Tag: interchange

German and Soviet Military Traces in Jüterbog

CarloRLeave a comment

The area around Jüterbog, about 1 hour and 15 minutes south of Berlin by car, has enjoyed a long military tradition, dating from the years of the Kaiser and WWI, through the Third Reich and all the more than four decades of the Cold War, until the departure of the Soviet Army in the early 1990s.

Almost for the entire duration of the 20th century, the area has been scattered with barracks, immense training grounds, shooting ranges, officer’s houses, army administration buildings, technical depots, airports and military academies.

The town of Jüterbog is actually much older than the 20th century, but the Soviets, who grew to a much greater population than the Germans in town after 1945, did not pay much attention to this nice medieval town. Following their withdrawal and the end of all military operations around, the town center received substantial money for restoration from the Government of reunified Germany, and the result is really remarkable – Jüterbog is today possibly one of the most lively and nice-looking centers in the region, with medieval towers, gates and churches, hotels, restaurants and bright-painted houses all around.

However, one hundred years of military activities in this province could not be wiped out at once, and despite nature is now invading the old army premises after operations ceased, to a careful eye the heritage of the German and Soviet Armies stationed there can be spotted quite easily, immediately out the lovely historical town.

Perhaps the most prominent witnesses of the past activities are the old flight academy, installed in the Third Reich years and later employed also by the Soviets, who got control of the area after they arrived in 1945, and kept it even after the foundation of the GDR and the corresponding Armed Forces (i.e. the Nationale Volksarmee, or NVA). The flight academy is today a listed building, despite in a state of partial disrepair. Another example is the big airbase of Jüterbog/Altes Lager, which went on operating as an NVA and Soviet airbase until the very end of the Cold War, and is now being used as a sport airfield, a kart circuit track, an event venue and a solar power plant.

Both these two items are covered in another chapter.

In the following report, more locations in and around Jüterbog are pinpointed, photographed during two visits, partly guided by the knowledgeable Dr. Reiner Helling, in the Summer seasons of 2021 and 2022.

Heading to Berlin or the former GDR? Looking for traces of the Cold War open for a visit?

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Sights

The material in this post covers ‘Shelter Albrecht’, a one-of-a-kind private collection of items from WWII and especially from Soviet times, more views of the former airfield of Altes Lager, with a Granit bunker still in very good conditions, an abandoned military hospital with evident traces of Soviet operations, a Soviet cemetery, and a few more items, silent and overlooked witnesses of a recently bygone era.

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Shelter Albrecht

The airbase of Jüterbog/Altes Lager was selected by the Soviets for further development with the arrival of jets in the late 1940s-early 1950s, and grew to be a prominent attack aircraft and helicopter base in the territory of the GDR. Now reduced in size to the point that some taxiways have been turned into public roads, some of the incredibly many aircraft shelters originally in place in the peripheral parts of the base – mostly AU-16 – have been wiped out. However, a set of two to the east of the runway have been spared this fate, and have been redeemed by a private business. One has been turned into a venue for events, whereas the other has been employed to showcase a great collection of WWII and Cold War memorabilia. Actually, the two hangars are located inside a somewhat larger perimeter, with an original technical building and room for even more exhibits.

A first impressive sight is the original Soviet scheme of the base. Similar signs were typically put close to the gate of any Soviet base (as seen for instance here in Ribnitz/Damgarten), and with their Russian writings today they witness the Soviet tenancy of the base.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

On the apron, an original military version of the ubiquitous Trabant, in army green color, is on display together with a field kitchen and a gigantic roadwork machine. The latter is Russian made, with tank tracks, and powered by a 12-cylinder Diesel engine.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

A Mil Mi-2 helicopter, which for some hard-to-imagine reason had ended up on the Adriatic coast of Italy in a private collection, where it sat almost derelict, has been brought back to the other side of the Iron Curtain, and restored in a camo coat and placed in a prominent position. Not far, a wing from an old Lavochin La-5 Soviet aircraft can be found.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Still on the open air exhibition are a decorated panel once gracing a Soviet hospital – possibly the one described later (here) – and another celebrating the Warsaw Pact. But the exhibits are really countless, and include propaganda posters, and canisters for ordnance.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

To the side of the main exhibition hangar, in the area of an interred fuel tank once serving the base, is an incredible set of Soviet panels, originally from this or other Soviet bases around. These panels are partly decoration/celebration signs, with portraits of Soviet soldiers and emblems.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Other are technically-themed, with explanations concerning driving habits and rules, hand-to-hand combat, and more. Similar items, including fake targets for assault training, can be found for instance in Forst Zinna, an abandoned Soviet base not far from Jüterbog (covered here).

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Also part of the collection is a rare mural, apparently retracing the push to the west of a Soviet division (?) during the Great Patriotic War.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Inside, the aircraft shelter is stuffed with interesting memorabilia. From WWII, exhibits include remains of downed aircraft, including damaged engines, propellers and canopies. Among them are remains of an Avro Lancaster, a Focke-Wulf 190, a Junkers Ju-87 and the canopy of a pretty rare training (two-seats) version of the Messerschmitt Bf-109.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Four large scale models cover as many interesting sights around. The first is the former flight academy of the Third Reich (mentioned above and covered here), north of the Altes Lager airbase premises. Also on display are books and furniture originally from the library of the academy.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

A second model portrays the entire area between the academy (north) and the airfield (south), including the latter. This area, now largely shrouded in the trees and partially in private hands, used to host technical installations and even factories connected with warfare business – all linked by an extensive network of roads and railways.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Another model is that of two airship hangars from the years of German tenancy. These had to be really huge, but are today completely gone. Among the factories in place in the area, were those for supplying gas for the airships.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Finally, a fourth scale model represents the older airfield of Jüterbog/Damm. The latter is not far from Altes Lager, and is today in private hands for some cattle breeding business. It features very peculiar concrete hangars, an interesting specimen of Third Reich construction engineering. Some aerial pictures can be found here. That airfield was not selected for further development by the Soviets, due to the limited potential for runway lengthening, in turn due to the proximity with Jüterbog town.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Soviet-related items on display range from painted tables, originally gracing the walls of the base, to technical signs in Russian, to a full array of personal and military items, all belonging to the Soviet staff stationed in Jüterbog. These include an interesting overall map of the Soviet airfields on GDR territory, with basic technical data.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Among the highlights, an official printed portrait of Stalin, and one of Brezhnev in a military uniform, parachutes and parts from attack aircraft, many direction signs and instructional panels for low-ranking military staff. Also very interesting is a radar scope with the three air corridors to West-Berlin and the position of Altes Lager printed on it!

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Of special interest for aircraft enthusiasts are many pictures from the days of operation of the airbase, with many exotic Soviet aircraft seen landing, departing or taxiing around.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Other panels tells about the presence of rocket forces in the area of Jüterbog – in particular the 27th R.Br. of the NVA. They operated the SCUD-B system.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Back outside, the exhibition is completed by an original monument from Altes Lager, often employed as a background for official ceremonies, and more personal memorabilia of the owner of the museum, formerly serving within a tank division of the NVA.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Reconstructed shops and schools are on display, with much original furniture and everyday items of Soviet make.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Getting there and Visiting

The place is really worth a visit for everybody interested in memorabilia items from Soviet times, or for those looking for tangible traces of the military past of Jüterbog. The location is easy to reach by car, with a convenient internal parking. The address is Niedergörsdorfer Allee 4, 14913 Niedergörsdorf, Germany.

An updated official website with opening times is apparently not available. However, Mr. Helmut Stark, the owner of the place, may be contacted beforehand (in German only) to inquire about opening times and plan a visit – try Googling his name and that of the site for updated contacts. The place is regularly open at least in the weekends in the warm season. A visit to this site will be likely with Mr. Stark following you and giving explanations in German. This will take about 45 minutes.

Granit Bunker and Hangars in Jüterbog/Altes Lager

Some views of the Altes Lager airbase are provided in this chapter, and some aerial views can be seen here. The huge, flat-top hangars date from the Third Reich era, and similarly the control tower with its annexes. Some of the hangars were reportedly dismounted by the Soviets and taken to the Soviet Union soon after the end of WWII.

Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads

Besides all the aircraft shelters scattered all around the runway, a relevant and pretty secluded Soviet addition north of the airfield is a Soviet Granit-type bunker. This type of bunker was among the lightest in Soviet inventory, and could serve multiple purposes, e.g. storing movable radar trucks, tanks, other machinery, or weapons. Actually, its presence on an airfield may suggest the purpose of storing special air-dropped weapons, maybe tactical nuclear, high-explosive or chemical ordnance.

Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads

Bunkers of Granit-type are possibly the most frequent special constructions in former Soviet bases (see for instance here or here), but the one in Jüterbog is interesting since it is very well conserved, and its massive metal doors are still perfectly in place, providing a nice impression of how this technical item should have looked like in the days of operation.

Getting there and Visiting

The airport of Altes Lager is today pretty busy, with several companies having taken over much of its original premises now open for business. Multiple access points are available, and chances of looking inside the original installations are many. Given the still exceptional state of conservation of the Granit bunker, in order to protect this rare historical artifact from the impressive hordes of catatonic idiot spoilers and writers out there, no indication is provided on its exact location.

Military Hospital

Among the buildings now shrouded by the overgrown vegetation in the area between Jüterbog/Altes Lager airfield and the town of Jüterbog is a sizable military hospital. Totally invisible from the road, the hospital is basically made of a single, building featuring three long interconnected rows.

It is made of the typical German dark-red brick, a design which is way too elegant for Soviet occupants. The arrangement of the facade and the nice railings suggest a construction date from the years of the Kaiser and the German Empire, maybe early 20th century.

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic

However, the years of Soviet use are witnessed by a big mural, portraying Lenin with some Soviet soldiers in the background, with a black and yellow striped ribbon and a red star, emblems of the Red Army.

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic

To the more careful eye, a few graffiti in Russian can be found here and there, with a date as usual.

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic

The aura is very silent and mysterious, and as such, this location is a mecca for urban explorers. Actually, the only noise came from a fast spinning ventilation fan in a window frame! This was pushed by an air stream however, not likely by a motor…

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic

Some more buildings complete this complex, and original GDR-style lamps can still be seen around – the tall trees now surrounding the building were likely not in place when the hospital was closed, presumably in the early 1990s.

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Getting there and Moving around

Not difficult to find in the trees between Jüterbog and the airfield of Altes Lager, there is no clear interdiction sign to access this complex from behind, yet vibration sensors planted in the ground can be spotted around, and some security cars can be seen sometimes parked on the main road. A walk around the hospital is not especially dangerous nor difficult, and may take about 25 minutes taking all the pictures. The building is architecturally nice and possibly listed. Yet it is in partial disrepair and largely sealed, and getting in is obviously not advisable.

Soviet Cemetery

The only relic of the years of Soviet occupation which is immediately visible to the general public in Jüterbog is the Soviet military cemetery. This is located to the back of the Liebfrauenkirche, in the historical center of Jüterbog.

Actually, a monumental part, with railings embellished with hammer and sickle emblems and a monument with writings in German and Russian to the back, is detached from the church yard.

Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof

However, possibly in later times, the limited space available in the lot originally planned for the monument meant some graves were dug right in the church graveyard, side by side – but not mixed – with German graves.

Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Getting there and Visiting

The exact address is Am Dammtor, 14913 Jüterbog, Germany. The place is well-kept, being part of the historical city center of Jüterbog. Parking opportunities all around on the street. A visit may take 10 minutes.

Railway Yard, School and Command Building

The town of Jüterbog acted as a ‘local capital’ for the many Soviet troops and their families scattered in the corresponding district. The hospital (see above) was not the only large installation in place. A district school was also installed, which served not only the very town of Jüterbog – with a Russian-speaking population of more than 70.000, greater than the German nationals – but also the residing Soviet population of smaller technical installations in the area. A notable example is the impressive nuclear depot in Stolzenhain (see here), where a dedicated staff and their families occupied four residential blocks now gone. Their children reportedly attended school in Jüterbog.

The school is today largely abandoned, and a quick tour around reveals typical Soviet decorations in the large sporting hall.

Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic

The school building is geographically close to the railway station. The latter had a passenger terminal dedicated to the Soviet population, which was completely segregated from the German one.

Furthermore, the railway in Jüterbog had also a primary logistic function, connected with the military activities going on in the area. Besides transporting tanks, vehicles and other material, also nuclear warheads arrived by rail from Belarus or Ukraine (both in the USSR at the time), for storage in the Stolzenhain Monolith-type bunkers (see here). A special railway track with a dead end in the trees featured a special interchange platform, allowing to move the sensitive warheads in their controlled canisters to trucks, and by road to Stolzenhain – usually at night. Since warheads were also sent back for maintenance or overhaul, the transport operated also in the opposite direction.

Jüterbog Railway Track Station
Jüterbog Railway Track Station

Very close to the railway station and the school is also a large grassy area, surrounded by a nice, old-style metal fence. This area is that of an older training ground, dating to the years of the Kaiser. A command building, now in disrepair, betrays the same origin, featuring decorations in a typical old-German style.

