Bruņotā pretošanās padomju okupācijas varai Sēlijā

The group of national partisans of Pētera Prauliņa (1911-1949) of Biržu parish was part of the group led by Mārtiņas Pokļevińskas (1902-1951). The group carried out several partisan actions in which they punished Soviet collaborators and requisitioned food and property of the economic institutions of the occupying power. The partisans of P. Prauliņa's group did not observe sufficient conspiracy, many persons visited their settlement, which created an opportunity for betrayal. Lack of military experience was one of the weaknesses of the guerrilla armed movement.

P. Prauliņa's partisan group was destroyed on May 16, 1949 in the Kalna forest of Biržu parish during the operation of the Ministry of State Security of the LPSR, in which military units also participated. The Forest Brothers had created a bunker with circle defenses, well camouflaged and located at an indeterminate height in a swampy area. The partisans fiercely resisted the Czech army units for at least 40 minutes, but the entire composition of the group fell: Pēteris Prauliņš, Artūrs Bružuks, Jānis Kalvāns, Edvīns Slikšāns and Francis Skromanis. The forest brothers who were shot were dumped near the parish house, but their remains were later buried in nearby gravel pits. Irma Bružuk was seriously wounded, who was captured and died on May 17 in Jēkabpils hospital. She was buried outside the cemetery, but when the cemetery was expanded after the restoration of Latvia's independence, a monument was placed on her grave.

The memorial stone for the partisans of P. Prauliņa's group in Kalna parish was consecrated in November 1998. The place of P. Prauliņa's bunker is located in the 4th district of the 99th block of Vidsalas, Kalna parish. The stone on which P. Prauliņš sat has been preserved.

Informative stand and memorial place for Indān - Gravelson's national partisan group in Kalna parish of Jēkabpils county, in the vicinity of Sūpes purva, opened on Lāčpleš day - November 11, 2019. Its opening was attended by representatives of Jēkabpils and Viesītes counties, former national partisan H. Miezīte, historian H. Bruņinieks, as well as guests from Lithuania and other interested parties. The memorial site and the stand are located by the Sūpe swamp, which is connected to the places of settlements and battles of the national partisans. Deeper in the forest was also the bunker of the Indan-Gravelson group.

After the deportations of Latvian residents on March 25, 1949, the supply system of the national partisans was destroyed. From the summer of 1949 to the middle of 1952, the national partisan movement in the vicinity of Aknīste, Sauka, Elkšť, Birži and Viesīte experienced its decline, as it suffered from ethnic cleansing and regular countermeasures by the Soviet army and security authorities. The settlement of the group of national partisans of Jānis Indāns and Jānis Gravelsons in the Elkšņu forest, 1949-1950. during the winter period of 2010, there was a very serious defense system, uncharacteristic of that time, which did not exist anywhere else in Latvia or in its neighboring country, Lithuania, in the 1950s. The bunker of the Indan-Gravelson group had specially designed circular defense trenches and gun emplacements. Along with the military readiness of the partisans to sacrifice their lives in the fight against the enemy, it is also possible to talk about their special identity, which was also manifested in the involvement of the other family members in the ranks of the national partisans.

12 people worked in the joint partisan group of Indāns-Grāvelsons, including five women and one Lithuanian partisan: Jānis Indāns, Jānis Edvards Grāvelsons, Alma Gravelsone, Pēteris Indāns, Kristīne Indāne, Milda Ārija Indāne, Vasilijs Sokolovs, Voldemārs Otto Sātnieks, Jānis Ķepiņš, Hilda Deputy, Artūrs Snikus, Jons Žukauskis. Their last battle took place on February 25, 1950 in the Elkšņu forest, when 11 partisans fell in the fight against disproportionate numbers. Only Hilda Vietniece (Miezite) survived, who was captured and later spent six years imprisoned in Gulag camps.

The memorial site has been created by the regional highway P74 Siliņi - Aknīste, 12 kilometers from Aknīste turning to the Latvian national forest "Žagaru road".

