Raudonasis teroras I WW1, I Nepriklausomybės karai

The former USSR State Security Committee (commonly known as Cheka) building is open for visitors. Here chekists imprisoned, interrogated and murdered Latvian citizens who were considered opponents by the occupation regime. There is also an exhibit from the Latvian Occupation Museum on the activities of Cheka in Latvia. Guided tours of the prison cells, corridors, basement and courtyard are available. The house was built in 1911 and it is one of the most beautiful buildings in Riga. Called the ‘Corner House’ by the people, it was the scariest symbol of the Soviet occupation regime in Latvia, and also one of the pillars of power of the USSR. Cheka operated from the Corner House during the occupation from 1940 to 1941 and then again from 1945 to 1991. Tens of thousands of Latvians were affected by direct political persecution. The fight against enemies of Soviet rule continued also after World War II. Cheka’s approach towards its operation slightly changed after Stalin’s death. Physical torture was replaced by psychological terror. The majority of Cheka agents were Latvians (52%). Russians were the second largest group – 23.7%. 60.3% of the agents were not members of the Communist Party. 26.9% of the agents had higher education. The system was designed in a way to involve local people and thus have greater control over the society. Staff documents and service records are located in Russia. And these materials have not been made available to Latvian authorities and researchers.

Located in the historical center of Gulbene, opposite the Gulbene Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Monument to the victims of the riots of 1905, members of the Gulbene congregation who fell in the First World War and the Latvian War of Independence, and the victims of the Maliena tribunal. The monument was designed by E. Ābeltiņš and was unveiled in 1929 in front of the Gulbene Evangelical Lutheran Church. After the Second World War, a five-pointed star was placed on the monument, then - on its foundations - a plaster image of a Soviet soldier was painted in bronze, and a cemetery of fallen Soviet soldiers was erected behind the monument. When the new cemeteries of Soviet soldiers who died in World War II were opened in Spārīte Park in 1969, the remains of the fallen were transported there, but the site of the monument was leveled with the ground. In the autumn of 1989, the foundations of the monument were excavated and the capsule with the text built into them in 1928 was excavated. The monument was restored in 1992 (sculptor O. Feldbergs).

Between December 24, 1918 and May 31, 1919, when the 1st (4th) Valmiera Infantry Regiment liberated Gulbene from the Bolsheviks, the Maliena (Vecgulbene) Revolutionary War Tribunal and Workers' Club were located in the church. It stood out for the severity of its decisions and the high number of death sentences, often for minor offenses, in which 349 cases were investigated and 606 people were charged.

A memorial sculpture can be seen.

To commemorate the deportations of June 1941 and March 1949, a memorial stone and a four-axle wagon, which also serves as the museum dedicated to deportations, was erected at the Skrunda railway station. This is the first wagon-type museum in Latvia that holds a permanent exhibit of photos, letters, memoirs, documents and various items made by the people deported from the Skrunda station. Skrunda station was a location where deportees were gathered, and one of the three stations in the region to which people from the Skrunda and the Kuldīga area were brought. In 1941, the family of the first President of the restored Republic of Latvia, Guntis Ulmanis, was deported from here to Krasnoyarsk Krai in Siberia.

With the help of deportations, the Soviets dealt with supporters of the national partizans’ and at the same time intimidated the remaining rural population, forcing them to join the collective farms.

Atrodas Odzienas ielā 2, Pļaviņās.

Apskatāma pastāvīgā ekspozīcija „Latvijas armija Pļaviņās 20. gs.”.

Ēkai Pļaviņās, Odzienas ielā 2, ir sena vēsture – no laika, kad Stukmaņu lieltirgotājs Hugo Apeltofts tajā uzsāka aktīvu saimniecisko darbību, tādējādi veicinādams Pļaviņu pilsētas attīstību, līdz brīdim, kad Brīvības cīņu jeb Neatkarības kara laikā šeit tika izveidots Latvijas Austrumu frontes štābs. 1919. gadā tieši no Pļaviņām tika vadīta Latvijas armijas vienību darbība pret Sarkano armiju Latgalē.

1934. gadā pie šī nama tika atklāta piemiņas plāksne ar uzrakstu: “Šai namā 1919. gadā atradās Austrumu frontes štābs, un šeit ģenerālis Jānis Balodis uzņēmās Latvijas Nacionālās armijas virspavēlniecību.” Padomju vara 1940. gadā  to noņēma un iznīcināja, bet 1990. gada 16. jūnijā ar LNNK Pļaviņu nodaļas atbalstu tā tika atjaunota.

Tagad pie kādreizējā štāba ēkas atrodas piemiņas stēla, kas veltīta 15 Pļaviņu novadā dzimušajiem Lāčplēša Kara ordeņa kavalieriem, bet telpās izveidota ekspozīcija „Latvijas armija Pļaviņās 20. gs.”, kura stāsta par notikumiem Brīvības cīņu laikā, Latvijas armijas 3. Latgales divīzijas štāba darbību Pļaviņās, kā arī sniedz ieskatu Lāčplēša Kara ordeņa kavalieru dzīves stāstos.

Netālu no ekspozīcijas ēkas atrodas Latgales divīzijas štāba ēka, kuru 1913. gadā, kā Stukmaņu liķiera fabiku būvēja grāfs Teodors Medems. 1919.gadā to pārņēma P. Stučkas režīms, kur tas bija izveidojis arī cietumu. Pēc boļševiku padzīšanas, 1925.gadā ēku pārņēma Latvijas armija, kura tajā izvietoja Latgales divīzijas štābu. Šajā ēkā savu militāro karjeru izgāja 10 Latvijas armijas ģenerāļi un citi virsnieki. 1940.gadā ēku pārņēma Sarkanā armija. Pēckara gados tajā izvietojās skola, kā arī pašvaldība. Ap 1970.gadu ēku sāka izmantot ražošanas apvienība “Rīgas Apģērbs”. 

Ekspozīcijas apmeklējumu iepriekš jāpiesaka zvanot T. 28442692.

Muzejā apskatāmas trīs pastāvīgās ekspozīcijas. No tā “Rēzekne laikmetu griežos” stāsta par pilsētas vēsturi 7 gadsimtu garumā. Nozīmīga daļa ir veltīta tieši 20 gadsimta notikumiem, kariem un laikmetu maiņām – Pirmais pasaules karš, Neatkarības karš, Otrais pasaules karš, Rēzeknes sagraušana 1944. gadā padomju bumbvedēju uzlidojumā, kā arī karagūstekņu nometne “Stalag 347”, foto stends par Rēzeknes karavīru likteņiem kara laikā.

Savukārt Latvijas brīvvalsts laikā Rēzeknē dislocētais 9. Rēzeknes kājnieku pulka karavīri bija neatņemama pilsētas sabiedriskās dzīves un sporta notikumu sastāvdaļa, it īpaši 11. un 18. novembra svinībās.