Dugout
I World War I, I Wars of Independence, II World War II, III National Partizans

Latvian Riflemen dugouts and trenches in Tīreļi are located in Babīte parish, Mārupe municipality, in the vicinity of the Antiņi Latvian Riflemen Cemetery and the former medicine warehouse. During World War I this was the defensive position of Latvian Riflemen of the Russian Imperial Army. A complex of trenches and surface dugouts was built in the sandy hills. Trench or positional warfare is the best way to accurately describe World War I and emphasise the importance of fortifications. They were based on the research of military engineers and adapted to the environment and the development of new weapons. The everyday life of a soldier is a continuous improvement of defensive fortifications. Sometimes soldiers would give the dugouts names that reminded them of their homes and would help to forget about the reality of the war. Trench lines were complex defensive systems that were hard for the enemy to take. With the development of weapons these defences became even more sophisticated. The roofs of dugouts were reinforced to withstand artillery shells. Trenches were made in changing patterns and directions so that explosions would cause as little damage as possible. Movement passages had pockets that were used as short-term hiding spots during artillery fire, because they protected soldiers from shrapnel and rubble. Today part of the fortification has been restored and you can visit 3 restored dugouts and a 100 m long section of the trenches.

The Melānija Vanaga Museum is located in the Amata village school in Cēsis municipality. The museum showcases materials about the life, literary activity, family and destiny of writer and cultural historian Melānija Vanaga: video content about Siberia and the deported Latvians living there and a Siberian dugout taking its visitors on a trip to the writer’s place of deportation in Tyukhtetsky district, Krasnoyarsk region. The appearance and layout of the dugout form a realistic idea of life away from home. The dugout features unique historical objects brought there from the Tyukhtet Museum: a birch-bark dish known as ‘tuyesok’, a clay mug known as ‘krynka’ and a kerosene lamp. The museum features video interviews with politically repressed people from the municipality and 18 characters from Melānija Vanaga’s book Suddenly, a Criminal: Sixteen Years in Siberia. The museum’s virtual exhibition ‘BE YOURSELF!’ (http://esipats.lv) shows the experiences of five deported children and their parents who were wrongly accused by the Soviet authorities of ‘betrayal of the motherland’.

The Veseta Partisan Dugout and the “White Cross” memorial site are located in the Veseta floodplain swamp.

After the Second World War, the so-called Pārups Group was operating in Vietalva. Rihards Pārups (1914–1946) was the leader of the group. During the Second World War, he was a sergeant of the 15th Latvian Division of the German Army. He participated in national partisan operations in the vicinity of Jēkabpils and Madona. During its short existence, Pārups Group took part in more than 20 armed clashes with the units of the Ministry of the Interior of the time.

The Colonel Kotov of Cheka, in his report to his superiors in Riga, indicated that, as a result of the activities of the group, the Soviet authorities in the Jēkabpils and Madona districts were paralysed. National partisans led by Pārups found and destroyed several deportation lists, thus saving the lives of multiple people. Unable to destroy the national partisan unit in open combat, the leadership of the Soviet Security Committee infiltrated four members of the Cheka special force into the group. On the night of 2 July 1946, these agents shot ten partisans of the unit, including Rihards Pārups. The burial place of the fallen is unknown, but a commemorative plaque has been erected at the Brothers’ Cemetery in Riga to commemorate them. The “White Cross” memorial site is situated next to Veseta Partisans Dugout. It is a 3-metre-high white cross with a plaque inscribed with the names of partisans who fell on 2 July 1946.

The restored dugout of the 2nd Company of the Rubenis Battalion is located in a forest by lake Ilziķi in the Usma parish. The dugout can be viewed from the outside for free at any time. However, tours inside the dugout must be booked in advance.

The Battalion of Lieutenant Robert Rubenis was part of a military unit formed by General Jānis Kurelis, and it is known for not surrendering to the German troops and showing heavy resistance. From November 14 to December 9 in 1944 fierce battles were fought in Ugāle, Usma, Renda and Zlēkas parishes between forces of the 16th German Army, SD and SS units under the command of the Police General Friedrich Jeckeln, and the battalion of the Kurelian unit commanded by Lieutenant Roberts Rubenis. The men under Rubenis’ command were well armed and organized and did not associate themselves with any of the two hostile occupying powers. Their actions are considered to be the most wide-spread and longest in the history of the Latvian national resistance movement. In battles near Renda and Zlēkas about 250 German soldiers fell, while only 50 casualties were suffered by Rubenis’ men. The events of those days are represented by the restored dugout in the forest (sod-covered, log cabin dug in the ground) where the men of the Rubenis Battalion once stayed.