At the end of the summer of 1944, the vast forest massif of the northern part of Elkšť parish became a gathering place for people who were preparing for an armed struggle against the Soviet occupation. At the end of 1944, groups of national partisans began to form around Aknīste. A suitable place for the establishment of a partisan camp was the Dimantu mež , which was located on the southern edge of the large Elkšņi forest, near Aknīste Great Marsh. There, less than 10 kilometers from Aknīste parish, the national partisans created three winter bunkers for wintering. The connections of the men gathered in the forest were ensured with the support of the residents, neighbors and partisans of the nearby houses - Baltimore, Gargrode, Lichi, Priede, Krumi and other houses.

The partisan battle with the soldiers of the State Security Ministry of the LPSR took place in the Diamond Forest on February 13, 1945. The Chekists, having captured the hostages, drove them forward to show them the partisan bunkers. The forest brothers, seeing the danger, opened fire without sparing the hostages. 10 representatives of the Soviet occupation troops, eight national partisans and four hostages died in the battle. Despite the losses of the forest brothers, the Chekists failed to capture the partisan bunkers. The surviving partisans waited for darkness and left the settlement. Czech soldiers wounded in the battle could not leave the kingdom, moaning. After this battle, which can be considered the first "baptism of the forest brothers", the partisans felt like brothers and the rifle seemed more precious than anything else, as the only reliable savior.

The white cross and the information stand were installed in the Diamond Forest on Lāčpleš Day - November 11, 2022. The creation of the memorial has been supported by the municipality of Jēkabpils region, the association "Tēvzemes sargi" and Latvian state forests. The author of the content part of the informative stand is historian Haralds Bruņinieks.

The graves of the brothers of the national partisans of Selia were opened on October 30, 2004 with the support of the Ministry of Defense of Latvia and Aknīste municipality. Partisans Alberts Karankevičs (1914-1949), Vilis Tunķels (1911-1949), Arnolds Tunķels (1926-1949), Osvalds Tunķels (1929-1949), Ēvalds Kundzāns ( 1927-1949).

partisans Juris Alfreds Voldemārs Lācis (1908-1945), Eduards Kaminskis (1910-1945), Osvalds Mežaraups (1911-1945), Alberts Mežaraups (1915-1945), Antons Bružiks (1911-1945), Jānis Britāns (1926-1945) and one unknown. Marta Mežaraupe (1907-1945), Alberts Lācis (1902-1945), Juris Resnītis (1901-1945) and Pēteris Bite (1907-1945), as well as the groups of Indān-Grāvelsons, who fell during the battle and were taken hostage by the Soviet occupation authorities, are also buried in the common cemetery. fallen partisan Voldemārs Otto Sātnieks (1911-1950). There is also a monument to Alfred Silaraup (1925-1946), a national partisan of the Aknīste company, who fell during a check operation on July 30, 1946, on a narrow-gauge railway in the Elkšņu forest.

A black granite stele with the emblem of the National Partisans Association of Latvia is placed at the foot of the White Cross installed in the cemeteries of the Brothers of the National Partisans of Selia and the text "For the national partisans of Selia. You sacrificed your lives for Latvia in the fight against the communist occupation regime in 1944-1954." There is also a memorial stone in the grave area with the inscription "There are tears that will be done in silence." There are scars that won't heal if healed", which Stanislav Šadurska installed at the beginning of the Awakening at the pit where the Chekists buried the national partisans and hostages who had fallen the day before on February 14, 1955.

Today, the building of the former Susėja Parish Hall houses the Sansusī Residence Center and the guest house "Susēja". On the facade of the building you can still see the traces of the attack, left by the bullets fired during the attack of the national partisans on July 7, 1945.

The former Susėja Parish Hall, which at that time functioned as the local executive committee of the Soviet occupation power, suffered an attack by the Selia national partisans on July 7, 1945. The attack on the executive committee of Susėja was a part of a wider action by national partisans and took place simultaneously with the attacks on the Vilkupe dairy and the house of the exterminator Kaunacka.

According to the instructions of Albert Kaminsky (1920-1946), the commander of the national partisan group of Suseya, the forest brothers were supposed to destroy the security of the local executive committee, take weapons, militia uniforms, documents and destroy telephone communications. About 17 Lithuanian partisans of the forest brothers participated in the attack on the Susėja executive committee under the leadership of Jozos Kuveikais. The battle lasted 15-20 minutes, one Lithuanian partisan fell during the shooting, and on the opposite side - fighter battalion fighter Jānis Kakarāns. During the shooting, the windows of the executive committee were broken and the telephone was damaged.

