The Great Cross-Border Route – Military Heritage of Latvia and Lithuania in 100 Years

In the tower of the St. Trinity Church in Jelgava, which was destroyed in the Soviet-German war in July-August 1944, on October 12, 1952, Egons Užkurelis, who was only 14 years old at the time, together with his friend Jānis Ģēģeris, who was a year older, hung a homemade Latvian national flag. This date was chosen because it was a Sunday when the Jelgava championship motorcycle racing took place in Pārlielupe, where many people gathered and from there the church tower could be clearly seen. The flag was made from a bed sheet, painted with watercolors. The way it was made later allowed the Chekists to guess that the flag-raisers should be sought among the students.

E. Užkurelis and J. Ģēģeri were arrested on October 23, 1952, followed by interrogation in Jelgava and at the Ministry of State Security of the Latvian SSR in Riga at the Corner House. The Criminal Court of the Riga Regional Court accused E. Užkurelis and J. Ģēģeri of anti-Soviet propaganda and agitation and participation in a counter-revolutionary organization. On January 10, 1953, E. Užkurelis was sentenced to five years in prison, and J. Ģēģeris to 15 years. E. Užkurelis was detained in Riga Central Prison for seven months until April 12, 1953, when he was released on the basis of an amnesty.

Located in the building – Academia Petrina, Jelgava.

In 1818, a private organization – the Kurzeme Literature and Art Society – established the Kurzeme Provincial Museum. At the end of 1898, it moved to a building specially designed for the museum, which was destroyed in the battles for Jelgava in the summer of 1944.

In December 1952, the museum was housed in the renovated Academia Petrina building, built as the first university in Latvia (1775). This is one of the few public buildings in Jelgava that has survived and been renovated after World War II.

In 1975, the museum, which considers itself the spiritual heir of the Courland Provincial Museum, was named after Gēderts Elias.

The museum features exhibitions about the history of Jelgava from prehistory to the present day and the great master of Latvian painting, Ģederts Elias.

The museum's exhibition "Wars and a Soldier through the Ages of Jelgava" is just a small glimpse into the wars that affected Jelgava up until World War II.

The exhibition "Life Continues Under Foreign Power" introduces life in Jelgava under Soviet and German occupation.

Jelgava lost almost everything in the summer of 1944 – a large part of its population and the city's historical buildings, which were hardly restored after World War II. The museum's exhibits allow you to see how beautiful Jelgava was and how life in the city went.

Located in Jelgava, in the Station Park, opposite the Railway Station building.

The monument to the liberated people of Jelgava “Lāčplēsis” was opened on June 22, 1932, with the participation of the President of Latvia A.Kviesis, it was erected in honor of the liberation of Jelgava on November 21, 1919, during the Latvian War of Independence. In 1940, during the first period of the Soviet occupation, the monument was not affected by changes. In 1941, when the Soviet occupiers were replaced by German occupation forces, the head of the occupation administration von Mēdem (his ancestors were the original builders of Jelgava Castle), who had returned to Jelgava, did not like the clear symbolism. On October 31, 1942, by order of the German occupation authorities, the author of the monument was ordered to carve the image of a German knight. The carving of the knight was assigned to the author of the monument – K. Jansons. In 1950, by order of the Soviet occupation authorities, the monument was destroyed. With the help of a tractor, Lāčplēsis was knocked down from the pedestal, smashed and an attempt was made to completely destroy it in a stone crusher. But Lāčplēsis turned out to be so hard that the stone crusher broke. Then the undestroyed middle part of the Lāčplēsis statue was secretly buried in the ground in the territory of a kindergarten. A fragment of the monument was found in 1988 and is currently located at Ģ. Elias in the Jelgava History and Art Museum. The monument was restored and unveiled on November 21, 1992. Its author is sculptor Andrejs Jansons, who restored the monument created by his father K. Jansons.

Located near Svēte School, Jelgava region.

In 1991, a monument to the Daugavgrīva National Guardsmen, who stopped the German army's attack on Jelgava at the end of April 1915, was unveiled near the Svēte School. In early May 1915, a large demonstration was dedicated to this event in Jelgava. The fact that the Latvian National Guardsmen managed to stop the German attack was used by J. Čakste and his associates to justify the idea of establishing Latvian rifle units in the First World War. The sculptor of the monument is Alina Veibaha (1923-2011).