Jüterbog Command Building Abandoned Relic
Jüterbog Command Building Abandoned Relic
Jüterbog Command Building Abandoned Relic
Getting there and Moving around

The school can be found in Jüterbog here. Cross the street from the school, the old training grounds and command building are immediately spotted. Walking north past the command building, you get access to a pedestrian bridge over the railway tracks, with a nice view of the station. An exploration of the railway tracks has to be considered extremely dangerous, since the railway line there is today a high-speed one, with bullet-fast trains appearing in just seconds. A walk around this spot in Jüterbog may take 15 minutes. Parking opportunities ahead of the command building.

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Plokstine – A Preserved Nuclear Missile Site in Lithuania

CarloRLeave a comment

While almost all nuclear sites you can find in European Countries once beyond the Iron Curtain are today totally abandoned and fairly unaccessible, there exists a perhaps unique exception. The Plokstine site in northwestern Lithuania has been selected around 2010 for complete refurbishment with the help of public money, and in 2012 it has opened its doors as a museum. Located in a beautiful natural setting crowded with hikers – namely Zemaitija National Park, a national recreation area around Plateliai lake – it has quickly grown to international fame, and is now recording several thousands visitors per year, with guided tours in multiple languages – including English – offered on a regular basis during the warm season.

What is today an intriguing tourist destination, used to be part of a large Soviet installation for launching ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads. It is worth mentioning that Lithuania was a ‘Soviet Socialist Republic’ in the realm of the USSR, i.e. not just a satellite country of the Soviet Union, but part of it. Actually, this small country on the shores of the Baltic Sea, on the extreme western border of Soviet territory, was an ideal location for deploying weapons to hit European targets from within the Union. Furthermore, the Plokstine forest was – and still is – a little populated area, where construction works for a large top-secret military facility for storing and operating offensive cutting-edge hi-tech warfare would go likely unnoticed.

The missile complex was completed in December 1962, in the years of Khrushchev and Kennedy. The Plokstine site comprises of four interred silos and an extensive underground command station in the middle – the ensemble constituted a so-called ‘Dvina’ launch complex.

The ‘Dvina’ site in Plokstine was actually the last part of the missile base to be built. Two more sister surface sites, with four launchpads each, had been completed one year before, just west of the nearby village of Saiteikiai. These surface sites were similar to those you can find in Latvia (see this post), a neighbor country where unfortunately the last remaining ‘Dvina’ site was demolished in 2017, but abundant traces of the Soviet presence can still be found.

All three launch complexes in this region were designed around the R-12 missile. The R-12U missile was actually used in the underground ‘Dvina’ complex, slightly different from the surface-launched R-12. This weapon was better known by its NATO designation – SS-4 Sandal – and was a 2.3 megaton, single warhead, single stage nuclear missile. It reached true international notoriety before the base in Plokstine was activated, for this was the type deployed to Cuba in the missile crisis of 1962. Coincidentally, part of the staff transferred to Cuba in the days preceding the crisis was from the same rocket regiment of the Red Army (the 79th) stationed in Plokstine. Sandal missiles from here were reportedly transferred in complete secrecy to Cuba, via the port town of Sevastopol in Crimea in that occasion.

The base remained operational until the last missile – by then obsolete – left in 1978.

The Baltics were the first republics to leave the dying Soviet Union, openly defying the military authority of neighbor Russia. After the collapse of the Union and the end of communism in Europe, these three states – which historically do not belong to Russian culture – quickly joined the NATO and European Union, to escape Russian influence as much as possible. Most Soviet military installations were shut down and abandoned, and have been for two decades an interesting destination for explorers and war historians (see this post for many examples). Later on, most sites have been slowly demolished or converted into something else. Really a few of them have been preserved for posterity.

In this post you can find photographs from the Cold War Museum now open in the former ‘Dvina’ site of Plokstine, from a visit in 2017. Close to the bottom, you can find a few further photographs from a previous visit made by appointment in 2009, before the site was selected for renovation – these may be more appealing for Soviet-aura lovers!

Sights

What can be visited today is all in the area of the old ‘Dvina’ complex. The complex is mainly composed of four interred silos, covered by heavy steel & concrete bulged covers, placed on the four corners of a square. These gigantic caps are the most prominent components of the site from the outside. Today, an observation deck has been erected on the south of the area. From there, you can appreciate the distinctive plan of the ‘Dvina’ complex, with an access road terminating in a loop touching all four armored silo covers.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

The weight of each cover is told to be around 100 tonnes, as it was armored to withstand a nuclear explosion. The covers would be pulled sideward with a sled mechanism, to open the silos before launch. Unmovable missile launch complexes, like the ‘Dvina’ site in Plokstine, were easy and attractive targets for western weapons, thus requiring a very strong defense barrier. Similar considerations led the design of the Titan missile sites in the US, which albeit more powerful and capable of a greater range, are roughly from the same era (see this post).

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

To get near the silos or get access to the museum, you need to pay a ticket and join a guided tour. The visit includes a tour of the Cold War Museum, which has been prepared inside the rooms of the former control center. The tour will start from the visitor center, a new modern building. You will soon go through a specimen of the original fences which ran around the ‘Dvina’ complex, and which included barbed wire and high-voltage electrified lines. Close by, you can find traces of original unarmored constructions, likely service buildings. The missile site was operated by more than 300 troops stationing in a number of smaller centers in the area around the complex.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

The guide will lead you along a walk around the surface part of the complex, where you can see the construction of the caps from very close. The metal part is very rusty, but the concrete cover has been refurbished and looks like new – a pretty unusual sight, for connoisseurs of Soviet military relics!

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

Access to the underground missile service and control center is via a small metal door, right in the middle of the square formed by the four silos.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

A few rooms in the control center today host the exhibitions of the Cold War Museum. A room displays a quick time-line of the Cold War, since the end of WWII to the end of the USSR. In the adjoining rooms you can find propaganda items

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

Another room is about defense against nuclear threat. This is interesting, with many artifacts like dosimeters and medical tools, plus easily readable instructions of ‘dos and don’ts’ in case of nuclear attack.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

Another room is about the evolution of weapons over the Cold War decades, with original material from the time, including heavier tactical weapons.

The exhibition is modern, small but not superficial, and may appeal to any public, including children. Besides the exhibits, you can appreciate the relatively small size of all rooms and connecting corridors in the former control center.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

As you are driven next to the missile operation part, you can find a scale model of the ‘Dvina’ complex and a cut-out of a R-12U silo, together with a map of the relatively few missile sites in Lithuania – from the map, it can be argued that, for some reason, many more sites were prepared in nearby Latvia.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

Resting quarters for the troops and a communication station with original electronic gear have been reconstructed based on original footage and pics. Communication with the military headquarters was clearly an essential task – it was the only way an order to launch could be issued – and the serviceman on duty was responsible for assuring a permanent link with the chain of command. In other words, he was instructed not to leave his headphones under any circumstances, during a several hours-long shift!

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

On the sides of the corridors you can see holes for the extensive network of cables and pipes. Further on, you meet the most ‘hardware’ part of the exhibition. First, the original diesel-fueled power generator has been refurbished and is standing in its original room. The underground complex was designed not only to withstand a nuclear blast, but also to provide shelter for all servicemen for several days following an attack. This meant air filters, food, water, technical supplies and of course electrical power, were all essential assets. Oil for the generator was stored in a container in an adjoining room.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

Finally, you get access to one of the four silos. You need to go through a tight door opened on the wall of the concrete structure of the control center. Writings in Cyrillic can be spotted on the walls in this area. From there, you will see the cylindrical shape of the metal structure of the silo from the side. This metal canister is really big, the ‘Dvina’ silos featured a much greater diameter than the SS-4 missile they were built for. This was somewhat different from their US counterpart (see this post), where the missile diameter fits the size of the silo without much margin.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

You can get access to the silo via the original hatch, cut in the metal wall close to the rim on top of the silo, just beneath the external cap. Going through this hatch is incredibly difficult – it is extremely narrow, much longer than the size of a human step, and tilted upwards! It is hard to understand why the Soviets built it in a size so small – this applies to the control center too, for all corridors are really narrow and the ceiling in the rooms is so low you may easily need to bend forward! For those who don’t want to try the original entry to the silo, there is now a non-original door cut in the side of the canister.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

The inside of the silo can be observed from an original service deck, immediately under the external cover. From here you can clearly appreciate the size of the construction – the missile was more than 70 ft long, and sat here in a vertical position. The SS-4 was among the first missiles to make use of a storable liquid propellant, which allowed it to stay in almost-launch-ready conditions for a prolonged time, if resting in a silo. Nonetheless, the time for opening the armored caps was about 30 minutes, which meant this was not exactly quick to launch. The understructure of the armored caps can be clearly appreciated from inside the silo.

Photographs Before Restoration Works – Ghost Base

When I visited this site for the first time in 2009, it was open only by appointment. Unfortunately, I had only a compact camera at the time, and the very low light inside plus a rainy day outside, meant I could take only a few acceptable pictures.

However, they provide an idea of the state of the ‘Dvina’ complex before it was decided to reconfigure it as a museum.

As you can see, the armored silo caps were in a worse shape than today, yet not heavily damaged. The barbed wire fence around the four silos was probably original Soviet.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration

Inside, the control rooms were basically empty, except for some communist emblems and flags. Green wall paint and Cyrillic writings could be found even at the time, so what you see today is likely original. The generator, whilst in bad shape, was there.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration

The silo could be accessed only via the original hatch, and except for the partial darkness, its appearance is similar today.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration

It is out of doubt that the ‘Soviet ghost aura’ of the base was somewhat lost in the restoration process, yet credit must be given to the effort of the local government in preserving a rare and relevant trace of military history through an expensive restoration process.

Getting there and moving around

The Cold War Museum (Šaltojo karo muziejus in the local idiom) is located in the Zemaitija National Park, northwestern Lithuania, east of lake Plateliai. Access is via the road 2302. The place is totally accessible and well advertised locally. Visiting the outside of the armored caps and inside is possible only with a guided tour, offered in many languages including English, and lasting about 50 minutes. No fee is required for climbing on top of the observation deck. Full information through the official website here.

Minsk – A Soviet Capital of the New Millennium

CarloRLeave a comment

Belarus is exceptional in the panorama of post-soviet countries. Maybe thanks to its geographical location, next to the heart of Europe yet in the closest vicinity of todays Russian Federation, this large piece of almost flat and fertile land is the contact point of two civilizations and ways of life – Russia and core Europe – which merge here in an inexplicable harmony. And this is perfectly reflected in the appearance of its unique capital town – Minsk.

If you have never been there but you are not new to former-communist countries in Europe, what you might expect from the capital of very little-mentioned Belarus, a republic once in the realm of the USSR, is a chaotic town, full of rotting, stripped buildings built with the huge volumes typical to the peripheral areas of Moscow and St. Petersburg, old and smoky Ladas and Chaikas rumbling along rough roads full of puddles, like ten years ago in Sofia or Bucharest (see for instance this chapter). Once there, you will soon understand the picture is really different.

The impression is that of a rich country, with infrastructures right at the level or even above those of western Europe, large and paved roads, modern cars, gas stations everywhere, freshly painted buildings, leveled walkways, colored lights and nightlife.

Of course, the soviet grand architecture is all there. Actually, since Minsk was totally destroyed in 1944, in a fierce battle between the Red Army and the slowly retreating German Wehrmacht – an episode which gained the town the high honor of ‘Hero of the Soviet Union’, still eagerly displayed today – after the war was over, a master-plan for the reconstruction in a perfect Stalinist style was put in place. As a result, Minsk is a rare – perhaps unique – example of a Soviet model-capital from the early Cold War era, when the USSR ruled by Stalin had just triumphed on the stage of a world conflict, and it was setting about to keep up its hold on all eastern Europe. In this sense, at least for a westerner Minsk looks today a town more soviet than others in Russia.

Another element you perceive clearly, not so typical to bigger and way more populated metropolitan areas in the nations of eastern Europe and even in Russia, is a strong sense of order. Nightlife is quiet and not bombastic, cars move around at moderate speed and without creating jams, everything is very clean and calm. Minsk is both busy and quiet, thriving and disciplined – maybe this is just how a soviet capital should have looked like? Belarus suggests how the Soviet Union might have evolved in our days, had it survived its own social and economic failure.

Still today the strong ties with the Russian Federation help feeding the economy on the one hand, but on the other make entering this country a complicated business, like the case is for Russia – anticipated invitations, visas, stringent time frame limitations, … All these rules are gradually being lifted, but the country remains oriented mainly towards its huge eastern neighbor – something you see confirmed looking at the airport timetable in Minsk, from where you can fly to anywhere in Russia, but almost nowhere in Europe. While possibly difficult to deal with, all these controls and bureaucracy help preserving some ‘soviet aura’, which may add to an uncommon travel experience.

This post presents some photographs from central Belarus, taken during a visit to Minsk and some neighbor sites – conveniently reached with a car in less than two hours – in spring 2018.

Map and Visiting

The majority of the sites listed on this chapter can be reached with a relatively short walk from whatever hotel in the city center. Nonetheless, the city is not small and some perspectives are really broad and long. For a more relaxed visit as well as for reaching Khatyn and the Stalin’s Line a car is highly recommended.

Entering the country with a car can be a nightmare, but flying into Minsk and renting a car is indeed possible – I landed in Minsk from Kiev in the Ukraine, and got my car from Avis. Differently from most former countries of the Eastern Bloc, roads are well in line with the highest European standard. Gas stations are abundant, and they accept credit cards. Plus traffic is really well-disciplined, totally different from the Balkan states or even Russia. Parking is generally not a problem, so hop-on/hop-off from your car allows for a time-saving, very effective way of moving in downtown Minsk.

