Priekule Memorial Ensemble of Warrior’s Cemetery
Memorial site
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Priekule vennaskalmistu memoriaalansambel Liepāja-Priekule-Skoda maantee kõrval on suurim Teises maailmasõjas osalenud Nõukogude sõdurite matmispaik Baltimaades. Siia on maetud üle 23000 Nõukogude sõduri. Operatsioon „Priekule“ oli üks ägedamaid Kuramaa koti lahinguid, mis kestis 1944. aasta oktoobrist kuni 1945. aasta 21. veebruarini. Priekule lahing 1945. aasta veebruaris kestis ilma katkestusteta seitse päeva ja ööd ning nõudis mõlemal poolel väga palju ohvreid. Kuni Priekule vennaskalmistu ümberkujundamiseni memoriaalansambliks asus siin silmapaistva läti skulptori Kārlis Zāle (1888–1942) viimasena tehtud mälestusmärk, mis oli mõeldud vabadussõja mälestuseks Alojasse. Aastatel 1974–1984 kujundati Priekule vennaskalmistu 8 ha suurune ala ümber Teises maailmasõjas langenute memoriaalansambliks. Selle kujundasid skulptor P. Zaļkalne, arhitektid A. Zoldners ja E. Salguss ning dendroloog A. Lasis.
Used sources and references:
www.leismalite.lv
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"The war is not over until the last soldier is buried" (Priekule Brethren Cemetery)
Kurzeme was established as a separate and isolated battlefield on October 10, 1944. About 500,000 soldiers of the German armed forces were counted as surrounded. According to the reports of the headquarters of the 1st Baltic Front, only a "slight effort" was needed to completely liberate the entire Baltic coast. However, the fighting in Kurzeme continued for another seven months and Kurzeme became a symbol of the end of World War II.
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