Sõjaajaloo pärandi ringreisid

Ringreis viib külastajad  tutvuma Tallinna lähedal asuvate sõjaajalooliste objektide ning muuseumidega, mis tutvustavad Eesti territooriumil toimunud sõjasündmusi erinevatel ajaperioodidel ning Nõukogude okupatsiooni aega Eestis.

Eesti suursaared Saaremaa ja Hiiumaa asuvad Eesti läänepiiril. Püüdlused saarte rannakaitse infrastruktuuri rajamiseks ja täiustamiseks on kestnud läbi aegade. Lahingud suursaartel erinevate vägede vahel toimusid nii I kui ka II maailmasõja ajal. Metsavennad tegutsesid Hiiumaal ka pärast sõda.

Ringreisil saab tutvuda sõjaajalooliste objektidega ja varasemalt suletud olnud piirkondadega sõites läbi Lahemaa rahvuspargi, Rakvere linna ja piirilinna Narva.

Ringreis tutvustab Nõukogude armee ja KGB (Riikliku Julgeoleku Komitee) tegevust 50 aastat kestnud Nõukogude okupatsiooni ajal Lätis ja Eestis. Sel ajal ehitati ja anti käiku sõjaväebaase, salajasi sõjaväerajatisi ja lennuvälju ning rajati suletud sõjaväeterritooriume. KGB pani proovile riigi elanike lojaalsuse nõukogude režiimile ning selle vastased hävitati moraalselt ja füüsiliselt.

Maršrutā iepazīsiet liecības par bruņotās pretošanās kustību padomju okupācijas režīmam Sēlijā, nacionālo partizānu bunkuru vietas un apmeklēsiet kauju un piemiņas vietas, iepazīsiet partizānu un viņu atbalstītāju atmiņu stāstus.

Latvijas Centrālās padomes Ventspils sakaru grupas darbības un piemiņas vietas, kas veltītas slepenajām bēgļu laivu akcijām no Kurzemes piekrastes uz Gotlandi Zviedrijā.

Ringreis tutvustab 1919. aasta Cēsise (Võnnu) lahingute sündmusi, mil Läti Ajutise Valitsuse relvajõud alistasid koos Eesti sõjaväega Saksa Landeswehri ja Rauddiviisi üksused. Eesti sõjaajaloos on need lahingud tuntud kui Landeswehri sõda. Cēsise (Võnnu) lahingud oli üks Läti Vabadussõjas võtmesündmusi 18. novembril 1918 välja kuulutatud Läti riigi iseseisvuse kaitsmisel.

Pärnu- ja Läänemaa asuvad Eesti läänerannikul. Osmussaar on 4,8 km2 suurune saar Soome lahe suudmes, mida kasutati sõjaväe eelpostina. Pärast II maailmasõda asus saarel Nõukogude armee üksus ja sellest sai suletud militaartsoon.

Ringreisil külastatakse Jõululahingutega seotud paiku, näiteks Läti küttide rünnakukohta Saksa armee üksuste vastu 1916. aasta eriti karmides talveoludes. Jõululahinguid peetakse Läti ajaloo kõige tuntumaks ja dramaatilisemaks sündmuseks I maailmasõjas.

Nõukogude okupatsiooni ajal, II maailmasõjas ja vahetult pärast sõda ei leppinud paljud lätlased ega eestlased eluga okupatsioonirežiimi all ning soovisid taastada oma riigi iseseisvuse. Varjuti metsa, elati enda ehitatud punkrites ja korraldati rünnakuid Nõukogude repressiivvõimude vastu. Loodeti, et lääneriigid ei aktsepteeri Nõukogude okupatsiooni ning Läti ja Eesti on peagi taas iseseisvad. Metsavennad jätkasid lahinguid kuni 1950. aastate lõpuni.

Ringreisil saab näha Eesti Vabadussõja sündmustega seotud paiku alates Pärnust kuni piirilinna Valgani. Eesti Vabadussõda peeti aastatel 1918–1920.

Ringreisi sihtkohad on II maailmasõja lõpu (oktoober 1944 - mai 1945) sündmustega seotud paigad. Sel ajal taganes Saksa armee Riiast Kuramaale, kus toimus 6 suuremat lahingut Kuramaa rinde eri osades. Ägedate lahingute tõttu on see periood tuntud kui Kuramaa kott või Kura kott. Punaarmee ei suutnud Kuramaad vallutada kuni natsi-Saksamaa kapituleerumiseni.

The route enables the traveller to understand the extent of the Soviet occupation and the traces it left in Lithuanian history, while revealing the ability of people to preserve their identity and fight for independence. The Soviet occupation of Lithuania lasted for about five decades. World War II was followed by Soviet repressions, resistance by national partisans, the militarisation of Lithuania during the Cold War and the regaining of independence by Lithuania. Lithuania was also strategically important to the USSR due to its proximity to Western countries, which is why military installations were deployed there. The route also includes some sites belong ing to other periods of the military history of the 20th cen tury. This route, or a part thereof, can be connected to the following routes in Latvia: “World War II and its Aftermath – Soviet Occupation in Southern Latvia and Latgale”, “World War I and the Wars of Independence in Southern Latvia”.