Of course, if you are not planning to go beyond the city limits, you may choose to move around with the public transport system, with a fairly extensive network. Generally speaking, everything is like in the western world from the viewpoint of services, most top-tier western hotels are represented, there are shopping malls with international brands, and so on.

Minsk and its surroundings are unrealistically ordered, you feel perfectly safe both day and night – totally to the other end of the spectrum, compared to other post-soviet cities in eastern Europe.

I spent three full days visiting Minsk and its surroundings, including some historical sites not covered in this chapter, located farther west in the country. I would say this is a good compromise for getting a decent insight of this city.

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Sights in Minsk

Praspyekt Nyezalyezhnastsi – World’s longest boulevard

The backbone of the Stalinist architectural master-plan put in place in Minsk is a multi-miles boulevard called Praspyekt Nyezalyezhnastsi, the longest boulevard in the world at least in Minsk’s tradition, cutting through the most monumental districts and connecting the executive airport to the southwest of downtown to the eastern peripheral belt of the city. The end of the boulevard to the east is not evident, for at some point it changes into a highway, leaving Minsk behind, heading for Smolensk and Moscow.

If you are coming in town from the main airport, located well out of the urban area to the southeast, you are likely to be driven along the full length of this boulevard – with its unpronounceable name.

Along this boulevard, or very close to it, you will meet the majority of the sights described in this chapter.

You may get a really striking impression from this boulevard visiting at night, for every building along it is lighted. The pictures below give some examples.

Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Victory Monument
Minsk Belarus Victory Monument
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard

Independence Square

Locating the actual focal point in the center of Minsk is not easy, but a choice may be Independence Square, once Lenin’s Square – as the name of the underground station recalls. This may be also a trail-head for your tour of the town.

This long and narrow square hides an underground shopping mall. The crystal cupolas on the ground are a distinctive feature of the square. The central monument is centered on the stork as a subject. This bird is not uncommon in this part of Europe, and is the national bird of Belarus.

Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square University
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square University

Around the square you can find some notable buildings. On the northern side is the Roman Catholic church of Saint Simon and Saint Helena, dating from the beginning of the 20th century, and closed for the long decades of the communist dictatorship.

Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Catholic Church
Minsk Belarus Catholic Church
Minsk Belarus Catholic Church
Minsk Belarus Catholic Church
Minsk Belarus Catholic Church
Minsk Belarus Catholic Church

In the northwest corner it is impossible to miss the huge Palace of the Government, with a prominent statue of Lenin. Similar to Russia, the father of pragmatic communism and of the Soviet Union is still kept in high respect.

Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Statue
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Statue
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Statue
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Statue
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Statue
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Statue

Continuing around the square, the tallest building to the west and the adjoining facades on the southern side are all part of the Belorussian State University. To the southeastern corner you can spot an office of the Department of Justice.

Minsk Belarus Lenin Square University
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square University
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square University
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square University
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square University
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square University
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Court
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Court
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square

Central Post Office

Leaving the square along Praspyekt Nyezalyezhnastsi to the east, a first distinctive building is the central post office. The hammer and sickle emblem is still proudly standing on top of the eclectic, soviet-classicism façade. You can find also an interesting clock, looking like a gigantic copy of a vintage radio alarm from the 1960s.

Minsk Belarus Central Post Office
Minsk Belarus Central Post Office
Minsk Belarus Central Post Office
Minsk Belarus Central Post Office
Minsk Belarus Central Post Office
Minsk Belarus Central Post Office
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Post Office
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Post Office
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Post Office
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Post Office
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Post Office
Minsk Belarus Lenin Square Post Office

Inside, the small cupola covers a fully functional post office, where also many items of philatelic interest from the Eastern Bloc can be found (they accept credit cards).

Stately apartment and office buildings can be found on both sides of the boulevard as you walk east.

Minsk Belarus Central District Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Central District Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Central Buildings
Minsk Belarus Central Buildings
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus Central Buildings
Minsk Belarus Central Buildings
Minsk Belarus Central Buildings
Minsk Belarus Central Buildings
Minsk Belarus Central District
Minsk Belarus Central District
Minsk Belarus Central District
Minsk Belarus Central District
Minsk Belarus Central District
Minsk Belarus Central District
Minsk Belarus Central District Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Central District Worlds Longest Boulevard

KGB Headquarters

Yes, the name is correct. It is not an exaggeration. Differently from the Russian Federation, the Belorussian government did not change the name of the world-famous State’s security service since the time of the USSR. The huge building of the headquarters is clearly the same. The façade looks impenetrable and grim.

Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KG Building
Minsk Belarus KG Building
Minsk Belarus KG Building
Minsk Belarus KG Building
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard

The shield and sword emblem is still prominently standing on the wooden front door.

Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KG Building
Minsk Belarus KG Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building
Minsk Belarus KGB Building

The ‘soviet aura’ around here couldn’t be more intense. This building is really magnetic, a living witness of a bygone era.

Cross the street, where a nice boulevard – with the very Soviet name of Komsomolskaya Ulitsa – takes to the south going slightly downhill, you can even spot a bust of Felix Dzerzhinsky, a Bolshevik, Lenin’s friend, revolutionary, and founder of the Cheka – the revolutionary executive repression service, years later to evolve in the KGB.

Minsk Belarus KGB Building Dzerzhinski
Minsk Belarus KGB Building Dzerzhinski
Minsk Belarus KGB Building Dzerzhinski
Minsk Belarus KGB Building Dzerzhinski
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard

Dzerzhinsky was the armed hand of Lenin, and due to its clear and heavy responsibility in the killing of many of the early victims of the October Revolution, he was put aside even in Russia, his statue being reportedly removed from ahead the Lubjanka, the KGB headquarter in Moscow. The same did not happen in Minsk, possibly because the man was from a noble family from around here.

Crossing with Ulitsa Lenina

Moving on, you will find more buildings with nice soviet-themed friezes and decorations, including the building of the Central Bank of Belarus.

Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Bank Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Bank Worlds Longest Boulevard

The crossing with Ulitsa Lenina – not unexpectedly – is another focal point of the architectural master-plan. Clearly, here is McDonald’s – probably the neatest in the world!

Minsk Belarus Lenin Street
Minsk Belarus Lenin Street
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Dzerzhinski
Minsk Belarus Dzerzhinski
Minsk Belarus Dzerzhinski
Minsk Belarus Dzerzhinski
Minsk Belarus Art Museum
Minsk Belarus Art Museum
Minsk Belarus Downtown Buildings
Minsk Belarus Downtown Buildings
Minsk Belarus Downtown Buildings
Minsk Belarus Downtown Buildings
Minsk Belarus Downtown Buildings
Minsk Belarus Downtown Buildings
Minsk Belarus Downtown Buildings
Minsk Belarus Downtown Buildings

One block to the south from this crossing along Ulitsa Lenina, you can find a house with tons of marble commemorative tablets on the front, where many notable people have lived. They include Felix Dzerzhinsky.

Kastrycnickaya Square

Taking again Praspyekt Nyezalyezhnastsi and going west, you soon find to the north of the road a huge square – Kastrycnickaya Square – with the modern-soviet building of the Palace of the Republic right in the middle. This building was designed in the 1980s and partly built under soviet leadership. Following the collapse of the USSR, construction was halted for years, and the building was completed only in the late Nineties. It is basically an auditorium for artistic performances, conventions and public governmental meetings as well.

Minsk Belarus Palace of the Republic
Minsk Belarus Palace of the Republic
Minsk Belarus Palace of the Republic
Minsk Belarus Palace of the Republic
Minsk Belarus Metro Stop Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Metro Stop Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Metro Stop Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Metro Stop Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Palace of the Republic
Minsk Belarus Palace of the Republic
Minsk Belarus Metro Stop Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Metro Stop Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Metro Stop Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Metro Stop Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard
Minsk Belarus Worlds Longest Boulevard

To the eastern side of the square the Labor Union Palace of Culture is a great example of soviet classicism, with sculptures adorning the façade and corners of the greek-temple-like building.

Minsk Belarus Labor Union's Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union’s Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union's Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union’s Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union's Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union’s Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union's Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union’s Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union's Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union’s Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union's Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union’s Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union's Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Labor Union’s Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Trade Union's Culture Palace
Minsk Belarus Trade Union’s Culture Palace

Presidential Palace

Cross the road there is a garden going gently uphill. There is no car access to the eastern side of the garden, and you can spot the stately, grim front of a building of the Armed Forces – once the Soviet Red Army. Today this is mainly a representative building, featuring also a theater. On the southern side of the park you can find the Presidential Palace, a pure soviet-style monster occupying the majority of the block. You will see policemen discreetly keeping a watch on the area.

Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus Hotel President Palace
Minsk Belarus Hotel President Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace

There are other smaller government-connected buildings around, some with soviet insignia. On a corner of the park there is the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theatre, which for the location and style may be one of the few remains of pre-soviet Minsk in the area.

Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus Armed Forces Palace
Minsk Belarus Armed Forces Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus Theater
Minsk Belarus Theater
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus Armed Forces Palace
Minsk Belarus Armed Forces Palace

Television Center and Lee Harvey Oswald’s Home

Again on Praspyekt Nyezalyezhnastsi, the road goes downhill and crosses a small waterway. The area is really nice, and looking northeast from the bridge you can spot the Television Center, with a distinctive tower made of iron beams and likely dating from soviet times.

Minsk Belarus Television Center
Minsk Belarus Television Center
Minsk Belarus Television Center
Minsk Belarus Television Center
Minsk Belarus Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK
Minsk Belarus Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK
Minsk Belarus Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK
Minsk Belarus Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK

Getting close to the center, you see the building right ahead of the tower, still today hosting a TV channel, is just another Soviet neoclassical building, still part of the Stalinist master-plan.

Minsk Television Center Belarus
Minsk Television Center Belarus
Minsk City Center Television Center Belarus
Minsk City Center Television Center Belarus
Minsk City Center Television Center Belarus
Minsk City Center Television Center Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus

The nice apartment building to the the southern side of the TV channel headquarters has some historical significance, since it was there that Lee Harvey Oswald used to live when he spent some years in the Soviet Union in the Fifties.

Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus
Minsk Lee Harvey Oswald Home JFK Belarus

Much has been said about the intricate plot leading to the shooting of President Kennedy, and the actual part of Oswald will probably remain largely unknown (see this post). Especially his relationships with the USSR are shrouded in mystery, but looking at the building – stately and very nice even for todays standard – the idea that Oswald could live there while being a poor, anonymous worker in a soviet factory does not seem very credible.

House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party

This small and modest house belonging to the pre-soviet era was until the end of the USSR a pilgrimage destination from all over the Union. It was here that the embryo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, namely the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, held its first congress. This happened back in 1898, and the reportedly largely unsuccessful meeting was held in secrecy among only a few notable political figures, known as troublemakers to the government of the Tzar.

Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus
Minsk House of the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party USSR Communist Belarus

Besides the political-historical interest, the small museum offers interesting memorabilia and furniture from the late Tzar’s era. This house was visited also by communist dictators and dignitaries from around the world, including Nikita Khruschev, Walter Ulbricht and Fidel Castro, whose visits are witnessed by signed documents and photographs.

Victory Monument

Going back to Praspyekt Nyezalyezhnastsi and proceeding slightly farther east, you immediately find an oval square, with an eternal flame and a tall obelisk in the middle. This is the Soviet Victory Monument, celebrating the triumphal march of the Red Army against the invading forces of Nazi Germany. Passing under German control soon after the invasion of the Soviet Union in the summer of 1941, Minsk was hit with extreme violence by the maneuvers of both contending armies three years later, in a crucial battle which opened the Red Army the gate to the last rush through Poland to Berlin. The town was besieged by the Red Army, and as a result of the heavy fighting it was almost leveled when the front line moved west.

Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus

The monument celebrates without excesses the sacrifice of many soldiers and civilians in the struggle. Minsk and a handful of other Soviet towns – Stalingrad, Kursk and Murmansk, to name a few – were later decorated with the title of City Hero of the Soviet Union. These towns, which were the stage of as many fierce battles, are remembered here with stones bearing their names.

Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus

The monument is particularly striking at night, thanks to the eternal flame ahead of it and the accurate lighting of the buildings nearby making for a nice scenery.

Minsk Belarus Victory Monument
Minsk Belarus Victory Monument
Minsk Belarus Victory Monument
Minsk Belarus Victory Monument
Minsk Belarus Victory Monument
Minsk Belarus Victory Monument
Minsk Belarus Victory Monument
Minsk Belarus Victory Monument
Minsk Belarus Victory Monument
Minsk Belarus Victory Monument

Yakuba Kolasa Square

Further east along the Praspyekt Nyezalyezhnastsi buildings start to look more average, but there are also more nice examples of soviet architecture. You soon meet the Yakuba Kolasa square, with a the philharmonic theater and other office buildings presumably from Stalin’s time or a little later.

Minsk Belarus Philharmonic Building
Minsk Belarus Philharmonic Building
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Victory Monument Belarus
Minsk Belarus Central Buildings
Minsk Belarus Central Buildings

National Library of Belarus

Closer to the eastern border of Minsk, where big apartment buildings from soviet times as well as more modern ones frame the road, you can find one of the most prominent modern buildings of Belarus, the state’s National Library, dating from 2006. The large glass volume over the main building is nicely lighted at night, but unfortunately I could not get a picture.

Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library
Minsk Belarus National Library

Close to this point, the long Praspyekt Nyezalyezhnastsi changes into the M2 highway, leaving Minsk to the east.

Mound of Glory

An incredible Soviet relic lies about ten miles along the M2, right on the interchange with the road leading to the main airport of Minsk a few miles south. This monument is a further celebration of the victorious battle of 1944 against Germany.

Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus

It is built in the form of a mound with an assembly of four bayonets on top, representing the cooperation of various armies and local partisans, and a victory crown with the faces of representatives of the branches of the army and of soviet society. The monument is really soviet in style, and while not necessarily esthetically pleasant, is not excessively bombastic either.

Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus

The monument on top of the mound can be reached with a flight of stairs. From there you can enjoy a 360° view of the hilly and relaxing countryside around.

Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus
Mound of Glory Soviet Victory Monument Minsk Belarus

The monument is lighted at night, but I could not take a picture at that time.

Belorussian State Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War

This fantastic museum alone may easily justify a trip to Minsk! It is hosted in a building prepared on purpose, overlooking a huge green area in the city center. At the base of the hill you can spot a kind of triumphal arch, presumably built with the main building itself and forming an interesting ensemble.

Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet

The always growing collection relocated from a previous venue, where it had been opened to the public back in 1944, before the war had ended! By the way, the Great Patriotic War is WWII in the Soviet/Russian culture. Website here.

The collection is really huge, with rooms devoted to the many major battles fought by the Red Army in WWII. There are tons of memorabilia, including a very good collection of light weapons, and even a few larger crafts – tanks, aircraft, Katyusha rocket launchers, anti-aircraft guns, field cannons, …

Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet

Similar to other museums in the USSR, it is packed with material from Nazi Germany, which by comparison cannot be found in Germany, nor in this measure in western Europe or the US. Among the countless items, you can find also display cases devoted to soviet war spies in the west, modern dioramas and uniforms from the time.

Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet

On the top floor there is a large modern commemorative installation, with the names of fallen soldiers, and hammer and sickle insignia. This installation is recent – or recently refurbished – so the presence of abundant Soviet symbolism produces a strange ‘dystopia effect’.

Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet

Outside, on top of the building you can find a further monument, with an obelisk, some sculptures, and a Red Banner waving above the cupola. Behind, there is a Lisunov Li-2, a licensed  USSR-built Douglas C-47.

Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet
Belarus Museum of the Great Patriotic War Minsk WWII Red Army Soviet

Minsk hosts an excellent aviation-themed museum, centered on warplanes and transport aircraft from the soviet era. This is covered in this dedicated chapter.

Palace of Independence

This palace not far to the back from the Museum of the Great Patriotic War is apparently another building of the Government or where the president lives – not very clear. On the rare occasions when Belarus is mentioned internationally, this is what appears on TV. It is very big and carefully watched, so the only pictures I could get were from cross the road.

Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace
Minsk Belarus President's Palace
Minsk Belarus President’s Palace

Zamcyska District

This central district is located roughly between the KGB building and the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. It features a large and nice pond in the middle. Here some of the few remaining notable buildings from pre-soviet age in Minsk can be found. The main group is composed of a handful of churches making for a nice sight on a low hill to the south of the pond.

Minsk Belarus City Hall
Minsk Belarus City Hall
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk Belarus Lenin Street Catholic Church
Minsk Belarus Lenin Street Catholic Church
Minsk Belarus Lenin Street Catholic Church
Minsk Belarus Lenin Street Catholic Church
Minsk Belarus Lenin Street Catholic Church
Minsk Belarus Lenin Street Catholic Church

There are an Orthodox and two Catholic churches, surrounding the old city hall. The area is really nice to tour, and at night it is very lively and fully lighted.

Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus
Minsk City Center Trinity Hill Belarus

Close by, the Trinity Hill displays some rebuilt or refurbished buildings from the 18th century or earlier, giving an idea of how Minsk would have looked had it not been totally destroyed. Also this district is very picturesque at night, definitely a nice place for a relaxed stroll.

To the far end of the pond you can spot an unimaginable residential building, with a façade roughly as long as an airport, made a little more digestible when lighted at night.

Minsk Belarus City Center City Hall Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center City Hall Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Church Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Church Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus Palace of the Republic
Minsk Belarus Palace of the Republic

In the same area there are a large soviet-themed metallic sculpture on the front of a building, and multiple huge banners in neon lights with celebration exclamations and slogans.

Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus Lenin Street
Minsk Belarus Lenin Street
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus City Center Trinity Hill
Minsk Belarus Lenin Street
Minsk Belarus Lenin Street

…More!

The city is full of majestic perspectives and interesting buildings. One of them is the totally ‘Stalin’s gothic’ Gate of Minsk, right behind the central railway station. It is composed of two bulky towers, with the façade adorned in a way resembling Kutuzovsky Alley in Moscow, or Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin, two eminent examples of this style. See this chapter for more examples of this iconic architecture.

Minsk Belarus Gate of Minsk Railway Stalin's Gothic
Minsk Belarus Gate of Minsk Railway Stalin’s Gothic
Minsk Belarus Gate of Minsk Railway Stalin's Gothic
Minsk Belarus Gate of Minsk Railway Stalin’s Gothic
Minsk Belarus Gate of Minsk Railway Stalin's Gothic
Minsk Belarus Gate of Minsk Railway Stalin’s Gothic
Minsk Belarus Gate of Minsk Railway Stalin's Gothic
Minsk Belarus Gate of Minsk Railway Stalin’s Gothic

There are also churches dating back to before the USSR era, or rebuilt after it. One of them is quite central, and surrounded by an Orthodox cemetery still used today.

Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church
Minsk Belarus City Center Church

To the west, the peripheral belt has been built functionally, with large infrastructures but also very big – let’s say, excessively big! – apartment buildings, in a style which is typical to post-soviet countries. Yet, as previously observed, even these areas do not look degraded, but on the contrary rather well looked after and actively maintained.

Minsk Belarus City Peripheral Buildings
Minsk Belarus City Peripheral Buildings
Minsk Belarus City Peripheral Buildings
Minsk Belarus City Peripheral Buildings
Minsk Belarus City Peripheral Buildings
Minsk Belarus City Peripheral Buildings
Minsk Belarus City Peripheral Buildings
Minsk Belarus City Peripheral Buildings
Minsk Belarus City Peripheral Buildings
Minsk Belarus City Peripheral Buildings
Minsk Belarus City Peripheral Buildings
Minsk Belarus City Peripheral Buildings
Minsk Belarus
Minsk Belarus
Minsk Belarus
Minsk Belarus
Minsk Belarus
Minsk Belarus
Minsk Belarus
Minsk Belarus
Minsk Belarus
Minsk Belarus

Sights around Minsk

Khatyn

Much confusion exists about this location, which is actually where the forces of Nazi Germany burned an entire village with its occupants back in 1943. By chance – or may be not – in a place with the same name but some 100 miles to the east in Russian territory the NKVD (later to evolve in the KGB) by direct order of Stalin had deported and mass executed a substantial quota of the officials of the Polish Army – in the order of the thousands – in 1940. The responsibility for this tragedy was fully recognized by Russia only after the end of the USSR.

The memorial in (Belorussian) Khatyn is a celebration monument made in the 1960s to remember the local tragedy with typical soviet pomp, with statues, stonewall retracing the area of the village and stones with inscriptions.

Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus

There are also bells producing a sad rhythmical tone. The place stands as a memorial of all similar horrible episodes for which the Nazis are responsible.

Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus
Khatyn Memorial Minsk Belarus

This location is very popular since the Cold War years, and it still attracts many visitors from Belarus and nearby Russia these days. There is also a very small indoor museum, which I had not the chance to visit.

Stalin’s Line History and Heritage Museum

Similar to other countries in the inter-war period – for instance, France and Czechoslovakia – the Soviet Union invested in the preparation of a long defensive line, to fortify the western border against an invasion from central Europe. The name of the USSR’s defensive line, which passed close to Minsk, was ‘Stalin’s Line’.

This was composed of a backbone of reinforced concrete bunkers, with a capability to withstand fire from the tanks of the enemy’s armored divisions. In these bunkers, often prepared in groups of interconnected pillboxes, anti-tank cannons and machine guns were installed for effectively counteract an invasion.

The strongholds of the line were surrounded by various obstacles, including anti-tank obstacles, barbed wire traps and so on.

Construction of the Stalin’s Line was interrupted after the Ribbentrov-Molotov agreement between the USSR and Hitler’s Germany in 1939. The unfinished line turned little effective in containing the surprise aggression by the Wehrmacht in 1941, when the country fell under German controls.

Nonetheless, parts of this line are duly preserved as monuments. The Stalin’s Line History and Heritage Museum is centered on one such fort, which can be visited thoroughly. The inside of most of the bunkers have been restored to a mint condition, and are really interesting to visit.

Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus

The size of the rooms in the bunkers is generally smaller than the French, Czechoslovakian or Finnish counterparts. All bunkers are painted in a camo coating.

Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus

The museum presents also a reproduction of the border line with the Soviet Union, with a watchtower, anti-penetration barriers and green-red posts with the emblem of the USSR. In the same area, a collection of turrets from more countries is displayed.

Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus

A second, very large part of the museum is composed of a world’s class collection of weapons, dating from various ages from WWII and the Cold War, and providing an insight on the USSR’s warfare capabilities.

On a first apron there are field cannons, motorized cannons, rocket-launchers and armored vehicles. Close by, you can try shooting with a machine gun or even an anti-tank cannon! This unique feature of the museum makes it very lively, for you are often distracted by the loud bang of a firing weapon!

Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus

In another area you can spot a group of soviet aircraft and helicopters, a steam locomotive, and a full array of prefabricated structures, intended to be buried to form bunkers with various purposes – missile storage, interred barracks, … These are extremely interesting, as you can see here the actual shape of the items often found elsewhere in the former Eastern Bloc, typically in abandoned bases covered in other chapters (see for instance this chapter).

Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus

Furthermore, there are both tactical and strategic missiles with their launching and monitoring equipment. Of particular interest is the SS-4 ‘Stiletto’

– involved in the Cuban crisis of 1962 – with its launching gantry. Notice the rig anchoring the gantry to the ground – you can find similar items even in Germany (see for instance this chapter), witnessing the deployment of this type of missile in eastern Europe.

Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus

Finally, if you dare, you can enjoy a run on an armored vehicle. The place is reportedly active with reenactments, and actually you can find a good reconstruction of a theater of war from the WWII years.

Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus

A striking feature, a recent bust of Stalin has been placed in the parking – close by an Orthodox chapel, to suitably exorcise his deadly presence.

Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus
Stalin Line Minsk Belarus

The place is managed like a top class museum, and reportedly there are many visitors, also due to the close proximity with Minsk. Website with full information here.

The Estonian Aviation Museum

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A nice and lively university town in the heart of the Estonian countryside, Tartu has really something for every kind of tourist – including those interested in aviation history. The Estonian Aviation Museum, or ‘Eeesti Lennundusmuuseum’ as they write it in the tricky local idiom, boasts a substantial and heterogenous collection of aircraft preserved in exceptionally good condition, which will not leave indifferent even the most knowledgeable aviation expert.

Having being for long a socialist republic in the realm of the Soviet Union – and today sharing a border with Russia – Estonia had access to massive surplus reserves after the end of the Cold War, so it is no surprise that Soviet aircraft are well represented in an Estonian museum. This already might appeal to western tourists, for the exotic, menacing silhouettes of MiGs and Sukhois are not often to be found except in less accessible spots in the former Eastern Bloc. Yet some more unexpected and rare models have been added over the years, including some SAAB aircraft from Sweden which are authentic collectibles.

The following photographs cover almost every plane that was there in summer 2017.

Sights

Most part of the collection has been preserved in a cleverly designed structure, made of small open-walled hangars with translucent canopies. The aircraft are illuminated by natural light, helping much when taking pictures, but they are not exposed to direct sunlight, rain or snow, which tend to damage both metal and plexiglas on the long run. Furthermore, the lack of doors and frames allows you to move around freely, and the place is not suffocating nor excessively warm.

The aircraft are basically all from the Cold War era, but some of them have outlived the end of the USSR and were retired more recently. The portraits are grouped here roughly based on the nationality of the manufacturers or aircraft mission.

Designs from the US

The American production is represented in this museum firstly by a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, operated by the West-German Luftwaffe. The General Electric J79 turbojets have been taken out of the airframe, so you can see them separately.

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom with J79 engine
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom with J79 engine

A pretty unusual sight, also the antenna and electronic group in the nose cone have been taken out and are on display. This Phantom is a F-4F, a version specifically developed for West Germany from the basic F-4E. The former inventory number was 99+91.

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting

Another iconic model on the menu is a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, formerly from the Italian Air Force. This exemplar is actually an Italian-built ‘S’ version, and among the latest to be retired by the Aeronautica Militare. The engine, again a J79, is on display elsewhere in the museum. An unusual crowd of instruction and warning stencils populate the external surface of the aircraft.

Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force

Soviet Military Models

The majority of the aircraft on display were designed in the Soviet Union or other countries of the Warsaw Pact.

Two aggressive aircraft include a MiG-21 and a MiG-23. The first, present here in the colors of the Polish Air Force, is a MiG-21bis Fishbed, the latest development of this fast delta-wing fighter/light-interceptor.

MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force

Possibly one of the most ubiquitous fighters of the jet age, the MiG-23 Flogger is part also of this collection. The aircraft you see in the pictures is a MLD variant, representing the last upgrade of this iconic fighter, which was also the basis for the very successful MiG-27 design.

MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force Tumansky R27
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force Tumansky R27
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force

It bears the markings of the Ukrainian Air Force, therefore it is likely an ex-USSR aircraft. The engine is sitting besides the aircraft, and two rocket canisters are placed beneath the fuselage, close to the ventral GSh-23 twin-barreled cannon.

MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force

A less usual sight is a MiG-25 Foxbat, a super fast interceptor/recce aircraft. Conceived in the late Fifties when the race for speed was in full swing, it was developed into a high performance platform to counteract the threat of the SR-71 Blackbird. It was built around two massive Tumansky R-15 afterburning turbojets, rated at a pretty high wet thrust of 110 kN, resulting in an incredible top speed around Mach 3.2! The aircraft is pretty sizable, and you can appreciate that looking at the picture of the main landing gear – search for the cover of my Canon wide lens close to the ground and compare sizes!

MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia

The menacing silhouette of this huge bird, with red stars on the vertical fins and a bare metal fuselage, will likely make relive in you an ‘Iron Curtain feeling’!

MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia

One which will not go unnoticed is a Polish Air Force Sukhoi Su-22M4 Fitter in a flamboyant, very colored livery. This massive fighter-bomber represents the export version of the Su-17M4 built by the USSR for domestic orders.

Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force

Despite the shape, roughly similar to that of the MiG-21 also on display, the size of this aircraft is much bigger – you might think of Su-22 as a case for a MiG-21…

Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force

Soviet bombers are represented by a pretty rare Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer, which is today still in service in Russia. The example on display bears the markings of the Ukrainian Air Force, meaning it was once a Soviet aircraft.

Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)

This massive twin-engined beast outsizes all other military aircraft on display. The aircraft is on display with three support tanks under the fuselage and the inner wing pylons.

Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)

A less common sight is a Yakovlev Ya-28P Firebar, a long-range intercept version of this multi-role platform from the early Sixties. This design is very interesting, with a four-points undercarriage and a very long nose cone, where a radar system for a target-tracking and missile guidance system was located. The two turbojet engines are mounted in cigar-shaped underwing pods. The relevant sweep of the wing suggests a significant speed capability, yet many variants of this aircraft were developed to exploit also its good range performance. The antenna originally placed in the nose cone is on display besides the aircraft, which bears original Soviet markings.

Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet

Soviet Transport Aircraft

Two aircraft which could not find their way in covered shelters mainly due to their bigger size, are a Tupolev Tu-134A-3 and a Yakovlev Ya-40. Both can be accessed, so you can get a view of the inside, including the cockpits.

The Tu-134 twin jet, with its distinctive glass bulge in the nose ahead of the cockpit, has been for long a ubiquitous aircraft in the USSR and in many countries of the Eastern Bloc. The exemplar on display was taken over by the Estonian company Elk Airways, created after Estonia left the USSR.

Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia

Notwithstanding this, the aircraft betrays its Soviet ancestry and ownership in every particular, from the all-Cyrillic writings to the hammers and sickles here and there, from the design of interiors to the exotic cockpit, painted in a typical lurid Soviet green and with prominent unframed black rubber fans for ventilation.

Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia

The Yak-40 is an interesting three-jet executive/small transport aircraft. The one on display went on flying for at least some good 15 years after the collapse of the wall in Berlin.

Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Cockpit
Yakovlev Yak-40 Cockpit
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Cockpit
Yakovlev Yak-40 Cockpit
Yakovlev Ya-40 Tartu Estonia
Yakovlev Ya-40 Tartu Estonia

The internal configuration features an executive room ahead of a more usual passenger section and tail galley. The style of the cabin and of the pure analog cockpit is really outdated for todays standards!

Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia

A rugged workhorse still flying today in many countries is the Antonov An-2, a single propeller, radial-engined, biplane tail-dragger transport. There are two of them in the collection. One is under a shelter and can be boarded. The interiors are very basic, but the visibility from the cockpit is very good especially for a tail-dragger with an engine on the nose.

Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2
Antonov An-2
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Cockpit
Antonov An-2 Cockpit

Swedish Aircraft

An unusual chapter in air museums except in Sweden is that of SAAB aircraft, which are represented in this collection by two iconic models, a Draken and a Viggen, and an extremely rare, very elegant Lansen. All are in the colors of the Royal Swedish Air Force.

The Saab 35 Draken features a very distinctive double-delta wing, and was developed in the Fifties for reaching a high supersonic speed. The design turned out to be pretty successful, and was operationally adopted primarily as a fighter by Sweden and other European countries as well.

SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force

The one in the collection is painted in a bright yellow livery. The infra-red pod under the nose cone of this aggressive attack aircraft looks like the lidless eye of an alien!

SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force Radar
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force Radar
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force

The Viggen is a an attack aircraft from the late Sixties, developed for the domestic military needs into some sub-variants. With the JA 37 version displayed here, the Viggen went on to constitute the backbone of the intercept fleet of neutral Sweden, and was retired only in the early 2000s. The aerodynamic configuration features a prominent canard wing, and the Viggen was notably the first in such configuration produced in significant numbers.

SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force

The most unusual of all three SAAB designs on display is surely the SAAB 32 Lansen. A very neat design from the Fifties, loosely recalling the Lockheed P-80 and the Hawker Hunter, the Lansen was a jet fighter of the early Cold War developed specifically for Sweden and gaining a good success. The ‘E’ version on display was converted from the original fighter variant (‘B’) for the ECM role, and kept flying almost until the end of the 20th century. The green painting of the Royal Swedish Air Force is really stylish, definitely adding to an already elegant design.

SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force with RM5/Avon engine
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force with RM5/Avon engine
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force

Soviet Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM)

Curiously enough, an extensive collection of SAMs is part of this rich collection. All major missiles from SA-2 to SA-6 are represented, some of them in multiple exemplars. The size of these missiles, especially the oldest, is really striking. They are stored outside, besides some cases for missile transportation, deployable radar antennas, and what appears to be a flak cannon from Hitler’s Germany – a bit of an outsider…

Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
SAM Container
SAM Container
German Flak Cannon
German Flak Cannon
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6

Jet Engines

Many of the engines of the aircraft on display have been taken out of the corresponding airframes and put on display besides the plane where they used to belong, or in a dedicated part of the museum together with others. The J79 belonging to the Italian-built F-104 can be recognized from the Italian plaques on many components.

Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
General Electric J79 Lockheed Starfighter engine
General Electric J79 Lockheed Starfighter engine
General Electric J79 Lockheed Starfighter engine
General Electric J79 Lockheed Starfighter engine

Many soviet engines bear markings in Cyrillic, and one of them, a larger turbofan which does not fit in any bird on display, has been cut to show all components.

Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia

More…

More aircraft in the collection include some Mil and Kamov utility helicopters, a BAe Hawk of the Finnish Air Force and other trainers mainly from countries of the Warsaw Pact, some of them now on the civilian register.

PZL TS-11 Iskra Polish Air Force
PZL TS-11 Iskra Polish Air Force
PZL TS-11 Iskra Polish Air Force
PZL TS-11 Iskra Polish Air Force
Crop Duster Tartu Estonia
Crop Duster Tartu Estonia
PZL Wilga Tartu Estonia
PZL Wilga Tartu Estonia
PZL Wilga Tartu Estonia
PZL Wilga Tartu Estonia
Jodel DR-1050 Ambassador
Jodel DR-1050 Ambassador
Aero L-39 Albatros Ukrainian Air Force
Aero L-39 Albatros Ukrainian Air Force
BAe Hawk Finnish Air Force
BAe Hawk Finnish Air Force
Aero L-29 Dolphin
Aero L-29 Dolphin
Aero L-29 Dolphin
Kamov Ka-26
Kamov Ka-26
Mil Mi-2
Schweizer 269
Kamov Ka-26
Mil Mi-8 Tartu Estonia
Mil Mi-8 Tartu Estonia

A further notable aircraft is a Dassault Mirage IIIRS from the Swiss Air Force – with multi-language French and German stencils all over.

Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force

There are also some anti-aircraft guns, armored vehicles, tanks, and other curios items to whet your appetite!

T34 Soviet Tank Tartu Estonia
T34 Soviet Tank Tartu Estonia
Rockets Tartu Estonia
Rockets Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Military Transport Tartu Estonia
Military Transport Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Autonomous Aircraft Drone Tartu Estonia
Autonomous Aircraft Drone Tartu Estonia

Getting There and Moving Around

The museum can be reached 10 miles south of central Tartu on road 141, about 15 minutes by car from there. There is a free parking area nearby the entrance. As remarked, the collection is well-kept and somewhat publicized locally. There is a website with all information in English. The time required for visiting may vary from 45 minutes for a quick tour to 2.5 hours for photographers and those with a specific interest in the matter.

Soviet Leftovers in Latvia

CarloR3 Comments

Similar to the neighbor republics of Estonia and Lithuania, Latvia was occupied by the Soviets a first time in 1939 and again in 1944, when after some years of occupation by Hitler’s forces the Red Army started to successfully repel the German Wehrmacht from within Russia back towards Poland and central Europe. Differently from other European Countries later to become satellites of Moscow’s central communist power, the three ‘Baltic States’ were directly annexed to the Soviet Union.

History – in brief

As a matter of fact, the process of annexation was not a very peaceful one. Having had already a short but intense experience of the Stalinist dictatorship as a consequence of the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact before the German invasion in 1941, as soon as it became clear that Stalin’s forces would regain power hundreds of thousands from the Baltics left the Country for abroad, while the communist regime rapidly started to put in practice its deadly ideas, with the collectivization of all private activities, abolition of free elections and non-communist associations, and the imprisonment and deportation of all who disagreed with this plan.

The reason for the different fate of these Countries – annexed – with respect to those of central Europe – which became satellites of the USSR – may be understood on one side looking further back in history – the territories of the three republics had been for long under the direct influence of the Russian Empire. On the other hand, as testified by the relevant military presence in these areas since immediately after the beginning of the Cold War, the government of the USSR considered the Baltic region of high strategic value. Taking control of the coast of the Baltic States, and also thanks to the annexation of the region of Hanko in Finland, the USSR could protect the access to the Gulf of Finland and Leningrad, profit from military and commercial ports which do not freeze in winter and deploy strategic military resources – especially aircraft and missiles – within range of most European capitals.

Bases for all branches of the military flourished in all three new Soviet Socialist Republics. Soon after the fall of the Wall in Berlin, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were the first of the USSR states to declare independence from the Union in 1990 – almost two years before the actual collapse of the USSR – following massive protests which unveiled the high level of intolerance for the Soviet rule. As a result of the withdrawal of Soviet/Russian forces, these three small republics found themselves in control of many military installations, totally disproportioned to the new size and needs of the new states, and making for a not-so-welcomed memento of many decades of hardship – as a matter of fact, some measures to limit the spread of Russian influence in culture and politics have been implemented in all three states, which also joined NATO and the European Union as soon as possible.

Sights

The attitude assumed towards the huge military assets left from the Cold War has been slightly different in the three republics. All three are basically getting rid of them, Estonia being the quickest – not much remains there of the many missile bases, and the once prominent strategic air base in Raadi has been totally closed down and partially converted into a museum on national history. Until some years ago many missile sites remained in quite a good shape in Latvia, but most of them have been actively demolished in recent years, including the most iconic Dvina silo sites – as of 2017 the job was completed and no Dvina complex remains in Latvia. Yet visible remains of surface bases and many ghost towns and bunkers are reportedly still there, and while some can be visited ‘officially’ as museums, many are left to urban explorers and archaeologists, while some hardware like warehouses and service buildings has been reused by local companies for storing logs, gravel and other raw materials. Lithuania bolsters possibly the last surviving Dvina missile complex in Europe, which has been turned recently into a museum on the Cold War, totaling 20’000 visitors per year. The demolition process is perhaps slower there.

Prisons constitute non-military but possibly more disturbing leftovers from the communist era. There are some in the Baltics – as basically everywhere in the former eastern bloc including Eastern Germany – all opened as museum, and in one instance also partially turned into a curious and evoking ‘jail hotel’.

This post presents some highlights and examples of remains from the Cold War era from both military and non-military sites in Latvia. Photographs were taken in 2017, during a visit to this lively and nice country in Northern Europe.

Navigate this post – Click on links to scroll

Zeltini Nuclear Missile Base

This missile base is one of the best conserved in the three republics. The storage and launch complex was originally built for the R12 liquid fueled, 2.3 Megaton single-warhead nuclear missile, known in the West as SS-4 Sandal. This missile system – the same deployed to Cuba in 1962 – was pretty modern for the end of the Fifties, yet it lacked the extra range required to reach strategic targets in Europe from deep within Russia. This made the Baltic region very interesting for the military, and a place of election for installing missile complexes in that age.

