Lielais pārrobežu maršruts - militārais mantojums Latvijas un Igaunijas 100 neatkarības garos

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 is located in the center of Joniškis. The museum has been operating since 1989, it presents expositions representing the historical and archeological values of the region, the heritage of ethnic culture and sacred art.

On the initiative of Darius Vičas, a historian and museologist, researcher of the partisan movement, an exposition dedicated to the partisans of the Joniškis region was installed in the museum. In a separate room, the personalities of the partisans who fought for the freedom of Lithuania and their struggle against the Soviet occupation authorities are presented.

The exhibition presents an authentic typewriter "Olympia", which served the last partisans of Joniškis region, Kostas Lyuberskis-Žvainis and Steponas Erstikiis-Patašonas: it was used to print the issues of the partisans' periodical "Echo of Partisan Shots". "Echo of Partisan Shots" - an underground newspaper, published in 1952-1957. In the territory of Juozapavičius' homeland (at the borders of Akmenė, Joniškis, Žagarė and Kuršėnai districts). This is the latest partisan periodical.

The printing press is adapted for interactive learning - by pressing its keys, the visitor sees photos and hears stories of partisan resistance. The exposed radio also allows you to listen to songs created by partisans.

Šiauliai History Museum is located in Aušras Alley, in the central part of Šiauliai city. The museum opened its doors after reconstruction in 2022. It is located in the historical building of the "Aušra" museum, built in 1932 according to the project of the local architect Vladas Bitė. At first, the building housed a school, and in 1933 part of it was given to the museum.

Today, the Šiauliai History Museum meets the latest technologies and traditional museology, a modern exposition of open storages is open, and the history of the city of Šiauliai from the first knowledge of the area to the declaration of the independent Republic of Lithuania in 1918 is presented.

Part of the exposition is devoted to the theme of war. In the hall on the first floor, a re-enactment documentary film about the Battle of the Sun that took place in Šiauliai is presented, as well as exhibits (things, documents, photos) related to the First World War, because during that time the city was heavily devastated, both residents and infrastructure were affected. The exhibition also presents the battles with Bermontininkai, 1919. occupying the city, rampaging and looting houses.

The contents of the Šiauliai History Museum exhibitions are expanded by educational spaces and outdoor exhibitions. An exhibition-event hall is also intended for multi-functional museum activities.

Sukilėių kalnelis is a sand hill in the western part of the city of Šiauliai, whose history was affected by both world wars.
The place became infamous in the 19th century. p. II: 1863-1864 were buried in the mound. participants of the uprising against the oppression of the Tsarist Russian Empire, sentenced to death. Horrible legends began to spread about the place, it was abandoned and rarely visited, eventually being called Rebel Hill. During World War I, soldiers of the German Empire were buried there.
in 1926 maintenance of the hill has begun. City engineer Karolis Reison volunteered to prepare a project for a monument-obelisk dedicated to the rebels. in 1928 The 10th anniversary of Lithuania's independence was celebrated on the rebels' hill, the Independence Garden was opened, but the construction of the monument itself was completed only in 1935. The erected monument - a 14 m high pink granite obelisk - was unveiled and consecrated, and the remains of the rebels found here were reburied.
During World War II, people were buried in the hill between 1941 and 1944. dead soldiers of the German Reich.
During the Soviet occupation, the tombstones were dismantled, and in 1955-1957 The monument-obelisk of the rebel hill has been reconstructed - all national and religious symbols have been removed. In 1988, to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the uprising, the authentic image of the monument was restored.