The text carved into the monument reads: “I tell you, strangers – do not come to this land;

"Sing to me the golden nightingale at the tip of the sword!"

Located in Eley, in the old railway station building.

The “Zemgales strēlnieks” association has established the Eleja War Museum in the old railway station building in Eleja. The exposition of the Eleja War Museum mainly relates to the Second World War. The museum exposition features uniforms, equipment, weapons and photographs from that time. The museum also features exhibits related to the region and Eleja, its military history and individuals. It is possible to take photos in the museum in military uniforms of different periods and armies. The small two-story building contains several hundred exhibits that will interest those interested in military heritage. Representatives of the association educate the public in the museum using expositions, exhibitions and educational programs.

Joniškis Museum of History and Culture was established in the centre of Joniškis in 1989. It features exhibitions reflecting the historical and archaeological treasures, ethnic culture and sacred art heritage of the region. Based on the initiative of historian Darius Vičas. The museum has an exhibition dedicated to the partisans of the Joniškis region. In a separate room, you are introduced to the personalities of partisans – fighters for Lithuanian freedom – and their struggle against the Soviet occupation. The exhibition features an authentic Olympia typewriter that served the last partisans of the Joniškis region, Kostas LiuberskisŽvainys and Steponas Erstikis-Patašonas. It was used to print issues of the partisan periodical “Partizanų šūvių aidas” (Echo of Partisan Shots). The underground newspaper was published from 1952 to 1957 in the territory of the Juozapavičius homeland (on the outskirts of Akmene, Joniškis, Žagarė and Kuršėnai districts). It is the last periodical published by partisans. The typewriter has been modified for interactive access to information – by pressing its keys, visitors see photos and hear stories about the partisan resistance. The radio receiver in 

The Šiauliai History Museum is located on Aušros Avenue in central Šiauliai. After reconstruction, the museum opened its doors in 2022. It is housed in the historical Aušros Museum building, which was built in 1932 based on the design of a local architect, Vlad Bite. Originally it was a school building, while a part of the building was dedicated for the purposes of the museum in 1933. Today, the Šiauliai History Museum combines state-of-the-art technology with traditional exhibitions and a modern exhibition of museum funds. Here, visitors are introduced to the history of Šiauliai, from the earliest records about the area to the proclamation of the Republic of Lithuania in 1918.
Part of the exhibition is devoted to war themes. The first-floor hall features a restored short film that is based on historical documents about the Battle of the Sun that took place in the Šiauliai area; there are also exhibits (objects, documents, photos) related to World War I, which severely devastated the city, resulting in the loss of both inhabitants and infrastructure. The exhibition also displays evidence of the battles against the Bermontians, who invaded the town in 1919 and vandalised the houses. The content of the exhibitions of Šiauliai History Museum is expanded by knowledge rooms and an open-air exhibition. The museum also has an exhibition and event hall for multifunctional activities.

The Hill of Rebels is a sandy hill in western Šiauliai, where both World Wars left their marks.
The site became notorious in the second half of the 19th century when the members of the 1863–1864 uprising were buried on the hill and sentenced to death for fighting against the oppression by the Tsarist Russian Empire. The site gave rise to terrifying legends and was abandoned and rarely visited; finally, it became known as the Hill of Rebels. During the First World War, soldiers of the German Empire were buried here.
In 1926, work on landscaping the hill started. Karolis Reisonas, a city engineer, offered to design an obelisk for the monument dedicated to the rebels. In 1928, the 10th anniversary of the independence of Lithuania was celebrated and Rebel Garden was opened on the Hill of Rebels, however, the construction of the monument was not completed until 1935. The monument, a 14-metre-high pink granite obelisk, was unveiled and consecrated, and the remains of the rebels were reburied.                                                                    During the Second World War, the soldiers of the Third Reich, who died in 1941–1944, were buried on the hill.
During the Soviet occupation, the gravestones were dismantled, but in 1955–1957, the obelisk of the Hill of Rebels was reconstructed – all national and religious symbols were removed from it. In 1988, to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the uprising, the authentic appearance of the monument was restored.