The second attack on the executive committee of Suseia took place on July 16, 1945, when a longer firefight took place between the forest brothers and fighters of the fighter battalion who sought refuge in the executive committee building. During the battle, a group of Soviet soldiers came to the aid of the latter, who opened machine-gun fire from the flank and forced the partisans to retreat. At least five forest brothers and five destroyers fell in the battle. Attacks on this administrative object of the occupying power proved the nature of the armed resistance of the guerrilla war and were a warning of the people's resistance to the Soviet occupation power.

The unit of national partisans of Susea was formed from smaller, fragmented groups of forest brothers, because initially there was a lack of a leader who could unite them. Artūrs Grābeklis, later Markeis Gorovņov, who died in the winter of 1945, tried to coordinate the activity of Susėya partisans for a short time. The strengthening of the national partisan unit of Suseia took place after the arrival of the former legionnaire Alberts Kaminskis in Selia after the general capitulation of Germany in Kurzeme. He established stricter discipline and united smaller groups for a common struggle against the Soviet occupation. Cooperation was also formed with groups of forest brothers from nearby parishes and surroundings, especially with the Gārsene group and Lithuanian partisans who had settled on the border between Lithuania and Latvia.

In the early stages of the armed movement, it can be seen that the forest brothers were not prepared for attacks, unable to occupy the Kaunacka homestead, nor to break into the building of the executive committee of Susėja. The partisans suffered losses and were not able to resist the Czech troops for a long time, and the main method of fighting was to think about retreating in time. There was also a problem with the supply of the partisans. In spite of the difficulties, the national partisan unit of Susa was still able to actively resist the Soviet occupation in the first post-war years. This partisan group ceased to exist after the death of its commander A. Kaminsky on May 14, 1946. This was followed by the legalization of several forest brothers, as well as the joining of other guerrilla groups.

The monument to the national partisans of the Suseia detachment was opened on November 11, 1997, following the initiative of the researcher of the history of the national partisans of Selia, Gunārs Blūzma. Next to the words of the fallen national partisans of Susėja, the text: "On the head of a hedgehog, protect the land of your fathers" is engraved in a rough-hewn boulder under the sign of the cross. The memorial mentions those who died in the attack on the Susės executive committee on July 16, 1945 - Jānis Grābeklis (1923-1945), Ādolfs Rācenis (1919-1945), Bronīslavs-Arvīds Bīriņš (1919-1945) and Edgars Ārglis (1920-1945), later added the murdered Names of Lina Kaminska (1917-1945) and Albert Kaminska (1920-1946). Arnold Dombrovskis (1923-1945) and other national partisan groups of Susėja in 1945-1946 are missing from the monument. the names of active and fallen national partisans.

The white cross with a stele for the national partisans of Slate in Rubene parish was consecrated on October 25, 2002.

It was a joint group of Latvians and Lithuanians, led by Jāzeps Fričs (1920-1947). The group also included Lithuanian partisan commander Jozas Streikus (1923-1962), Jānis Ruzga (1924-1948) and other national partisans who actively resisted the Soviet occupation regime in Slate and nearby parishes.

A memorial stone to the national partisans Jānis Abaron, Vladislav Būkas, Pēteris Bernāns, Alberts Klimans, Vladislavs Dilans and Juris Timšanas who fell in the battle of Dunava on July 2, 1945 and were then burned in Rubene parish.

The Battle of Dunava broke out after two officers of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the LPSR and one militiaman fell in the clashes between forest brothers and representatives of the Soviet occupation authorities in Ataugas of Dunava Parish on the evening of June 30 and July 1. On July 2, 16 national partisans under the leadership of Eduards Platkanis fought a battle with fighter jets, militia and Cheka soldiers at the turn of the Rubene road behind the Dunava cemetery. A few days later, as a revenge, the Chekists burned the houses of Ataugu, but publicly burned the corpses of the six national partisans who fell in the battle of Dunava near the Rubene parish hall.