The base of Zeltini is one of three missile launch sites around the town of Aluksne, in northeastern Latvia. This base was updated and kept in an active state until the end of the Soviet Union and the withdrawal of the Red Army towards Russia, who obviously carried away all the weapons and technical rigs. Soon after, the locals started to take away anything of any value, including extensive piping, cables, any metal and so on, leaving basically the empty buildings and bunkers. More recently, as typical also to other such places in Latvia, private businesses were allowed on the premises of the former installation. A timber storage and processing facility today occupies the area where the nuclear warheads used to be stored, separate from the missiles.

The complex in Zeltini could accommodate four missiles in two couples of neighbor storage bunkers, built about .3 miles apart, and launch them from two twin surface launch pads. At least two launch pads can be seen today. They are large flat area with a pavement made of concrete slabs, recognizable by a steel crown on the ground with an approximate diameter of 5-6 feet. This was used to anchor the low gantry holding the 72 ft long missile in vertical position when being readied for launch.

One of the pads is in the center of the best preserved part of the site – the southeastern one -, but the position of the missile gantry is today occupied by a pretty big head of Lenin, reportedly moved here from Aluksne after the end of communism, sparing it from being blown up.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

The grounds around this launch pad are rich with interesting bunkers, which once hosted support machinery and control gears, including anything necessary for missile servicing, launch preparation and control.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

There are bunkers of basically two types – smaller ones with a single entrance on one side of a cusp-roofed tunnel and a lower height, and bigger ones, much roomier, longer, and with doors on both sides of the barrel-vaulted tunnel.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
AZeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

A ubiquitous feature of these missile complexes are concrete T-shaped frames planted in the ground. These were used to carry miles of pipings at the time when the base was active.

Aligned with the main axis of the launch area it is possible to spot the corresponding missile bunker ‘N.3’, which is unfortunately locked. The construction and size are like those of the bigger support bunkers, the only visible difference being the slightly wider doors on the front façade, and the absence of a back door on the other end of the bunker.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

Many traces of plaques with mottos and citations in Russian from Lenin & Co. can be found on the exterior of the bunkers, whereas tons of ‘Warning!’ signs and other technical information are painted in the inside.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

A second launch pad can be seen in the in the northwestern part of the military grounds – with no Lenin’s head. Here traces of stripes on the ground for easing maneuvers or indicating the place to park ancillary rigs – like generators, gas tanks,… – can still be seen. Also here the corresponding ‘N.2’ missile bunker is locked.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

In a land strip where nature is growing wild between the two main launch areas, it is possible to spot a little bunker with a kind of concrete sentry-box. This was presumably a storage bunker for light weapons, a small reinforced shelter for watchmen, or something similar. Wooden shelves can still be found inside.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

Another interesting sight is what appears to be a ‘living bunker’. This is half interred, with small doors on both ends and a sequence of rooms aligned on a long corridor. The center room is the biggest, and may be a canteen or something alike. There are traces of a decorated white and blue linoleum pavement, but there are also very unique frescoes on the walls. These include an artist impression of the SS-4 Sandal missile and also of the typical mushroom-cloud produced by a nuclear explosion!

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

A conspicuous part of the Zeltini base is the command area with living quarters for the troops. This is the part you see first when entering the base. The buildings here are totally abandoned and possibly dangerous to access.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

There is not much left inside, but relevant remains of plaques with inscriptions and artistic drawings can be found on the walls outside. A highlight of the area is a former small park with a typical communist monument – a distinctive feature of all Soviet bases. The small park is a bit creepy, there are still benches around a former flowerbed, and a rain shelter, all now emerging from a field of nettles! The monument is basically a long wall with the silhouette of a stylized head. The inscription is fading, but the face painted on the red head can still be seen.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

Getting there and moving around

The former missile base of Zeltini can be easily found driving on the P34, about 1.2 miles west of the town, exactly where P44 leaves from P34 to the north. There is also an official sign on the P34 pointing the way in. The area is preserved to some extent, and some of the former connection roads inside can be seen on Google Street View, yet the grounds are unfenced and there are no opening times. You can go in and move with your car, the only risk is that of getting a flat due to the road not being very clean.

Close to the head of Lenin there is also an explanatory panel with some quick notes and a basic map. A museum can be found in Zeltini, which was not opened when I visited, and they reportedly offer also guided tours of the place. This might be interesting especially for those less used to exploration activities, and possibly also to get access to the missile bunkers, which are usually closed. I couldn’t arrange a guided visit though, so I don’t know what they are offering on guided tours.

Some timber companies work in the former base, and you should not interfere with their operations, nor intrude in those parts of the base which are now used by them. Apart from this, this installation is rich of interesting sights and not much risky nor too big or difficult to explore, and it will make for a good 2 hours (minimum) exploration even visiting on your own, without accessing the locked or forbidden parts.

Note: Nearby Dvina Missile Site, Tirza – Completely Destroyed

There used to be other two ‘sister sites’ of the Zeltini complex in the area around Aluksne. One was in Strautini, a design very similar to the one in Zeltini. To my information this has ceased operations but is still today part of a military installation, so it cannot be approached. The second one was built in Tirza, and it was a Dvina site, i.e. a complex of four interred silos built for a suitably modified version of the R12 missile, called R12U. This kind of missile site started to be installed in 1964. Standing to the Google map of early 2017 the Tirza site should have been still in relative good shape. Unfortunately, in very recent times the local government hit very hard, having the site totally destroyed, flooded and buried under a monumental pile of land. The photographs below show what remains of this site – literally nothing.

Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

Even though the silo may have represented an uncomfortable reminder of the relatively recent occupation by the Soviets, as the only remaining site of the kind in the country it should have deserved possibly a different treatment – similar to the site in Siauliai, Lithuania, recently turned into a museum on the Cold War. Another option – probably the most obvious – would have been to leave the site to nature, as it happened in most cases to former Soviet installations scattered around Europe, at no cost and without any relevant risk for the local population – the site in Tirza was extremely remote, hidden deep in the trees, far from the main road and from any village of appreciable size, in a part of the country of limited touristic interest. Only those interested, like explorers and historians, would have looked for it. The choice of the government, which judging from the proportions of the demolition work must have implied the use of a very relevant amount of money for the job, appears really hard to justify – especially in face of an infrastructure system still well below the European standard.

Anyway, as a practical suggestion, don’t waste your time trying to reach the Tirza site – Dvina missile complexes are not to be found in Latvia.

Skrunda Military Ghost Town

Located in the hilly countryside of southwest Latvia, about 50 miles from the port town of Liepaja, the area around the village of Skrunda has been for long a primary strategic site for the USSR. Due to the geographical position on the northwestern border of the Union, this place was selected for the construction of an early warning radar device – a system capable of detecting incoming enemy ballistic missiles, leaving enough time for deploying countermeasures and for retaliatory actions. The type built in Skrunda was called Dnestr-M, and was the first early warning system type deployed by the USSR. Actually, the Skrunda radar site, codenamed RO-2, was the first to become operative in 1971, marking the foundation of the entire Soviet ABM (anti-ballistic missile) system. This was just a component of a series of similar sites intended to cover the entire border, constituting a ‘invisible fence’ against missile attacks from the US and their Allies.

Early warning radar systems are not just small radar antennas like those you can see in airports. Instead they are very (very) big and powerful systems, digesting a huge flow of electric energy to stay alive, and where all the required hardware – including the antennas – is often stored in suitably designed, tall and imposing buildings. The RO-2 system was made of two Dnestr-M fixed antennas, each assembled in a special construction 650 ft long and 250 ft tall!

The staff required for running the facility and all connected businesses was numerous, so a military village was built anew in Skrunda deep in the years of the Cold War just a few miles north of the old town. The village was intended for troops, technicians and their families. The relevance of the Skrunda site is testified also by the selection of that area for the installation of another antenna of the type Daryal-UM, with a range of almost 4’000 miles, 1’000 more than the Dnestr-M system. The decision was taken in the late Eighties, and the Daryal-UM system in Skrunda was never operative.

Following the collapse of the USSR an agreement was made between the governments of Latvia and Russia to gradually phase out the early warning systems in Skrunda, which had to be kept under Russian administration for some more years. As a result, the village of Skrunda was inhabited until 1998 by Russian troops.

After the demolition of all early warning hardware formerly agreed upon and the withdrawal of the Russian army, the military town of Skrunda was left in a state of disrepair. The Latvian government tried to sell the property in more instances, while some of the worst conserved buildings have been demolished. More recently the local municipality took control of the area, and there are plans to find a new function for the remaining part of the ghost town. Also the Latvian army is active on it. In the meanwhile you can tour this ‘domesticated’ ghost town – which can be accessed officially paying a small fee at the entrance – you are even given a map of the site!

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

The fact that you pay for a visit takes away much of the ghost-town-aura typical to other similar places in the former Eastern Bloc – here you know you are not alone. Nonetheless, what makes this place impressive is the size of the buildings, now totally empty, and the imposing ensemble they form together.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

Besides the residential buildings, the bulkiest and more numerous, there are a hotel, a school – which cannot be accessed due to the collapsing roof -, a market and many other services you may expect to find in a typical modern neighborhood.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

Also impressive are the club with a big gym and the frescoes in it. An obelisk monument can be found in the square ahead of the gym.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

On the tiles on the blind side of one of the residential buildings it is possible to spot a giant, now fading portrait of a Soviet soldier.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

The residential and service complex with its distinctive tall buildings occupies the northern part of the ghost town of Skrunda, while the southern part is composed of lower buildings formerly for barracks and military services, including a canteen, a command building and a small military prison.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

The face of the command building bears inscriptions in Cyrillic, which are now barely visible. From historical pictures it is possible to see that at some point the Red Banner was changed into the Russian flag you can spot today.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

Most of the buildings in this area are in a really bad shape, and many are inaccessible due to piles of waste material packed inside. Among the most unusual sights here, stickers of ‘Western propaganda symbols’ – including an iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger in James Cameron’s ‘Terminator’! – inside the door of a small cabinet, likely from the Eighties.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

At the time of my visit there were some Latvian troops busy moving light material between some of these buildings.

Getting there and moving around

Getting to the Soviet ghost town of Skrunda is easy with a car. You can reach the old town of Skrunda along the A9, connecting Liepaja and Riga. Once there, take the P116 going north to Kuldiga. The entrance to the site will be on your left about 3 miles north of the center of old Skrunda.

I have to admit I had prepared my visit as a ‘usual’ wild exploration, and I discovered the place is actually a tourist attraction only when I was there. My first approach was from the side of the village opposite to the P116, to reduce the chance to be spotted by locals. To my great surprise I was soon met by a young lady walking along the main street of the ghost town. I thought she was there for picking mushrooms or something in the wilderness, instead she came closer and politely told me there was a ticket to pay! Then I spotted other visitors around in the distance. I moved my car to the P116 and accessed the place as a normal visitor. An old lady at the former control booth of the military village asked for a few Euros – no credit cards, obviously – and gave me a ticket and a map.

The reason for my error was the lack of information available online, also due to the very limited penetration of English in that part of Europe, even on websites. For the same reason, unfortunately I can’t provide an official source site nor opening times.

Due to a very tight timetable, I could only dedicate about an hour to the visit of the ghost town – I also wasted some time moving my car from the back to the official gate of the base. The site may deserve 1.5-2.5 hours depending on your level of interest, especially if you want to take pictures.

As written above, Skrunda is in the center of a renovation program, and the place may not remain visible for long.

Karosta Military Prison & Liepaja Port Town

The port town of Liepaja is the third most populated center in Latvia. It bolsters an ancient tradition as a commercial port, built along trade routes very active since the early years of the Hanseatic League. More recently, in the second half of the 19th century the port was greatly developed also for military purposes under the power of the Tzars. This time saw the construction of conspicuous fortifications in the northern area of the town, and the development of an extensive military district named Karosta.

The military port was destined to play an important role in WWI, when the agonizing Russian Empire was fighting against the forces of the Kaiser, and again in WWII, when the Soviets, who had just annexed the Latvian territory in 1939-40, started fighting against Hitler in 1941. The German Wehrmacht actually occupied Liepaja until 1945.

Back in the hands of the Soviets, the port was developed step by step into a major base of the Soviet fleet, headquartering the Baltic branch tasked with tactical dominance of the Baltic Sea. Since the 1960s until the collapse of the USSR Liepaja was turned into a closed town for military personnel only, and all commercial activities were interdicted.

Nowadays the commercial port is again very active, and the town, even boasting a university, is trying to reestablish its original status as a center for commerce and tourism.

Most notably, the former military district of Karosta can be toured along a well designed historical trail, showing the old quarters of the military town from the years of the Tzars. A distinctive feature of Karosta is the breakwater pier, protruding into the Baltic for about 1 mile, which can be walked in its entirety. Another very suggestive sight is the dome of the Orthodox church, recently refurbished after having being closed for years in the Soviet era.

Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Pier Military Port
Karosta Liepaja Pier Military Port
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Soviet Monument
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Soviet Monument

Another unusual sight in the Karosta district is the coastal fortification built by the Tzars in the late 19th century. The cannons are gone, but the mighty fortifications look still impressive.

Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery

The additions by the Soviets in terms of housing are clearly recognizable by the depressing style and poor building technique, making these buildings look worse than their older predecessors.

Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia

The military district of the Tzars included a military prison, today known as Karosta Prison (or ‘Karosta Cietums’, in Latvian). This prison has been turned into a museum only recently, and is now advertised as a local attraction.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

This prison is unique in many senses. From a historical perspective, for instance, it was managed by six different military powers in its history – the Russian Empire, the newly constituted Latvian government soon after WWI, the Soviets between 1940 and 1941, the Nazis until 1945, then the Soviets again and finally the Latvian government of our days after the independence from the Soviet Union!