On 22 October 2021, the Square for the Righteous Among the Nations (monument) was inaugurated in Šiauliai, at the intersection of Ežero and Vilniaus streets. It is the first monument to the Righteous Among the Nations in Lithuania. The monument was created by the designer Adas Toleikis, a native of Šiauliai, and the idea of the monument was initiated by Sania Kerbelis, the chairman of the Jewish community of Šiauliai County.
The monument “Jungtis” is engraved with the surnames of the “Righteous Among the Nations” of Šiauliai County, thus commemorating 148 Jewish rescuers, while artistic accents mark the gates of the Šiauliai Ghetto. There were two ghettos in Šiauliai: in the so-called Kaukazo Quarter and in the Ežero-Trakų Street Quarter. Physically strong and able-bodied people were sent to the first one, and specialists (doctors, mechanics, etc.) to the second. The Šiauliai Ghetto was established in the summer of 1941 on the orders of the Šiauliai Commandant and liquidated in 1944 with the retreat of Nazi German troops. The remaining Jews were transferred to Stutthof and Dachau concentration camps. More than 5,950 Jews were imprisoned in the Ghettos. During the inter-war period, Šiauliai was home to about 6,500–8,000 Jews, some of whom left voluntarily into mainland Russia. After the Holocaust, there were only about 350–500 Jews left.

A restored deportation train carriage is located near Radviliškis railway station as a reminder of the tragic history of the mass deportations of the inhabitants of the Republic of Lithuania
to remote areas of the Soviet Union by the Soviet occupation authorities from 1941–1952. More than 3,000 people were deported from Radviliškis alone.
In total, approximately 135,500 people were deported from Lithuania from 1941–1952. On 14 June 1941 – the first day of mass deportations in Lithuania – train carriages began to be “filled” with the inhabitants of Radviliškis and the surrounding area.
In 2012, the carriage was handed over to Radviliškis District Municipality by the Vytautas the Great Special Operations Jaeger Battalion of Lithuanian Armed Forces with the mediation of the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania. The authentic deportation train carriage was brought from Kaunas and carefully restored by the railwaymen, and now it houses a small exhibition.

The sites of the First and Second Jewish Holocaust in Šeduva are located in Liaudiškiai Forest (Radviliškis district), about 10 km south of Šeduva. A direction sign has been installed next to the gravel road.
The first Jewish burial site covers an area of 375 m² and is mostly paved and surrounded by forest. Approximately 400 people were murdered and buried there. The second burial site is located about 500 m away. The remains of Jews are buried in an area of 144 m². The site is flat and most of it is paved. Approximately 300 people were murdered and buried there.
In 1941, the entire Jewish community of Šeduva – almost 700 people – were murdered at these two sites. A month before their deaths, they were still held in the ghetto set up in the village of Pavartyčiai. On 25 and 26 August, the inhabitants of the ghetto were taken to Liaudiškiai Forest. The people were taken to a dug-out pit and killed by local policemen and hired help on the orders of the Germans. Among those killed were 230 men, 275 women and 159 children.
From 2014–2015, pursuant to the initiative of the Jewish Memorial Foundation of Šeduva, the sites of these murders were cleaned up and made accessible to visitors. Two statues by sculptor Romas Kvintas are erected at the sites of the mass killings: “The Door” and “Ray – Star”.

In the autumn of 1948, the farm of partisan supporters A. and S. Mikniai in the village of Minaičiai (Radviliškis district) was chosen as the wintering place for the Prisikėlimo Military District headquarters. The partisans dug a small bunker under the barn to house the staff of the district.
On 16 February 1949, the partisan commanders in Minaičiai finalised and published the declaration of the Lithuanian freedom struggle “Sąjūdis”. The main aim of the Declaration was to restore Lithuania to a parliamentary republic (as it was from 1920–1926). Eight people formally attended the meetings: Jonas Žemaitis- Vytautas, Juozas Šibaila-Merainis, Petras Bartkus-Žadgaila, Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, Aleksandras Gribinas-Faustas, Vytautas Gužas-Kardas, Leonardas Grigonis-Užpalis, and Bronius Liesys-Naktis.
The bunker was also used later. A partisan pharmacist Izabelė Vilimaitė-Stirna treated partisan Laurynas Mingilas-Džiugas, who was seriously wounded in the Battle of Užpelkiai. In 1953, the unoccupied bunker caved in and the owners earth-filled it.
In 2010, the work on the restoration of the partisan bunker and barn, as well as the construction of the monument began. The monument, created by sculptor Jonas Jagėla, bears the names of the partisans who signed the Declaration. An authentic, glassroofed partisan bunker has been built in the barn, and the visitors are provided an opportunity to see it from above; there is also an exhibition in the barn.