The monument to the national partisans of the Ilūkstes partisan regiment of the Latvian National Guards (partisans) association Boļeslav Mikulānas (1918 - 1951) and Anton Staris (1909 -1953) in the "Kuršu" homestead in Celminiekos, Dunava parish, was opened on November 1, 2003, following the initiative of Gunārs Blūzma, a researcher of the national partisans of Selia .

From August 1944, B. Mikulāns was active in various national partisan groups, including the Bebrene group and the Dignāja group in 1949. 1949/1950 B. Mikulāns together with A. Stari hid with Jānis Brakovka in Kurši on the edge of the large forest of Bebrene Celminieki. On May 9, 1951, when B. Mikulāns went to get the products, he was murdered by the officer of the 2-N section of the check, Švaroj. A. Staris committed suicide in March 1953 after the Chekists surrounded Kuršu.

In the memorial stele made of granite, next to the names of the fallen national partisans B. Mikulanas and A. Stara, the inscription: "Falled in the fight against the communist regime" is engraved.

Rubene Parish Hall, where the Chekists burned the bodies of six national partisans who fell in the Battle of Dunava on July 2, 1945. For the purpose of intimidation, the employees of Rubene Parish Hall were also forced to watch this action.

A cross is engraved on the memorial stone and the inscription reads:

"I am dying for faith and a free Latvia. Jānis Abarons, Vladislavs Būka, Pēteris Bernāns, Alberts Klimanis, Vladislavs Dilāns, Juris Timšāns fell and were burned in the battle of July 2, 1945".

A white cross with a stele in Asare parish near the Emsiņu cemetery at the beginning of the alley. Consecrated on September 10, 2005.

Dedicated to the commanders of the Latvian-Lithuanian national partisan group in the fight against the Soviet occupation.

The names of Oskars Kalnieš (1915-1945) (fallen on January 10, 1945 near Dīvinia) and Jázeps Fričas (1920-1947) (fallen on September 7, 1947 in Abarkalnos) are engraved on the memorial stele.

Not only the forests of Latvia, but also the houses still hide information about the fighting tactics and methods of the national partisans. The hiding places of the forest brothers have not been preserved in Latvia, so this is a unique discovery, which also gives it cultural and historical significance. The national partisans were mostly men in their prime, with a desire to have relationships with the opposite sex. They would hardly have been able to withstand all the difficulties if the support of a woman had not stood by their side in their struggle. This helped to withstand the weight of guerrilla warfare, which often also relied on the consciousness of death. Unfortunately, most of these relationships were tragic.

Alfreds Blumbergs (1917-1949), being in the group of forest brothers, maintained a romantic relationship with Milda Pureni (1913-2010), a resident of Gārsene parish, from whom he received food, which also became known to the Soviet security authorities. On July 27, 1949, a military unit of the Ministry of State Security of the LPSR set up a hideout in the yard of the Pukiši house in Gārsene pgasta. Forced to cooperate with the check, M. Purene betrayed Alfred Blumberg, who fell during the operation of the check against him.

The white cross with a stele for Latvian and Lithuanian national partisans in Prode parish. Installed at the place where the Chekists buried the corpses of fallen national partisans in gravel pits. The memorial site is dedicated to several hundred Latvian and Lithuanian national partisans who resisted the Soviet occupation.

On the stele there is an inscription in Latvian and Lithuanian languages: "Sales to Latvian and Lithuanian national partisans. In the fight against the communist occupation regime 1944-1953. they were united and together they sacrificed themselves for freedom".

The memorial was dedicated on September 5, 2007. It was improved and supplemented with a commemorative plaque on April 24, 2013, in the presence of the Commander of the Latvian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Raimonds Graubes, and the Commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Arvīdas Pocius, and other representatives of the armed forces of both countries. The memorial has been arranged by the Latvian National Partisans Association together with the Lithuanian Freedom Fighters Association, in cooperation with Subate and Obelė municipalities.

A white cross and stele for the Lithuanian company, which was part of the Ilūkste national partisan regiment, was installed in the cemetery of Chervonkas (nowadays - Sārtenes) of Eglaine parish. The memorial was dedicated on October 5, 2009.