Läänemere rannik oli nõukogude ajal riigi läänepiiriks. NSV Liidu ja lääneriikide vahelist piiri tunti raudse eesriide nime all, kuna selle ülesanne oli isoleerida NSVL-i elanikud muust maailmast. Sõjaväebaaside, rannavalvetornide ja patareidega suleti suurem osa Läti ja Eesti rannikust. Kohalikud elanikud vajasid piirkonnast lahkumiseks või sinna sisenemiseks erilubasid. Vaatamata rangetele kontrollimeetmetele üritati aeg-ajalt piiri ületada ja põgeneda läände.

The route passes through the southern part of Latvia, ap proaching the Lithuanian border, and stretches from the extreme west – Liepāja – to the south-east – Daugavpils, the second largest city in Latvia. The route is themed around World War I and the subsequent Latvian War of Independ ence. This route, or a part thereof, can be connected to the following routes in Lithuania: “Legacy of the Cold War and Soviet Occupation in Žemaitija”, or “The Scenes of Soviet Lithuania”, or “The Military heritage along the Iron Curtain”.

Latgale is the eastern border area of Latvia, the Baltic states and the European Union. Historically, Latgale has been at the crossroads of various historical events and territories. It was neither spared by the two world wars in the 20th cen tury, nor by the period of Soviet occupation that followed the last war. The route offers a wide variety of military herit age sites, with objects from all periods of the military his tory of the 20th century, as well as the opportunity to learn more about the creation and protection of national bor ders, both historically and in the present day. This route, or a part thereof, can be connected to the following routes in Lithuania: “Partisan Roads and Trails in Aukštaitija”, “The Sites of Battles of Latvian and Lithuanian National Partisans – the Forest Brothers”.

The Baltic states were the westernmost frontier of the Soviet Union during the Soviet era and the Cold War. Behind the frontier was what Soviet propaganda called the “rotting West”. The borders of the USSR were thoroughly guarded to prevent the Soviet people from seeing and experiencing what life was like for people to the west of the border of the USSR. Even individual fishing in the Baltic Sea was banned for fear that people would flee in their boats across the Baltic Sea to Sweden. This was a time when the Baltic states were located within the territory behind the so-called Iron Cur tain, which could only be crossed by a “chosen few”, who were often those close to the regime. When the totalitarian Soviet regime collapsed, so did the Iron Curtain. Although the main theme of the route is the Second World War and its aftermath – the Soviet occupation, the Cold War and the Iron Curtain – it also includes sites from other military periods of the 20th century and the present day. This is a continuation of the route of the same name, which starts in Tallinn, Estonia, and runs along the coast of Estonia and Latvia: “Military heritage along the Iron Curtain. Route by car from Tallinn to Liepāja”. This route, or parts thereof, can be connected to the following routes in Latvia and Lithuania: “Scenes of Soviet Lithuania”, “Legacy of the Cold War and Soviet Occupation in Žemaitija”, “World War I and the Wars of Independence in Southern Latvia”, “Along the Baltic Way from Vilnius to Riga”, “World War II and its Aftermath – Soviet Occupation in Southern Latvia and Latgale”.

Reisimarsruut tutvustab Eesti ja Läti sõjaajaloo 100-aastast perioodi alates I Maailmasõjast kuni tänapäevani. Keskendutakse mõlema riigi sünnile I Maailmasõja lõpus, kuidas kaitsti enda olemasolu Vabadussõdades, kuidas mõlemad riigid kadusid maailmakaardilt II Maailmasõja käigus, miks metsavennad võitlesid nõukogude okupatsiooni vastu rohkem kui kümme aastat peale sõja lõppu ning kuidas iseseisvus taastati peale viiskümmend aastat kestnud okupatsiooni.

This route explores the legacy of the Soviet rule and the Cold War. During the Second World War, after the German oc cupation, Soviet power returned to Lithuania for the second time. Lithuania did not exist as a separate country during this period, as it was incorporated into the USSR. Resistance to the occupation regime and large-scale deportation opera tions by the Soviets began. As the Cold War arms race in tensified, the Soviet government also stationed their nuclear weapons in Lithuania. The route also includes some sites belonging to other periods of the military history of the 20th century. This route, or a part thereof, can be connected to the following routes in Latvia: “World War II and its Aftermath – Soviet Occupation in Southern Latvia and Latgale”, “World War I and the Wars of Independence in Southern Latvia”.