Kaunas Ninth Fort Museum is located at the crossroads of major international transport routes near Kaunas and it is easily accessible by car.
The Ninth Fort was built from 1903–1913 as one of the forts of the Kaunas fortress complex with the task of protecting the strategically important Linkuva ridge. The fort was built with the use of concrete slabs – an innovation of the time, electricity and ventilation system. The fort did not suffer damage during the First World War. From 1924 to 1940, the Ninth Fort was a prison for political prisoners and criminals, while from 1940 to 1941, it became an NKVD redistribution point. During the Second World War, the Ninth Fort became the site of a mass murder of Jews, where around 50,000 Jews from different countries were killed by the Nazi occupation regime. In 1958, a museum was established in the Ninth Fort to tell the story of Nazi crimes, and in 1984, a memorial complex was built and a monument to the victims of Nazism was erected (authors: Alfonsas Vincentas Ambraziūnas, Gediminas Baravykas and Vytautas Vielius). Today, the Ninth Fort Museum tells the story of the fortress, as well as the history of crimes committed by the Nazis and the Soviets.

A museum has been created in the nuclear bunker of Kaunas, which is located 6 m below the ground, which gathers exhibits of private collectors (> 1200). The most interesting are the collection of gas masks and the largest exhibition of Cold War radio equipment and spying devices in the Baltic States.

The monument is located in Vilnius, in front of the Second Palace of the Parliament (Seimas) of the Republic of Lithuania.
In January 1991, the people of Lithuania surrounded the Parliament Palace with barricades, in a fight for and in defence of their freedom. It was an attempt to protect Lithuania from military aggression by the Soviet Union of the time – Soviet attempts to stage a coup d’état in Lithuania and restore Soviet rule. Barricades surrounded the Parliament building until the end of 1992. In 1993, in front of the Palace of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, a unique memorial was erected – made of parts of the barricades and other relics – it was dedicated to the Lithuanian people who sacrificed their lives for freedom. On 13 January 1991, tragic events unfolded, as the Soviet Army and special forces occupied the Lithuanian Radio and Television Centre building and the television tower, killing 14 freedom fighters and injuring around 600 people. As the tenth anniversary of the Defenders of Freedom Day was approaching, a decision was made to preserve the composition by creating a memorial to 13 January. The Memorial was inaugurated in 2008.
The memorial preserves an authentic fragment of the 1991 parliamentary barricades and has a chapel with an icon to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The memorial displays objects brought by people and provides an insight into the events that took place during the defence of the independence of Lithuania.

The monument is located in Giedraičiai.
On 19 June 1932, a monument dedicated to the fallen Lithuanian freedom fighters was unveiled in Giedraičiai. The construction of the monument was initiated by the inhabitants of Giedraičiai – the painter and author of the monument Antanas Jaroševičius, Pastor Meigis, Malvina Valeikienė and Matas Valeika, who supported the Lithuanian soldiers in battle, the community of Širvintos and the Lithuanian Army; the amount of 11,000 litas was raised for the construction of the monument. The appeal for donations for the monument states that it is being built “to honour victory and our eternal joy, which will remind us of the historical significance of the site and pay tribute to the soldiers buried in Giedraičiai”.
The opening ceremony was sumptuous. It was attended by the President of the Republic of Lithuania, A. Smetona – Commander- in-Chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, representatives of the 2nd, 4th, 7th, and 9th Regiments and officers, who took part in the Battles of Giedraičiai. Flowers were dropped at the monument from military planes, and Malvina Valeikienė, a prominent Lithuanian personality and one of the organisers of the construction works of the monument, read out the names of the Lithuanian soldiers who died in Giedraičiai, and she was awarded the Order of the Cross of the Knight, 3rd Class. The flag of the local riflemen unit was consecrated at the monument. From 1962–1964, pursuant to the instructions of the Soviet administration, an unsuccessful attempt was made to demolish the monument, but it was later declared a historical monument.