The place is rich of sad memories, especially from the years of Nazi occupation, when the prison was not intended to reeducate – whatever this might have meant in Soviet times -, but acted more as an antechamber for captured spies or subversive elements to be shot – something that reportedly happened in the courtyard in several occasions – or deported to Nazi lagers. Of course, the beginning of the Soviet period was a very harsh one too for Liepaja and all Latvia, thanks to Stalin’s unscrupulous deportation plans which hit hard in the region, but that was a business the small military prison of Karosta was not much involved in.

The brick building of the prison is composed of two floors. The museum offers guided visits to the small complex. The first sight is the office of the director on the ground floor, preserved from the Soviet era, and enriched with tons of collectible items. Really an impressive sight.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

Another very unique room is packed with weapons, uniforms and other military gear from the years of WWII. This collection, albeit small, is extremely valuable especially for what remains of the Nazi period – somewhat paradoxically, in Germany similar collections are basically impossible to find.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

I explicitly asked more than once about the originality of the pieces on show, and was punctually reassured. The prison and what is in it, with the exception of the arrangement of the ticket office and the rooms nearby, is 95% original, and what was not originally there when the prison was finally closed – like a portrait of Stalin and a wooden silhouette of Lenin’s face – is still original, relocated for exhibition purposes. No fakes.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

Next, the guided tour will drive you to the cells on the top floor, which were intended for soldiers, where the ground floor was for officers. The only difference is in the color of the walls – black on the top floor, brownish on the lower floor.

Karosta is the only military prison you can visit in the Baltics… and probably the only one in the world where you can sleep, if you dare to! The standard treatment is not so rude as you may expect, and spending the night in provides also the advantage of a dedicated evening visit of the prison after the closing time, along with the other ‘inmates’.

The rooms where you sleep are the cells of the ground floor – originally intended for officers. There are two possible configurations, i.e. rooms with iron beds, or empty cells, where you assemble your ‘bed’ taking a wooden board and a mattress from piles in a deposit. Then you are given a pillow, sheets and a blanket. The sheets are marked in Cyrillic, and probably belong to the original supply of the Soviet prison.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

The door of the cell is left open, so you are totally free to move around all night, and even go out in the courtyard if you need. Toilets are in common, placed in the original toilet room. They are clean, even though basic, and there are no showers. There is a guard – who is also the guide on the evening tour – on the top floor, and the external perimeter of the prison is locked, so you feel reasonably safe. You can also park your car inside the perimeter. That said, spending the night in the cell is surely unusual and provokes strange feelings and thoughts… but that’s what you were probably looking for when you decided to sleep in a prison!

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

The prison offers more intense experiences where you are ‘disturbed’ during the night and treated more harshly by the guards, but these are only for groups. These packages are advertised also for companies, for team-building purposes.

The small restaurant has been put in the original canteen for the guards, and they offer a full Soviet-themed menu for dinner and for breakfast. The ‘hotel’ manager speaks English, and she can help you out with the menu, written in Latvian only.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

All in all, a unmissable pick for those interested in authentic Soviet experiences.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

Getting there and moving around

The museum in the prison of Karosta is an official tourist attraction in Karosta, which is part of Liepaja. The website provides much practical information about the museum and the many special activities they promote, plus you can find the contacts for arranging a stay in case you want to. You may inquire with your intended arrival date. In my case the answer was quick and punctual, and I was asked about usual details. The only ‘stressful’ thing was the check-in limit – 5 pm – but this turned out to be more flexible than initially expected. I had the deadline extended to 6 pm by e-mailing the staff earlier on the day of arrival, and a group of six arrived well after 8 pm, by prior arrangement.

On check-in you are shown the two cell types mentioned above – this happens before payment, in case you realize this is not for you and decide to leave! The fare for my 1-night stay was very low, 15 Euros or so, plus coins for dinner and breakfast.

After check-in I was invited to have dinner before taking possession of the cell-room, and then go downtown and come back well after the closing time of the museum. I was given the number of the guard, who opened the gate letting me in with my car when I came back.

The hotel office acts also as a tourist information point for the military district of Karosta and for the town of Liepaja. They provide maps, schedules of cultural activities and general information for the whole area.

As pointed out, if you are interested in spending the night in the prison you will have the chance to park inside a locked external fence. The rooms will not be locked, nor the prison building, so you should not experience any discomfort in that sense. You should not expect the room service, and be ready to make your bed, but the staff will treat you kindly and professionally. I was so tired for the trip I fell asleep with no difficulty – average light, average temperature, low humidity, no noise, unidentified ‘background smell’, but not excessively annoying…

Klavi Nuclear Missile Base

Similar to the base of Zeltini (see above), the base of Klavi was a surface missile base. Differently from Zeltini, Klavi is totally abandoned.

What remains there makes for a quick interesting visit. The characteristics of the complex are very similar to those of Zeltini, perhaps a bit more regular, for in Klavi all four launch pads are placed side-by-side in a single array. The most notable feature of the installation is the many bunkers, which include missile bunkers and smaller support ones. Some of the bunkers bear visible traces of the original Cyrillic writing.

Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

The launch pads with the metal crown on the ground can be found also here – but the crowns are gone, probably the metal was resold. The exploration is somewhat complicated by some ditches and flooded areas, obstructing the access to part of the grounds. Nature is growing wild in the area, but garbage and waste material can also be found in significant amounts.

Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

Similar to Zeltini, besides the storage and launch area there are a series of support and living bunkers, plus a technical area which is today occupied by some form of business, including a soft-air training ground.

Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

The base testifies the double attitude towards these former missile sites adopted in Latvia, which on one side are left in a state of disrepair, but are not totally abandoned, and are often being used in our days for various kinds of business.

Getting there and moving around

The place can be found with a nav using the following coordinates, 56.661370, 24.128137, pointing to the access road of the launch complex. All roads around the site and reaching to it are unpaved – but this is the standard in Latvia. The point can be reached with a car. Going further may be easier by foot, for the road is not maintained and turns pretty narrow.

The former technical part with the soft-air facility is located 0.3 miles from that point moving northeast, and can be clearly spotted on a satellite photograph. Approaching the launch part from the south you will not pass through it, and you will more likely go unnoticed – the launch area is abandoned with no prohibition signs, so this is just if you don’t like to attract any attention.

I would say this place should be of interest for more committed urban explorers, as you should go with at least a basic consciousness of the general plan of a missile base to understand where you are and for moving around, due to wild nature obstructing the view in many instances.

Note: there is a sister site, almost a clone of this base, located south of the village of Zalite, about 5 miles south of the Klavi complex. Apparently not in a bad shape, the area has been taken over by small private businesses and marked with clear signs of prohibition. Strangely enough, there are apparently some people living in the rotting buildings of the former technical area. I went to the Zalite site also, but I was greeted by angry watchdogs moving around freely as soon as I approached the former launch area, and I could not even step off my car. Soon after I was spotted by a small group of people, like a family with elders and children with a ragged, disturbing appearance, including a woman with only one leg and a prominent metal prosthesis – the whole scene looked like some low-budget horror movie. They were clearly not happy to see me. I had a very bad feeling and decided to leave immediately.

The Corner House – KGB Prison in Riga

As soon as they landed in the territory of Latvia in the early Forties, the Soviets started to implement their regime in all its features. These included forced collectivization of private businesses, de-facto abolition of all political parties and free elections, and prosecution of non-communist elements of the society. The state security office monitoring the life of all citizens and assuring their adherence to the communist ideology and way of life was the local section of the NKVD, later to evolve into the famous KGB. This was tasked with the collection of information, arrest, interrogation, sentencing, detention and often times also deportation and execution of anybody suspected of ‘counter-revolutionary acts’ or ‘anti-Soviet crimes’ – the meaning of which was very generic and often used to prosecute people on the basis of scant or absent evidence of any type, and basically for political opinions.

It is still not clear for what particular reason this secret political police found a suitable home base in a nice apartment building in central Riga, which until the time of the Soviet occupation had been a normal residential building. Behind the elegant façade, the Soviets moved in an impressive quantity of offices and archives, plus a complete prison, located on the ground floor and in the basement, with cells and rooms for interrogation, with separate branches for women and men. The prison ceased function during the Nazi occupation, when it was opened to the public for propaganda reasons. Not discouraged nor impressed, the Soviet secret police reopened it as soon as it regained control of the region in 1945. After the secession of Latvia from the USSR, the building, which over the decades had become a symbol of communist terror, was closed up and left there, nobody reclaiming that haunted property, associated with fear, sad memories and negative feelings of hardship and oppression. Only a few years ago an association aimed at preserving the memory of the deadly function of the building, and of those who were touched by the violent ideological repression carried out by the Soviets in Riga and Latvia, started to offer regular tours of the prison.

The place is preserved as it was when it was shut down, much of the original furniture, lighting and paint being still there.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

The entrance is by the door on the corner, as it used to be in the past for the ‘general public’ – typically relatives of people mysteriously disappeared, going there to check whether they had been arrested by the KGB. What strikes most in these first rooms is the incredibly shabby, ragged, purely Soviet appearance of these public offices. A nice introductory exhibition with much info and data on the history of the place and of political repression in Latvia can be toured for free in this part of the building.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

Here it is also where the guided tour of the prison will start. You will be driven through the corridor reserved to KGB employees and arrested people. From there you soon reach the prison – particularly disturbing even for Soviet standards, very dark and narrow.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

Close to the entrance there is a control room for the whole prison, with original furniture from the KGB inventory – still tagged. A mix of terror and sadness, a really depressive ‘something wrong’ feeling can be clearly perceived there still today.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

Interrogation rooms with a fake mirror glass and preliminary detention rooms as large as a phone box, with no windows nor ventilation, are among the first sights of the tour.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

Along the walk the guide gives you a description of the life condition of inmates and an idea of the function of some special places in the prison.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

Part of the tour is the caged courtyard intended for the few minutes of walk inmates were allowed per day.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

During the visit you will see also the basement, where the kitchen for the inmates can still be found, together with service rooms and further cells.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

Finally you will have a look at the inner courtyard, reportedly where many inmates had their last walk, soon before entering a dark room nearby where they were shot in the head, as mostly typical in the years of Stalin. The shabby room where this happened can be observed from the door, and is preserved with respect.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

All in all, a true must see not only for the committed Cold War historian, but for everybody interested in the recent history of Latvia.

Getting there and moving around

The building of the KGB prison is located in Brīvības iela 61 in central Riga, and can be conveniently reached with a pleasant 10 minutes walk from the central historical district.

The Corner House is professionally managed as an international-level museum. It is possible to visit the informative exhibition for free, where for touring the prison you can either go there and reserve a visit, or buy an electronic ticket online in advance. Access to the prison is by guided tours only, but tours are offered in English, German as well as Latvian and other languages – website here.

The guided tour lasts just less than 1 hour, and I strongly recommend it as a very suggestive experience which will not leave you indifferent, also thanks to the lively approach of the very knowledgeable local guides.

A Walk in Murmansk – A Soviet Industrial Port of Our Time

CarloR2 Comments

Murmansk is a port town in the northwestern corner of todays Russian Federation. It bolsters the biggest population among the centers north of the Arctic Circle in the world. It was founded in 1916, just months before the Revolution, and developed rapidly thanks to its strategic position for the needs both of the Navy and of maritime commerce. Actually this is the only Russian port on the Barents Sea which is not blocked by ice in winter, and it is in a region rich of substantial natural deposits, including nickel and coal. Furthermore, the coast in the vicinity of this town and along the Kola peninsula features countless coves and bays, providing an ideal setting for stationing a military fleet.

Probably the highest point in the history of Murmansk, which also contributed greatly in forming its current shape, was in the Great Patriotic War, i.e. WWII as they call it in Russia and the USSR until the Nineties. Murmansk was a key port on the supply line between the Western Allies and the USSR. A railroad linking Murmansk and St. Petersburg – some 900 miles south – existed since before its foundation. For this reason, and for the abundant raw materials in the region, the area was a dramatic theater of war, the German Wehrmacht relentlessly hitting there from both Norway and Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland. As a matter of fact, the resistance of the Soviets around Murmansk meant that the town was never conquered by Hitler’s forces, which where stopped just some tens of miles away to the west.

The damage and destruction brought by the war, acknowledged by the Soviet government with medals and the title of “Hero of the Soviet Union” awarded to Murmansk, meant that today the city has a mostly ‘modern’ appearance – in the Soviet sense. From the viewpoint of architecture, Murmansk has been rebuilt with industrial and military activities in mind, as most cities all around the USSR and differently from the most famous Moscow and Leningrad (today St. Petersburg). During the Cold War Murmansk developed into a huge port town and industrial center, with a population reaching almost half a million at some point. At the same time, military ports and shipyards multiplied in the region. The Soviet Northern Fleet has been stationed there since its foundation in the Thirties, and during the Cold War it was tasked with patrolling the Atlantic up to the northern coast of the USSR. The Northern Fleet was supplied with many iconic firsts for the USSR, including nuclear submarines and strategic nuclear missiles.