Campsite Melnsils is located next to the sea 10 km from Kolka. Here German Army type dugouts have been built that can be used as lodging for the night. This is a nod to the history of this region when during World War II the German Army had a border guard post and a camp site here and soldiers built dugouts for themselves using materials that could be found nearby. Trenches can still be found in the dunes along the coast.

‘Bunker Nr. 13’ is the largest of the two dugouts, with three bunk beds. The ‘Small Bunker’ is smaller and has two bunk beds. Campsite ‘Melnsils’ is a great choice for active recreation and sporting events for up to 300 people. It is located near the Slitere National Park, coastal bluffs and forest hiking trails. There are marked cycling trails that wind through the natural surroundings in the area. There are designated places for tents and campfires by the sea, as well as barrel-type guest houses for two or four people. A bathhouse with different types of whisks is also available.

Located in Olaine, near the Olaine History and Art Museum.

The historical route was created in 2018 at the site of the Russian army fortifications during World War I, which were part of the area's defense system. The battles between the German and Russian armies in the Olaine area attract attention for several reasons. The swampy terrain prevented the warring parties from achieving quick success and required soldiers to have diverse skills when operating in adverse conditions. Accurate terrain analysis, reconnaissance, and fortifications or engineering structures played a major role in warfare.

Today, the educational route is freely accessible and provides a rough idea of the living conditions of the soldiers. The restored buildings are closed, but can be viewed by contacting the specialists of the Olaine History and Art Museum in advance.

The group of islands is located in Daugava on the southern side of the Riga HPP reservoir near Daugmale. The Death Island is one of the scariest and most legendary battlefields of World War  I. When the Russian Army withdrew from Kurzeme and Zemgale in 1915 some units remained on the left bank of Daugava, where they took positions to fight the German Army. The banks of the river were connected by a bridge. One of the largest chemical weapons usage cases in the territory of Latvia took place here. Latvian soldiers called the place ‘Death Island’, but soldiers of other nationalities called it ‘Hell’. The position of Death Island was of strategic and symbolic importance. For Latvian soldiers it was part of Kurzeme occupied by Germany. Fights took place on the banks of Daugava near Ikšķile, and in some way they were associated with the fights of the ancestors during the Crusades. Nowadays this location is accessible by boat. Territory of the Riga HPP reservoir that was not flooded can be seen. The monument designed by E. Laube still remains. Defensive position elements have been reconstructed in some places. There is an information stand on the bank of Daugava near the Ikšķile Kābeļu hill. Death Island became a group of islands after the construction of the Riga HPP reservoir was finished.

Located 15 km from Balvi in the direction of Viļaka, on the right side of the road.

A memorial sign is visible.

A memorial to the participants of the resistance movement, dedicated to the memory of the national partisans of Pēteris Supe who fell in the battles of March 2 and 3, 1945, was unveiled on the side of the Balvu - Viļakas highway opposite the Stompaku swamp on August 11, 2011, on the Day of Remembrance of Latvian Freedom Fighters. At the end of July, a capsule with a message for future generations was embedded in the foundation of the monument. A document with the names of 28 national partisans who fell in the battles of March 2 and 3, 1945 is placed in the capsule.

"In February 1945, on the islands of the Stompaku swamp, which the people began to call the Stompaku swamp islets, 2 km from the Balvi - Viļaka highway, the largest national partisan camp in Latvia was established, where 360 people lived in 22 dugouts. Among them were some legionnaires who, when the legion division retreated, had remained at their father's house with all their weapons. In order to destroy the partisans, on March 2, 1945, soldiers from two Cheka battalions attacked the dugouts together with destroyers, who also had four mortars in their armament. The fighting lasted all day, the partisans resisted stubbornly, and the attackers suffered heavy losses, so that they were unable to take the camp and destroy the partisans. 28 residents of the Stompaku swamp had also fallen in the battle or died from serious injuries. The next night, the partisans broke through the camps with a battle "the siege and left undefeated" - this is what Zigfrīds Berķis, the chairman of the Commission for the Affairs of the National Resistance Movement Participants of the Awards Department, writes about the Battle of Stompak.

Located in the Grīva forest massif.
Six objects related to the sites of national and Soviet partisan battles can be viewed.
The Grīva forest massif is home to not only the headquarters of the “Purvsaliņi” national partisans, the White Cross in the national partisan bunker and the cross to the commander of the resistance movement Andrejs Roskošs, but also the grave of the commander of the Soviet partisan brigade Artūrs Baložs, a monument on the so-called Meiteņu kalninė, where a group of young partisans of the Soviet partisan brigade perished in 1944, as well as a monument to Soviet partisans with a five-pointed star and the engraved words “We covered ourselves with our needles.”