On October 22, 2021, the Righteous Among the Nations Square was opened in Šiauliai, at the intersection of Ežeros and Vilniaus Streets. This is the first monument to the Righteous Among the Nations in Lithuania. The author of the monument is designer Adas Toleikis, originally from Šiauliai, and the initiator is the chairman of the Šiauliai County Jewish Community, Sania Kerbelis.
The created monument “Union” features the names of the Righteous Among the Nations of the Šiauliai County, immortalizing 148 rescuers of Jews, and artistic accents mark the locations of the gates of the Šiauliai ghettos. Two ghettos were established in the city of Šiauliai: in the so-called Kaukaza quarter and in the Ežero–Trakų g. quarter. Physically strong and fit persons were sent to the first ghetto, and specialists (doctors, mechanics, and others) to the second. The ghetto in Šiauliai was established in the summer of 1941 by order of the military commandant of the city of Šiauliai, and was liquidated in 1944, when Nazi Germany retreated and the remaining Jews were transported to the Stutthof and Dachau concentration camps. More than 5,950 Jews were imprisoned in the ghettos. During the interwar period, about 6,500–8,000 Jews lived in Šiauliai, some of whom voluntarily fled to the depths of Russia, and after the Holocaust, only about 350–500 residents of Jewish origin remained.

A restored deportation train carriage is located near the Radviliškis train station, reminding us of the tragic page of history when the occupying Soviet authorities massively deported the inhabitants of the Republic of Lithuania to remote areas of the Soviet Union in 1941-1952. More than 3,000 residents were deported from the city of Radviliškis alone.
In total, about 135,500 people were deported from Lithuania between 1941 and 1952. On June 14, 1941, the first day of mass deportations in Lithuania, residents of the city of Radviliškis and its surroundings began to be “placed” in the wagons of deportation trains.
In 2012, the wagon was transferred to the Radviliškis District Municipality free of charge by the Vytautas Magnus Jaegers Battalion of the Special Operations Forces of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, through the mediation of the Lithuanian Genocide and Resistance Research Center. The authentic deportation wagon was brought back from Kaunas, carefully restored by railway workers, and now houses a small exhibition.

The sites of the Šeduva I and II holocausts are located in Liaudiškių forest (Radviliškis district), about 10 km southwest of Šeduva. A point of interest is placed on the gravel road.

The first cemetery for the remains of people of the Jewish nationality occupies an area of 375 m², surrounded by a forest, most of which is paved with stones. About 400 people were killed and buried in this place. About 500 m away is the second cemetery. The remains of people of Jewish nationality are buried in an area of 144 m². The terrain of the site is flat, most of the territory is also paved with stones. About 300 people were killed and buried in this place.

in 1941 the entire Jewish community of Šeduva - almost 700 people - was killed in these places. Before that, they spent another month in the ghetto established in the village of Pavartyčiai. August 25-26 The inhabitants of the ghetto were taken to the People's Forest. Condemned people who were killed by local policemen and white-collar workers on the orders of the Germans were herded near the excavated pit. Among those killed were 230 men, 275 women and 159 children.

2014-2015 On the initiative of the Šeduva Jewish Memorial Fund, the places of the massacres were repaired and made accessible. There are 2 monuments of the sculptor Roman Quintus: "Door" and "Star-Ray".

In the fall of 1948, the headquarters of the Resurrection District was looking for a place to spend the winter, and for this they chose the homestead of partisan supporters A. and S. Mikniu in the village of Minaičiai (Radviliškio district). Guerrillas dug a small bunker under the granary, where members of the district headquarters settled.

On February 16, 1949, the partisan leaders in Minaičiai concluded and announced the Lithuanian Freedom Struggle, the main goal of which was the restoration of the Lithuanian parliamentary republic in 1920-1926. 8 persons officially participated in the meetings: Jonas Žemaitis-Vytautas, Juozas Šibaila-Merainis, Petras Bartkus-Žadgaila, Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, Aleksandras Grybinas-Faustas, Vytautas Gužas-Kardas, Leonardas Grigonis-Užpalis and Bronius Liesys-Naktis.

The bunker was also used later, in which the partisan pharmacist Izabelė Vilimaitė-Stirna treated the partisan Laurynas Mingilas-Džiugas, who was seriously injured in the battles of Užpelkii. In 1953, the uninhabited bunker collapsed and was closed by the owners.

In 2010, the reconstruction of the partisan bunker, the farmhouse granary, and the construction of the monument began. The names of all eight partisans who signed the declaration are immortalized in the monument created by the sculptor Jonas Jagėlas. The granary has an authentic, glass-covered, partisan bunker, which visitors can view from above, and the granary has an exposition.