A stylised cannon commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Giedraičiai is located behind the town of Giedraičiai, 200 m after turning off on road No. 172. On 21 November 2020, a monument by sculptor Džiugas Jurkūnas was unveiled on a hill at the site of the Battle of Giedraičiai, commemorating the victory. The monument is a stylised interpretation of the battles of the Lithuanian Army against the Polish Army during the inter-war period. In an attempt to move away from the description of the conflict, the monument highlights the importance of the union of the two countries in the context of contemporary events. The rust-covered cannon symbolises the strong union of the republics
of Lithuania and Poland – two countries that fought each other a century before. The situation of the time is described on the sides of the monument; the Lithuanian and Polish Army units involved are mentioned and a brief description of the battle is provided. The Lithuanian Armed Forces are the initiator and the funder of the erection of the monument.

The museum is located in Utena, near the junction of the Kaunas-Daugpilis (A6) and Vilnius-Utena (A14) trunk roads. The museum was established in 2015 at the former narrowgauge railway station building of Utena. The museum claims to be a form of poetry that tacitly exposes the post-war truth. The exhibition “A Common European Identity in the Context of Totalitarian Regimes” offers to explore the past of Lithuania and Europe through the history of one Lithuanian region. It tells the story of secret documents and the division of Europe in 1939, the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, the forced participation of Lithuanians in World War II, exile, post-war resistance and the organisation of collective farms in the Utena region. The painful events of 1940–1965 in the Utena region and the events in Lithuania are contrasted with life behind the Iron Curtain.
The history of the narrow-gauge railway station also has tragic pages. From here, in 1941 and from 1945–1953, train cars with deportees were sent to Siberia. 

Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant is located at a distance of 6 km from Visaginas, on the Visaginas-Ignalina road (KK177).
It is the only former nuclear power plant in the Baltic states. It is sometimes called the “sister” of Chernobyl because both plants have Soviet-made RBMK reactors. The first reactor (power block) of the Ignalina Power Plant was commissioned in 1983. It was planned to install four such reactors. After the installation of all the units, Ignalina was to become the most powerful nuclear power plant in the world.
The second reactor was due to be commissioned in 1986, but the Chernobyl accident postponed the start-up. However, in 1987, it was put into operation. In 1988, based on the initiative of the Lithuanian reform movement Sąjūdis, the “Ring of Life” campaign was organised in front of the power plant against the construction of Unit 3. The construction of the plant was conserved, and it was finally stopped in 1989. After the accident at Chernobyl, the safety system of RBMK-type reactors was upgraded but their proliferation was stopped.
Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. It became famous again in 2019 as the location for the production of HBO and Sky UK TV miniseries Chernobyl. Decommissioning works of the nuclear power plant started in 2010. Nowadays, tours of the plant are organised and an exhibition hall has been set up.

The blindages are located in the village of Tilžė, just next to road No. 5303.
Two blindages of the 88th Division of the German 8th Army, which fought against the Russian Army on this front from 1915–1918, were designed to protect the soldiers from enemy fire. They were made of concrete. A small amount of reinforcement is visible in the roof structure of the shelter. The inscriptions “88 J.D.T.” preserved on the beams of the blindages (metal gutters) indicate that they were made by units of the 88th Division.

The WWI German Army Blindage (command post) is located in the village of Kimbartiškė, next to road No. 5303.
From 1915–1918, the 88th Division of the German 8th Army fought against the Russian Army on this section of the front. A blindage (command post) was situated here. It was built from the most durable building materials – concrete and rebar – and has two entrances with a small row of windows between them. The blindage had electricity, and water was taken from a nearby well; there were two stoves, wooden benches and a sleeping ledge. The premises for the officers, communications offices and redressing rooms had white walls.
This massive building is built to take advantage of the rugged terrain; therefore, it is installed in a small depression. It is an example of a passive fortification structure. Passive structures were not designed for active defence. They were designed to protect soldiers and ammunition from devastating artillery fire. Inside the structure, there are traces of whitewash on the walls. The site is identified as a former command post.