The theme of the route focuses on national partisans, who resisted the Soviet occupation and sought to restore the in dependence. Partisans were called forest brothers because groups of partisans lived in bunkers in forests and swamps and carried out attacks against the occupation authorities. Partisans lived in the bunkers for a long time after the end of the Second World War. The route includes the sites of battles, burial and memorial sites of national partisans in south-east ern Latvia and north-eastern Lithuania. This route, or parts thereof, can be connected to the following routes or parts thereof in Latvia and Lithuania: “Along the Baltic Way from Vilnius to Riga”, “Partisan Roads and Trails in Aukštaitija”, “Scenes of Soviet Lithuania”, “Latgale – the Eastern Border of Latvia”, “World War I and the Wars of Independence in Southern Latvia”, “World War II and its Aftermath – Soviet Occupation in Southern Latvia and Latgale”, “The Great Cross-Border Route – Military Heritage of Latvia and Lithu ania over 100 Years”.

The route runs through the southern part of Latvia along the Lithuanian border, and then turns along the border of the European Union – through Latgale towards Balvi. It con nects the two most distant points of Latvia – Liepāja in the south-west of Latvia and Balvi in the north-east of the coun try, presenting evidence of the Second World War both in the Kurzeme Pocket, and in eastern Latvia. The route also reveals the consequences of the war – the Soviet occupa tion and its heavy impact on the fate of the people of the 20th century. This route, or a part thereof, can be connected to the following routes in Lithuania: “Legacy of the Cold War and Soviet Occupation in Žemaitija”, or “The Scenes of Soviet Lithuania”, or “The Military heritage along the Iron Curtain”.

The route introduces the activities of national partisans in Lithuania. During the Soviet occupation, a partisan war was fought, during which the territory of Lithuania was divided into nine partisan regions. The Lithuanian national partisans were well organised and armed, wearing military uniforms and carrying on the traditions of the inter-war Lithuanian Army. They fought with murderous NKVD (Soviet secret po lice) and Red Army units, and prepared plans for attacks. Hiding from persecution and prying eyes, Lithuanian par tisans built bunkers for themselves in the thickets of forests and swamps. The route also includes some sites belonging to other periods of the military history of the 20th century. This route, or a part thereof, can be connected to the following routes in Latvia: “Latgale – the Eastern Border of Latvia”, “World War II and its Aftermath – Soviet Occupation in Southern Latvia and Latgale”, “World War I and the Wars of Independence in Southern Latvia”, ''Resistance to the Soviet occupation regime in Zemgale''

Maršrutā iepazīsiet liecības par bruņoto un nevardarbīgo pretošanās kustību padomju okupācijas režīmam Zemgalē, skolu jaunatnes un nacionālo partizānu darbības un piemiņas vietas, iepazīsiet pretošanās kustības dalībnieku un viņu atbalstītāju atmiņu stāstus.

Marsruudi jooksul saate teada Nõukogude ja Saksa okupatsioonirežiimide vastase vastupanuliikumise tõenditest, autentselt rekonstrueeritud rahvuspartisanide punkrite kohta ning külastate hoolitsetud asulaid, lahingupaiku ja mälestuspaiku. Kurelaste mälestustest saate teada audiogiidi abil, kohalike ajalooekspertide lugusid ja teil on võimalus ööbida rubenlaste punkris.

The route connects two capital cities – Riga and Vilnius – as well as two major cities outside the capital cities of Lithuania and Latvia – Kaunas and Daugavpils – passing through five historical regions. On the route, you may visit the most important military sites bearing evidence of the historical events of the last century and the beginning of this one. This is a continuation of “The Great Cross-Border Route – Military Heritage of Latvia and Estonia over 100 Years”, which covers Estonia and Latvia (Vidzeme, Kurzeme). This route, or parts thereof, can be connected to the following routes in Latvia and Lithuania: “Military heritage along the Iron Curtain”, “Scenes of Soviet Lithuania”, “World War I and the Wars of Independence in Southern Latvia”, “The Sites of Battles of Latvian and Lithuanian National Partisans – the Forest Brothers”, “World War II and its Aftermath – Soviet Occupation in Southern Latvia and Latgale”, “Partisan Roads and Trails in Aukštaitija”, “Latgale – the Eastern Border of Latvia”.

The route follows the so-called Baltic Way Corridor. The Baltic Way took place on 23 August 1989 at around 19:00, when two million people in the three Baltic states joined their hands for 15 minutes to form a living chain of around 670 km that joined the three Baltic capitals – Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn. The route also includes some sites belonging to other periods of the military history of the 20th century. This route, or parts thereof, can be connected to the following routes in Latvia and Lithuania: “Military heritage along the Iron Curtain”, “Scenes of Soviet Lithuania”, “World War I and the Wars of Independence in Southern Latvia”, “The Sites of Battles of Latvian and Lithuanian National Partisans – the Forest Brothers”, “World War II and its Aftermath – Soviet Occupation in Southern Latvia and Latgale” and ''Resistance to the Soviet occupation regime in Zemgale''.