An inscription in Latvian and Lithuanian is engraved on the memorial stele:

"For you, Fatherland. Ilūkste National Partisan Lithuanian Company" and read the names of the Lithuanian national partisans who fell in the fight against the Soviet occupation regime on June 25 and September 28, 1945.

White cross and stele in Ludvigova cemetery of Pilskalne parish.

Bebrene company commander Salimons Gabris (1916-1945) and national partisans Alberts Strods (1925-1945), Stanislavs Voitiškis (1903-1945) and Ludvigs Tamanis (1917-1945), whose names can be read on the memorial stele, fell on the 3rd of 1945. (4th) in August near Ludvigova, taking the Lithuanian envoys to the headquarters of the Ilūkstes regiment.

The memorial was consecrated on August 5, 2005 by the prelate of Ilūkste Catholic parish, Jānis Krapāns.

The monument was created at the place of the last battle of national partisans Jura Medvecks (1924-1947) and Gunārs Vanadziņas (1926-1947) near the houses of Timšanu in Pilskalne Parish.

J. Medveckis served in the Latvian Legion during the Second World War, was awarded the 2nd class Iron Cross for his bravery in battle, but later joined the national partisans of Selia. In September 1944, G. Vanadziņš avoided mobilization in the Red Army, joined Albert Kaminska's (1920-1946) Forest Brothers unit, but after the breakup of Susėja's group, he worked in the national partisan group of Jāzeps Fričas (1920-1947). Later, together with J. Medvecki, he took part in several actions against the Soviet occupation.

The names of the national partisans who fell on December 1 (2) 1947 and the inscription: "I put the head of a hedgehog on the monument. Protect your Fatherland. for the Danube National Partisans. Fallen in battle with Czech troops".

The Dviete National Partisan Company was formed in April 1945 under the leadership of former Latvian Army officer-deputy Otto Sudrabiņš. The squad consisted of four platoons, formed by residents of Dvieta, Pilskalne, Bebrene and Dunava parishes. 16/17 on the night of June 16, the partisans of the Dviete company won a battle with the representatives of the Soviet occupation authorities near Jadvigova, freeing two partisan supporters who had been taken prisoner and killing eight local militiamen and destroyers. In June, the Dvietes company was included in the 1st battalion of the Ilūkste partisan regiment commanded by the former Latvian army deputy officer Stanislavs Urbanas, under the leadership of the former legionnaire Jānis Stūriškas. The composition of the company was constantly changing, at different periods it included about 70 national partisans, among them also women.

In August 1945, the Ilūkstes partisan regiment was included in the 2nd division of the Latvian Homeland Guards (partisans) association. 27/28 on the night of September 25, a 25-man partisan unit formed from the headquarters company of the Ilūkste partisan regiment and the Dviete company cut the communication lines with Ilūkste and Bebreni, and then occupied the Dviete executive committee and the militia station, as well as blocked the destroyer Vushkan's house and requisitioned goods from a local store. The Dviete Company ceased to exist as a separate unit at the beginning of 1946, when, losing hope for help from the Western countries, a large part of the partisans of the Ilūkste Regiment legalized, however, some of them continued their resistance to the Soviet occupation until 1955.

The memorial stone for the Dvietes company of the Ilūkste partisan regiment of the Latvian Homeland Guard (partisan) association was unveiled on July 10, 2010. The project was developed by Gunārs Blūzma, a researcher of the national partisans of Selia, and the monument was carved by Jersika stonemason Imants Laizāns. The inscription reads: "1945. g. 27/28 In September, the national partisans occupied Dvieta and temporarily stopped the Soviet occupation. For You Fatherland".

The memorial stele for the fallen members of the national partisan group of J. Gräver's group Lidija Gibže (1924-1950), Jānis Grāver (1915-1950), Voldemār Blaze (fallen in 1948) in Slīterān cemetery of Dignāja parish, opened in 2000.

On the stele are the names of the national partisans who fell in the fight with the Cheka special group and the inscription "On the head of the hedgehog I put... Silence the words, the chest stops breathing." Only the bullets whistling further... The national partisans who fell for the freedom of the Latvian people".