea current, which creates a whirlpool effect behind the North Pier, resulting in the washouts of the gun platform foundations.

The North Pier protects the Liepaja harbour area from North Westerly winds. It is a favourite place for residents and visitors to Liepaja to watch sunsets, fish and watch the sea in different weather conditions. Especially spectacular during storms.

There is ample parking at the North Pier. There are also restrooms and a café with a unique sea view.

The Karosta is the largest historical military territory in the Baltics and occupies almost one third of the entire territory of Liepāja. The Karosta is a unique compound of military and fortification buildings on the shores of the Baltic Sea with a special meaning in the history and architecture of Latvia and the world. The Karosta features such military heritage sites as the North Pier and forts, the Redan, Karosta Prison, Karosta Water Tower, St. Nicholas Orthodox Maritime Cathedral, Oskars Kalpaks Bridge and others.

The real berth of the ship "Saratov" is located in Liepāja, Vecā ostmala 59 near the boat docks, but the memorial is located in the immediate vicinity of the special economic zone of Liepaja.

Built in 1888 in Copenhagen in the shipyard "Buvmeistar & Wain" under the name "Leopold II". 1911. In 2010, it was bought by the joint-stock company Russian North-West Shipping and renamed "Saratov", Latvian Aleksandrs Remes became the ship's captain.

In May 1915, when Liepaja was occupied by German troops, "Saratov" was in the port in a damaged condition.

On January 10, 1919, the steamship "Saratov" was taken over by the Provisional Government of Latvia. From April 1919 to July 1919 on the ship "Saratov" after "16. of the April coup" was the Provisional Government led by K. Ulmanis, which was forced to save itself under the protection of the Allied fleet.

On July 8, 1919, after the Provisional Government of K. Ulmanis was brought to Riga, the steamer was used in traffic between Riga, Ventspils and Liepāja.

According to the terms of the peace treaty of August 11, 1920 between Latvia and Soviet Russia, the steamer "Saratov" had to be returned to the Soviet side. On January 2, 1923, the steamers were handed over to the representative of Soviet Russia. On January 15, 1923, the steamer "Saratov" perished near Akmeņraga.

In 1936, the Maritime Department of Latvia sold the shipwreck to a company, which salvaged it and delivered it for scrap to the Liepāja Shipyard.

Located in Visagala Cemetery, Madona district

On July 10, 1927, a monument made by Kārlis Zāle and Arnolds Dzirkaļs was unveiled to Oskars Kalpaks - a composition of three figures, in the center of which is an ancient Latvian warrior with a shield and a sword in his hand, but on both sides is a wielding soldier. At the foot of the sculptural group, a bronze plaque is placed on the granite base, with a text engraved on it, which also includes a poem by Edward Virza dedicated to Kalpak.

Oskars Kalpaks fell in 1919. On March 6, near "Airīte", on the side of Skrunda - Saldus road, on September 18, his remains were transferred from the northern cemetery of Liepāja to the family cemetery in Visagala.

The monument was unveiled by General J. Balodis, Chairman of the Monument Committee of Colonel O. Kalpaks, with the participation of the then President G. Zemgale, Prime Minister M. Skujenieks, Speaker of the Saeima P. Kalniņš, Minister of War R. Bangerskim and K. Ulmanis. The foundation stone of the monument was laid on June 19, 1925. The stone for the monument is taken from the colonel's native house in Siena swamp, O. Kalpaks loved to play the violin on this stone as a child.