The objects can also be viewed by going on a bicycle ride on cycle route No. 785 - "Historical Rhymes in the Grīva Forests" (route length 34 km, gravel and forest roads). Map for download.

Memorial to the commander of the national partisan group Andrejs Roskošs (GPS 56.87399, 27.43524)
In the autumn of 1997, a White Cross was unveiled in the Lielgrīva Forest for the commander of the national partisan group, Andrejs Roskoš.

Monument to Artūrs Balodis (GPS 56.872926, 27.478121)
Artūrs Balodis was a Soviet partisan, a special operations commander for the A subunit, which was stationed in the Grīva forest massif. He fell during a large-scale “combing” carried out by the Nazi German occupiers. His comrades carved the letters AB into a birch tree at the place where he died so that he would not forget it. After the war, local historians found the marked birch tree and installed a memorial plaque in its place.

To all those who fell in the Grīva forests (GPS 56.863280, 27.47975)
This memorial stone in the Grīva forest massif has been installed by the State Enterprise “Latvijas valsts meži” in honor of the partisans who fought for their homeland. Next to the memorial stone is a map-scheme with indications of partisan headquarters - sightseeing objects. A recreation area has also been established. Nearby is the site of the national partisan settlement, 1945-1947.

National partisan settlement site (GPS 56.863456, 27.481148)
This place was home to the settlements of national partisans who fought against the Soviet occupation. The sites of individual bunkers have survived, from the visual appearance of which one can judge how large and what shape the dugouts were. National partisans, resisting Soviet rule, operated in the Grīva forests for several years after the end of World War II.

Girls' Hill (GPS 56.858187, 27.521526)
In June 1944, the Nazi German occupiers carried out a large-scale “combing” of the Grīva forests with the aim of destroying the partisans. The soldiers surrounded the farm company on Numerne Hill, which consisted mostly of young girls, and all of them were shot. Since these tragic events, the locals have renamed Numerne Hill as Meiteņu Hill. A memorial stone has been erected at this place.

Sērmūkši is home to one of more than a hundred memorials to partisan battles in Latvia. There are more than six hundred partisan battle sites in Latvia. A Latvian national partisan dugout has been built based on historical evidence, and visitors can spend the night in near-authentic conditions with plank beds, lighting provided by kerosene lamps and a heating device similar to the ones used by partisans. Visits must be booked in advance. The fateful moment for the Sērmūkši National Partisan Group came on 29 November 1946 with the deaths of four fighters from the group: Jānis Zīrāks, Reinholds Pētersons, Jānis Pīlands and Anna Zariņa. Alfrēds Suipe survived, endured deportation, returned to Latvia and saw the restoration of a free state. He initiated the idea to establish a memorial site for his fallen companions in Sērmūkši.

Aizvīķi Manor Park is located in Aizvīķi, Gramzda Parish, just a few kilometers from the Lithuanian border.

In Aizvīķi Park, the sites of World War II bunkers and trenches are still clearly visible. A Red Army bunker has been restored in the park.

One of the types of weapons during World War II was the Katyusha rocket launcher system. Several such rocket launcher systems were located in Aizvīķi Park, and even today these places (caponiers) are clearly visible in nature.

To better explore the cultural and historical heritage of Aizvīķi Manor Park, we recommend using the services of a guide.

Aizvīķi Manor Park is located in Aizvīķi, Gramzda Parish, just a few kilometers from the Lithuanian border.

In Aizvīķi Park, the sites of bunkers and trenches from World War II are still clearly visible. One of the types of weapons was the rocket launcher system "Katyusha". Several such rocket launcher systems were located in Aizvīķi Park, even after the end of World War II, and these sites (caponiers) are clearly visible in nature.

This unique forest park, shrouded in secrets and legends, was created in the late 19th century as the Aizvīķi Manor Park, when the manor's baron von Korf planted the nearby hilly land with a pine and spruce forest. Later, walking paths were laid out in the 40-hectare area, other species of trees were also planted, and a pheasant garden was established.

In addition to the picturesque forest landscapes, there are also wooden fairy tale and legend characters, as well as stone sculptures that tell travelers events from the history of Aizvīķi and mark the cultural and historical sites in the park. The park also has a Green Class.

To better explore the cultural and historical heritage of Aizvīķi Manor Park, we recommend using the services of a guide.