Until 1890 The Russian Empire had built a system of fortifications around the perimeter of the city of Kaunas. It included 8 forts and 9 artillery batteries. The construction of IX Fort started in 1902, but was completed shortly before the First World War. During the time of the Lithuanian state, 1924 the fort became a branch of Kaunas prison. During the USSR, the NKVD prison was located here, as a transfer point to the GULAG camps. During the German occupation - the Holocaust, it was a place of execution. Today, a history museum has been established here.

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.

In the city of Vilnius, near the Second Chamber of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania

in 1991 In January, due to the efforts of Lithuanian people who sought freedom and defended it, the Lithuanian Parliament House was surrounded by barricades. The barricades were an attempt to protect themselves from the military aggression of the Soviet Union at that time - Soviet attempts to carry out a coup d'état in Lithuania and restore Soviet power. It surrounded the parliament until 1992. the end in 1993 near the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, a kind of memorial was created from some barricades and other relics - a monument dedicated to the sacrifice of the people of Lithuania.

January 13 - the most tragic day of 1991. the event of January, when the Soviet army and special units occupied the Lithuanian Radio and Television building and the Television Tower, 14 defenders of freedom were killed and about 600 people were injured - the Memorial Day of the Defenders of Freedom was declared. As the tenth anniversary of the Freedom Defenders Day approaches, it was decided to protect the aforementioned composition by installing the January 13 memorial. The memorial was unveiled in 2008.

The memorial preserves the authentic 1991 a fragment of the parliament barricades, a chapel with St. with the image of the Virgin Mary, exhibited during the 1991 objects brought by people after the events of January, the events of the defense of Lithuania's independence are introduced. It is said that this is perhaps the only monument of this type in the world, which gives meaning to the defense of the independence of the parliament and the state.

The monument is located in the town of Giedraičiai.

On June 19, 1932, a monument to those who died for the freedom of Lithuania was unveiled in Giedraičiai. The initiators of the construction of the monument were the residents of Giedraičiai – the artist and author of the monument Antanas Jaroševičius, priest Meigys, Malvina Valeikienė and Matas Valeika, who supported the Lithuanian soldiers in battle, the Širvintos society and the Lithuanian army collected 11,000 litas for the monument. The invitation to donate for the construction of the monument states that the monument is being built “to honor the victory and for our eternal joy, it will remind us of the historical significance of that place, and will also show respect for the soldiers buried in Giedraičiai.”

The unveiling ceremony of the monument was pompous, attended by the President of the Republic of Lithuania A. Smetona, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, representatives of the 2nd, 4th, 7th, 9th regiments and officers who participated in the battles in Giedraičiai. Flowers were dropped from warplanes at the monument, a prominent Lithuanian figure and one of the organizers of the monument's construction Malvina Valeikienė read out the names of the Lithuanian soldiers who died at Giedraičiai, she was awarded the 3rd degree Order of the Cross of Vytis, and the flag of the local rifle unit was consecrated at the monument. In 1962–1964. by order of the Soviet administration, an unsuccessful attempt was made to demolish the monument, and later it was declared a historical monument.

200 m after turning off road 172 from the town of Giedraičiai.

On November 21, 2020, a monument created by sculptor Džiugas Jurkūnas was unveiled on a hill at the site of the Battle of Giedraičiai to commemorate the victory. The monument reinterprets the interwar battles of the Lithuanian Army with the Polish Army, aiming to abandon the conflict narrative and emphasize the significance of the union of the two states in the context of current events. The rust-covered cannon depicts the strong union between Lithuania and Poland, who fought a hundred years ago. The sides of the monument describe the situation at the time, mention the units of the Lithuanian and Polish armies that participated in it, and briefly present the course of the battle. The monument was built at the initiative and with the funds of the Lithuanian Army.

In Utena, not far from the intersection of the Kaunas–Daugavpils (A6) and Vilnius–Utena (A14) highways.