The exposition is located in Turmantas of Zarasai district.
During World War I, Turmantas was an important logistical point for the German 88th Division on the Eastern Front. The World War I exposition in Turmantas is part of the international route “Along the Trails of the First World War” and is located in the primary school building of the town. The modern and virtualreality- enhanced exposition features many unique artefacts, replicas and photographs of World War I, as well as introduces the combat conditions and lives of soldiers on the Eastern Front, their weapons and ammunition, as well as uniforms and equipment.

First World War Museum is located in Medumi village, Augšdaugava municipality, in the building of former workshops of Medumi elementary school ~600 m from the A13 road.

During the First World War, the territory of present-day Augšdaugava municipality was crossed by the "Life and Death" front line, on both sides of which trenches and bunkers were built. In the forests of Medumi parish, as well as in the forests of Demene and Svente parishes, German army bunkers have been preserved, which, unlike the wooden bunkers built by the Russian army, were built of concrete.

The exposition of the First World War Museum consists of several parts. In the museum, it is possible to get acquainted with the history of Medumi before the war, with the events of the First World War in Latvia and also in Europe, as well as with the everyday life of soldiers during the First World War. An imitation of a Russian bunker has been created in one of the halls, allowing visitors to get to know the life of soldiers in a bunker. In this part of the museum, it is possible to feel the atmosphere of war the most, provided by the sounds of gunshots and explosions and videos with scenes from the movie "Blizzard of Souls" (“Dvēseļu putenis”).

It is located in the village of Medumu, Jaunatnes Street 4.

A private collection of historical evidence created by the Stikanis family. A collection of artifacts from the First and Second World War has been created, collected mostly from Medumu Parish and the surrounding area. Both military heritage items and household items, coins, photographs can be viewed.

The private collection can be viewed by contacting us in advance. Entry for donations.

The collection of military equipment is located next to the Svente Manor hotel, around 20 kilometres from Daugavpils. The exhibits on display include Soviet Army tanks: a T-34 medium tank, as well as IS-2 and IS-2M heavy tanks named after Stalin, BRDM-2 and BRDM-1 armoured reconnaissance vehicles, Jeep Willys and GAZ-67 military vehicles, self-propelled machinery, cannons and other pieces of equipment. This is the largest collection of tanks in the Baltic States.

Daugavpils Shotgun Factory was founded in 1885. The factory is the oldest ammunition manufacturing plant in Northern Europe. The only factory of its kind in the Baltics, and one of the oldest industrial heritage sites in Latvia. The factory houses the only working lead shot casting tower in Europe.

Throughout the centuries, the factory has always produced high-quality hunting shotguns, which it continues to do today. The factory displays equipment and structures that were built in the 19th century, supplemented before and after both World Wars, but they harmonize well with the modern equipment used in the production of ammunition.

The factory offers a historical exhibition, a shot-casting workshop, and a climb up its unique 31.5 m high tower, under which there is a 13.5 m deep cooling well. The ammunition factory is a destination for many domestic and foreign tourists who want to feel the unique atmosphere of the 19th century today and get to know the ancient equipment in action. After the factory tour, everyone has the opportunity to try out the manufactured products in the factory shooting range.

The Daugavpils Fortress is located on the right bank of Daugava, in the western part of the city of Daugavpils. This is the only fortress of the first half of the 19th century in Northern Europe, which has survived almost unchanged. Construction began in 1810, shortly after which it suffered in the war of 1812 and the floods of 1829. The fortress was a place of strategic importance, including in the fight against Napoleon’s army. Consecrated in 1833, the fortress was completed almost half a century later, in 1878. The Daugavpils Fortress is divided into quarters, with the Parade Square located in the central part. Later the fortress lost its strategic importance and a warehouse was set up in it in 1897. Before World War I, Latvian Army officers, including General Jānis Balodis and Colonel Frīdrihs Briedis, served in the Daugavpils Garrison. In honour of the centenary of the war of 1812, a monument was unveiled in the fortress park in 1912. Army units were stationed here during the Soviet era, and the Daugavpils Higher Military Aviation Engineering School was established. The fortress features several tourist attractions, including the Daugavpils Fortress Culture and Information Centre (trips around the Daugavpils Fortress are available), World War I Museum, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Centre, the White Horse art gallery, a medical exhibit displaying contraceptives, the Housevintage antique shop, the Daugavpils Bat Centre and the ‘Retrogaraž-D’ exhibit of retro cars.