The museum was established in 2015 in the former Utena narrow-gauge railway station. As it is presented, it is a museum that breathes poetry and subtly reveals the truth of the post-war period. The exhibition “Common European Identity in the Context of Totalitarian Regimes” offers to learn about the past of all of Lithuania and Europe through the history of one Lithuanian region. It tells about the division of Europe in 1939 according to secret protocol agreements, the Soviet occupation of Lithuania, the forced participation of Lithuanians in World War II, exile, post-war resistance and the creation of collective farms in the Utena region. The painful events of 1940–1965 in the Utena region and Lithuania are revealed by comparing them with life behind the Iron Curtain.

The history of the narrow gauge railway station also bears a tragic imprint. From here, in 1941 and 1945–1953, wagons with deportees rolled to Siberia.

6 km from Visaginas, on the Visaginas–Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant road (KK177).

It is the only former nuclear power plant in the Baltic States. It is sometimes called the "sister" of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, as both plants were built with Soviet-made RBMK-type reactors. The first reactor (power unit) of the Ignalina power plant was launched in 1983. A total of four such reactors were planned to be built. Once they were all built, the Ignalina nuclear power plant was to become the most powerful in the world.

The second reactor was supposed to be launched in 1986, but after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, its launch was postponed. In 1987, it was launched. In 1988, at the initiative of the Lithuanian Reorganization Movement, the "Ring of Life" campaign was organized near the power plant against the construction of the third unit. Its construction was preserved, and in 1989 it was stopped. After the accident at Chernobyl, the safety system of RBMK type reactors was modernized, but their development stopped.

The Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant has been listed in the Guinness Book of Records. It gained fame again in 2019 as the filming location for the HBO and Sky UK television miniseries Chernobyl.

In 2010, work began on closing the nuclear power plant. Excursions are organized at the closed power plant and an exhibition hall has been installed.

In the village of Tilžė, right next to road 5303.

In 1915–1918, the 88th Division of the German 8th Army fought against the Russian army on this front line. The shelters of the support point, which were designed to protect soldiers from powerful fire strikes, were built according to a typical scheme, differing only in the sizes of the structures. The shelter-command post was built using the strongest possible building material - concrete and reinforcement, two entrances were located at the edges of the facade wall of the shelter-command post, between which there was a small row of windows, electricity was installed, water was brought from a nearby well, two stoves, wooden benches and bunks were installed. The rooms of the shelter-command post intended for officers, communication units, and the dressing station had whitewashed walls. The inscriptions “88 JDT” on the slats (metal troughs) of the shelter indicate that they were made in units of the 88th Division.

In the village of Kimbartiškės, after turning off road 5303.

In 1915–1918, the 88th division of the German 8th Army fought against the Russian army on this front line. The bunker-command post was designed to protect soldiers from powerful fire. All the bunkers were built according to a typical scheme, only the sizes of the structures differed. The bunker-command post was built using the strongest building material - concrete and reinforcement, two entrances were located at the edges of the facade wall, between which there was a small row of windows, the bunker-command post had electricity, water was brought from a nearby well, two stoves, wooden benches and bunks. The rooms for officers, communication units, and the dressing station had whitewashed walls.

The massive structure here was built using the uneven terrain and is embedded in a small ravine. This is an example of a passive fortification structure. Passive structures were not adapted for active defense. They were designed to protect soldiers and ammunition from destruction by artillery fire. Inside this object, traces of whitewashing of the walls have survived. The object is identified as a former command post.

In the town of Turmantas, Zarasai district.

During World War I, Turmantas was an important logistics point for the 88th Division of the German army defending the Eastern Front. The World War I exposition in Turmantas is a component of the international route “On the Trails of the First World War” and is located in the building of the Turmantas Primary School. In the modern and virtual reality-enhanced exposition, you will find many unique artifacts, replicas and photographs from the First World War, as well as familiarize yourself with the conditions of the soldiers’ fighting and living on the Eastern Front, weapons and ammunition, 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.

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.

Information about prices

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.