A hard-to-find natural object. Hike length: approximately 22 km, can be completed in approximately 6 hours.

Hike length: approximately 22 km, can be completed in 6 hours.

Difficulty level: medium fitness hike.

Starting point: Jersika Elementary School (can be reached by train, bus).

End point: Vanagu Church (public transport does not run on weekends).

Note: The route includes a swimming break (during the summer season), fishing opportunities, a picnic area, and one public toilet. The route is also suitable for school-age children who already have experience in hiking of this length.

Go on a hike from Jersika to Vanagi, allowing yourself to be challenged in endurance, as the hike leads through forests, swamps, moors, meadows and country paths, and in the historical knowledge of the most prominent figures of the national partisan movement, their activities, see the most significant places about which local legends and written memories of fellow citizens are told. The path begins at the Jersika elementary school and leads to a memorial stone under an old oak tree, further along the way including the Jersika railway station. The inscription on the stone reads “LTS(p)A – For the fighters of the Latvian Fatherland Partisan Association. LTS(p)A united the national partisans of six Latvian districts in the fight against the communist occupation regime in 1945-1955”.

The walk continues along the railway tracks and winds along Lake Jersika, where the forest presents natural treasures: spring-flowering primroses and common sedge. The smell of primroses indicates that you are approaching the bog, but in spring it is especially surprising to see them blooming. A lazy walk is not possible, several ditches must be overcome, crossing the bog provides a tempering - water remains in the moss at every step, cranberry berries shine in the bushes. The bog is replaced by a forest and evidence of the former settlement of these places in homesteads - stately oaks, ruins of buildings, the site of a national partisan bunker surrounded by young growth. The path continues to the place mentioned in the testimonies as the place of founding of the Fatherland Guards (partisans) association. The forest massif also hides the memorial site “Avotnīca” (“Olūtneica”), where a campfire has been set up. The diversity of the forest is surprising, as is the width of the ditches. The destination of the hike is Vanagi Church, where priest A. Juhņevičs served, and about whom the film “Segvārds Vientulis” (directed by N. Pucis) tells the story.

Located in Krustpils Palace

Viewable exhibition "Fights for freedom in the 20th century"
Soviet repression. Hard memories. Sitting here in a club chair, you can listen to fragments of the book "Those were the times" by Ilmars Knaģ from Jēkabpils. On one of the walls of the room, a list of townspeople deported to Siberia slides dispassionately, like the credits after a movie. There you can watch an amateur video about the removal of the Lenin monument in Jēkabpils on the old TV. Visitors are interested not only in the content, but also in the technical possibilities - how did this film get on the old TV.

It is possible to listen to the lectures prepared by the museum specialists at the Jēkabpils History Museum or apply for an excursion: Jēkabpils and its surroundings in the First World War, Jēkabpils in 1990, the time of the Barricades, the deportations of 1949 - 70, Jēkabpilians Cavaliers of the Lāčplēš Military Order, etc.
The average duration of lectures is 40 min. Information and registration for lectures by calling 65221042, 27008136.

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Jēkabpils History Museum is located in Krustpils Castle. In 1940, after the inclusion of Latvia in the USSR, the 126th Rifle Division was stationed in Krustpils Castle. During the Second World War, the castle housed a German infirmary, and after August 1944, a Red Army war hospital. After the war, Krustpils Castle with the adjacent manor buildings were occupied by the central warehouses of the 16th Long-range Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment and the 15th Air Army of the Soviet Army.

Located at Odzienas Street 2, Pļaviņas.

The permanent exposition "Latvian Army in Pļaviņas in the 20th Century" can be seen.

The building in Pļaviņas, Odzienas Street 2, has a long history - from the time when Stukmaņi wholesaler Hugo Apeltofts started active economic activity in it, thus promoting the development of Pļaviņas city, until the headquarters of the Latvian Eastern Front was established here during the War of Independence. In 1919, the activities of Latvian army units against the Red Army in Latgale were commanded directly from Pļaviņas.

In 1934, a memorial plaque was unveiled near this house with the inscription: "In 1919, the headquarters of the Eastern Front was located in this house, and here General Jānis Balodis took over the command of the Latvian National Army." It was removed and destroyed by the Soviets in 1940, but on June 16, 1990, with the support of the LNNK Plavinas branch, it was restored.

Now, next to the former headquarters building, there is a memorial stall dedicated to 15 cavalry of the Lāčplēsis Military Order born in Pļaviņas region. In Pļaviņas, as well as provides an insight into the life stories of the Knights of the Lāčplēsis War Order.

Not far from the exposition building is the Latgale Division headquarters building, which was built in 1913 by Count Teodors Medems as a Stukmaņi liqueur factory. In 1919 it was taken over by the regime of P. Stučka, where it had also established a prison. After the expulsion of the Bolsheviks, in 1925 the building was taken over by the Latvian Army, which housed the headquarters of the Latgale Division. 10 generals and other officers of the Latvian Army spent their military careers in this building. In 1940, the building was taken over by the Red Army. In the post-war years, it housed a school as well as a municipality. Around 1970, the building was started to be used by the production association "Rīgas Apīrsbs".

Visits to the exhibition must be booked in advance by calling T. 28442692.

Located on an island in Koknese parish.

The Garden of Destiny is a symbol created in nature for the constant renewal and growth of the nation – the past, present, and future of both the person and the country meet here. Similar to the Freedom Monument, the Garden of Destiny is also created thanks to donations.

In collaboration with the Latvian Association of the Politically Repressed, a memorial ensemble for the mothers of Siberian children has been created at the center of the virtual House of Silence. Two boulders, engraved with the words “Mother, you gave me life twice. When I was born and when I did not die of hunger. A child of Siberia,” remind us of their selflessness and great sacrifice.

The territory of the Likteņdārzs preserves World War I trenches. A memorial site has been created for the Latvian riflemen in them, which was unveiled on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the riflemen regiments. The composition of the site consists of two parts: a group of Latvian boulders symbolizes those who stayed home, and a row of boulders placed in the World War I trenches symbolizes the Latvian riflemen. The stones were selected and artistically arranged by sculptor Ojārs Feldbergs.

The exhibit is located in the former culture house of Aizkraukle parish. It reflects the everyday social, recreational, professional, educational and cultural life in Soviet times, as well as the history of how Aizkraukle (during Soviet times – Stučka) and the Pļaviņu HPP came to be. Visitors can view the ‘Red Corner’ with its historical propaganda materials, the office of a party functionary and a typical Soviet apartment with a living room, kitchen, bathroom and toilet and their corresponding attributes. Some rooms are dedicated to Soviet medicine, tourism and sports as well as repression tactics. There is a spacious hall in the centre of the exhibit for Soviet-made vehicles. This was started in 2016 by the Aizkraukle History and Art Museum by setting up the exhibit on three floors. Nowadays it is the largest exhibit in the Baltics dedicated to this period of Soviet occupation.

Salaspils Memorial and historical exhibit is located in Salaspils municipality, 1.2 km from the Riga-Daugavpils A6 highway. The Salaspils Memorial was unveiled in 1967 on the site where during World War II the Salaspils Camp was once located. It is a place that was used for Soviet propaganda and is shrouded in myths and half-truths. It is a good representation of the Nazi crimes and Communist ideology that was carried out during each of the occupations. This repressive camp was a part of the German penitentiary system. It had similarities with concentration camps, but it was not the same thing. It was created so that there would not be a disproportionate number of prisoners in Riga prisons. This camp was an “extension of the police prison”. And a variety of people were imprisoned here – Jews, the Red Army prisoners of war, absentees, political prisoners, criminals, prostitutes, members of the Latvian resistance movement, Baltic soldiers in the German Army or police, and others. The camp could hold up to 2,200 prisoners. The main cause of death (~2000) was malnutrition, working conditions, corporal punishment and illness.