A trip to this industrial city is probably not in the list of many tourists, and even less from abroad. But for those looking for a full immersion in the atmosphere of an authentic Soviet town of the Cold War days, conveniently located not far from the Russian western border and still populated and very active, Murmansk has really much in store. Furthermore, if you care about the history of WWII and the Cold War, then this is definitely a place to go. The closed town of Polyarny, from where Marko Ramius sets off in Tom Clancy’s memorable fiction ‘The Hunt for Red October’, is just miles away from Murmansk.  If you would like to see something in this region which still retains much of its ‘CCCP aura’, unless you are from Russia Murmansk is one of the few towns in an extensive region which has been opened to foreign visitors – Polyarny, as well as Severomorsk, where the headquarters of the Northern Fleet are, and other military centers nearby unfortunately are not accessible to foreigners even today.

This post shows a possible itinerary touching some Soviet- or war-themed highlights in town. At the end of the chapter you can find information about reaching Murmansk, which itself may turn an interesting part of the trip. Photographs were taken in August 2017.

Map

The Google map below shows the itinerary I followed during my visit. All sights pinpointed on the map are mentioned or portrayed in the post. I covered the whole itinerary with a long walk, resulting in a very requiring 24 miles which I walked in one day. Despite the great photo opportunities you can get walking around alone, this distance can be definitely too much for the majority of visitors, so you may choose to hire a taxi or move with public transport for at least a part of the itinerary. Or you may decide to explore the town in one and a half or two days instead of just one.

Sights

Ploschad Pyat’uglov

The central square of Murmansk – ‘Five Corners Square’ in English – is where the two oldest hotels are, the ‘Azimuth’ and the ‘Meridian’. If you are staying at the Meridian – a good level executive hotel  – you can enjoy a good view of the Azimuth, a typical modern Soviet building, a section of the port and the northern districts of Murmansk. Your view will reach to one of the most famous Soviet monuments in Russia – Alyosha, the gigantic statue of a Soviet soldier.

Murmansk Azimuth Hotel
Murmansk Azimuth Hotel
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Alyosha
Murmansk Alyosha
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk fog
Murmansk fog
Murmansk fog
Murmansk fog
Murmansk
Murmansk

On the façade of the building to the left of the Meridian you can see a sculpture of some Soviet decorations attributed to Murmansk. Not far cross the road is a similarly themed obelisk.

Murmansk Hotel Meridian
Murmansk Hotel Meridian
Murmansk medals
Murmansk medals
Murmansk Hotel Azimuth
Murmansk Hotel Azimuth
Murmansk Hotel Azimuth
Murmansk Hotel Azimuth

To the southeast of the square, Tsentralnyy Park is a nice park frequented by Russian families with children. On the southeastern side of the park are a statue of Kirov – a friend of Stalin, who killed him at some point, as he often used to do with friends – and a couple of neoclassic Soviet public palaces with Soviet-themed decoration.

Murmansk Kirov
Murmansk Kirov
Murmansk
Murmansk

To the northwest of the Ploschad there is another smaller park with monuments and fountains, and the Regional Art Museum of Murmansk in one of the corners (website here). The latter is a nice little art museum, where works of many regional artists from the 19th century and well into the Soviet era can be found.

Murmansk Kapsula
Murmansk Kapsula
Murmansk Regional Art Museum
Murmansk Regional Art Museum
Murmansk McDonald's
Murmansk McDonald’s

Among the elements helping to remember you are in the 21st century and not any more in the Soviet Union, there is a McDonald’s – possibly the northernmost in the world – and some banks around the square.

Prospekt Lenina

One of the two traffic arteries in Murmansk, describing a large arch crossing the central district. Moving south from Ploschad Pyat’uglov, you can walk down the full length of this boulevard. In the most central district, closer to the square, you will find many buildings with typical Soviet facades. Soon after leaving the square, on the eastern side there is a statue of Lenin, creating a nice scenery with the wings of the stately building behind it.

Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Lenin
Murmansk Lenin
Murmansk Lenin
Murmansk Lenin
Murmansk Lenin
Murmansk Lenin

One of the most notable buildings along the boulevard apparently belongs to the heir of the KGB, and still retains a monument with the sword and shield close to the entrance. The façade is adorned with prominent hammer and sickle symbols.

Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina

On the eastern side of the boulevard another interesting sight is the Monument to the Border Guards of the Arctic. This is placed in a small, well-kept and quiet park. Close by, a theater can be recognized by the frieze on the front – this was undergoing renovation at the time of my visit, and nothing more could be seen.

Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina

Moving further south, the road turns markedly to the southeast, and correspondingly the quality of the buildings starts to decrease sharply, with some exceptions, including some bulky modern buildings. One of them is really imposing, fenced and guarded. It may be a tribunal or a military command of some sort, given the level of security. As the road starts to climb uphill, a monument connected to WWII is clearly noticeable, with and anti-tank cannon prominently standing on a pillar. From that place, it is possible to spot some Soviet decoration on lower profile residential buildings.

Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina

In this part the panorama changes rapidly, with wild vegetation and poor housing coexisting side by side. Some buildings look as they are just waiting to collapse, and you think they are abandoned until you see two well dressed clerks coming out of a decrepit door. Hammer and sickles can be found on the façade or to the side of every other building.

Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina

Somewhat unceremoniously, Prospekt Lenina comes to an end forming a sharp angle with Prospekt Kirova.

Prospekt Kirova and Ulitsa Shmidta

Turning northwest on Prospekt Kirova the road starts to descend. Here you can find a significant number of Soviet style apartment buildings. Looking carefully, you can see that the construction of the buildings is modular and the style is very repetitive – there are only about five or six variations in the basic module.

Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova

As the street turns north changing name into Ulitsa Shmidta you have on the southern corner a building connected with the Navy, possibly an academy, with some strange instrumentation on the roof. Cross the street there is a small park, with a modern church, clearly built after the end of the Soviet period.

Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova

From around this point it is possible to get some good pictures of a still working power plant, which is located basically in a block of this district, not far from the city center and surrounded by apartments. The proximity of the chimneys to the apartment buildings is typical to Soviet towns, much harder to find in the west, unless you’re running out of money building your town when playing SimCity. Furthermore, the power plant in Murmansk is really huge and the funnels really monstrous!

Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova

Proceeding north on Ulitsa Shmidta, on the eastern side it is possible to spot many Soviet facades, where on the western side you may have problems getting a view of the railway and the port down below, due to the vegetation strip obstructing the view. At some point on the eastern side you will find a military building, recognizable by the red stars on the gates – the same model of gates and stars you can find in many abandoned military sites all over the former Eastern Bloc.

Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Alyosha
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Alyosha
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta

A block south of the last bend to the northeast where Ulitsa Shmidta changes its name into Ulitsa Kominterna, it is possible to find a small nice park with a monument to the Soviet Navy, just ahead of a stately building which may have been a former military headquarter.

Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument

The monument is modern in design, and perhaps made after the end of the Soviet Union, yet looking very exotic if you are from the western side of the Iron Curtain.

Railway Station

Possibly one of the oldest buildings in Murmansk, and surely one of the most iconic thanks to the pinnacle with the red star on top, is the railway station. The façade and entrance are on Ulitsa Kominterna, but the building is built on multiple levels, for it is on the rim of a small coast. The passenger railway is at the bottom of the coast, and very close to the building. An old steam locomotive with a big red star is placed on one of the passenger platforms.

Murmansk Railway Station
Murmansk Railway Station
Murmansk Railway Station
Murmansk Railway Station
Murmansk Ulitsa Kominterna
Murmansk Ulitsa Kominterna
Murmansk Railway Station
Murmansk Railway Station

On the northern side of the station building it is possible to get access to a footbridge, passing over the passenger terminal and the huge cargo terminal. The latter offers a really impressive show, with countless coal trucks unwinding along endless railways. The railway basically ends in Murmansk, and the port is specialized with taking coal from the trains and putting it on the ships – plenty of dedicated cranes are always active in this transfer work. The railway yard is always very busy.

Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta

In the evening you can watch the assembly of the empty convoys, being set up for their travel back to inland Russia. This is a pretty violent and noisy show, as they usually form a train by kicking a car on a railway track against the rest of the convoy waiting at the other end. When the car hits the convoy a very loud bang is produced, which can be heard from a great distance everywhere in town.

Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway Steam Engine
Murmansk Railway Steam Engine
Murmansk Railway Steam Engine
Murmansk Railway Steam Engine

Given the number of convoys and cars, this unusual concert goes on for quite a while every evening.

Port of Murmansk and Icebreaker Lenin

Descending from the far end of the footbridge towards the sea you reach the platform of the port of Murmansk with a short walk. You can walk only a small part of the port area, including two piers. The famous icebreaker Lenin (website here), the first nuclear-propelled non-military vessel in the world, is permanently moored here and can be visited as a tourist attraction – in theory.

Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin

[NOTE: Obviously the dates of my trip had been chosen accounting for the opening times of this museum ship, one of the most relevant sites in town. I was very unlucky, experiencing the harsh treatment Russia still reserves to tourists this day – in spite of a published timetable of the tours available online, even though in Russian only, I found a printed paper in Russian on the entrance to the pier, basically telling ‘no tours for today and tomorrow’, full stop. Unfortunately, you can experience similar issues even in cities with a touristic vocation like St. Petersburg, so this happening in the remote Murmansk was not unbelievable. Yet considering I visited from quite afar, tuned my trip specifically for this attraction standing to the available information and came during the peak season, this shows a very low-level preparedness for tourism and especially a generally bad attitude towards foreign visitors, both parts of an unwanted heritage of the Soviet times. You’d better go ready to similar problems when traveling to Russia.]

Anyway the icebreaker can be admired also from the pier. The size is really stunning, especially if compared to the older and glorious Krassin, which can be found in St. Petersburg (see this post). Along the Lenin, on another pier a modern icebreaker can be seen. Murmansk is also a well-known starting point for arctic cruises.

Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port

A monument remembering the Great Patriotic War closes the square ahead of the piers on one side. Cross the bay from this point it is possible to spot another war monument, including a jet aircraft and a cannon.

Kursk Monument and Church of the Savior on Waters

Going back to Ploschad Pyat’uglov and restarting northeast along Prospekt Lenina after some walk and more interesting buildings, including the local government of Murmansk adorned with all the decorations earned by this town for the effort during WWII and the Regional Museum (website here) – which unfortunately was closed on the day of my visit -, you reach Ulitsa Papanina. Taking it to the northwest you soon cross Ulitsa Chelyuskintsev.

Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

Again, here the quality of the housing and parks decreases sharply. Ulitsa Chelyuskintsev climbs aggressively uphill. After a distance the main road takes slightly to the left, and a building resembling a beacon can be seen further uphill, reachable with a flight of stairs. This beacon is a monument to the seamen lost at sea, and it includes a chapel which is closed most of the time irrespective of the published opening times.

Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

Just behind the beacon there is a monument to the ill-fated nuclear submarine K-141 Kursk, a new strategic ship of the Northern Fleet launched in post-Soviet times, which in the year 2000 sank following two accidental explosions, killing all on board. Thanks to the shallow waters where this accident happened, it was later possible to recover the wreck. Part of the turret was taken away and transformed into the monument you see, which is actually a piece of the original vessel.

Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial

Proceeding further uphill, it is possible to reach the small nice Orthodox church of the Savior on Waters, which is operated regularly and is probably the most central temple in Murmansk.

Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church

Leninskiy Okrug and Museum of the Northern Fleet

To the back of the temple it is possible to reach again Ulitsa Chelyuskintsev. Keeping the Museum of the Northern Fleet as a destination, located close to the northern border of Murmansk, you can walk some miles crossing the district called Leninskiy Okrug, which is a very populated residential area of the ‘working class’. Here you can see by yourself the very low-level of the housing, roads, walkways and services of this industrial town, where most of the population is living today. This standard of living appears to be in striking contrast with what you see in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and you can imagine how the neighborhood must have looked like when all cars around where Soviet made and there were no services like banks and cell phones retailers giving a modern touch to the scene.

Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

The building hosting the Museum of the Northern Fleet is no exception – it looks like an abandoned building from the outside. The entrance hall is purely Soviet style, too large and very grim. An old lady stands knitting in one corner, watching a TV show. She will instruct you about the ticket price – very low, only cash accepted – and the way to go. The building must have been a former clubhouse for officers or retired staff.

Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet

The museum (information here) covers the history of the Navy at least until the creation of the Northern Fleet. There are about ten small rooms, packed with tons of memorabilia items, documents, flags, parts of ships, photographs, paintings, portraits, uniforms, medals, models, maps, weapons and so on. Notwithstanding the old-style exhibition and the plenty of information mainly on the facts of WWII and the Cold War period, the museum is fairly up to date, mentioning also post-Soviet history and the current status of the fleet. It is noteworthy that most of the descriptions are in Russian only, so you should go with some knowledge of the topic if you don’t know the language.

Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet

Some Soviet memorials and the portraits of all commanders of the fleet from its foundation to the present day can be found on the stairs.

Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet

Monument to the Waiting Woman

Setting the course back to downtown Murmansk, it is possible to reach the monument to the Waiting Woman, dedicated to the women of the seamen, with a multi-miles walk from the Museum of the Northern Fleet, again crossing Leninskiy Okrug.

Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Waiting Woman
Murmansk Waiting Woman
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

The monument is an example of Russian ingenuity, yet somehow evocative. The place where the small sculpture is located is a vantage point from where it is possible to have a look to the northernmost part of the port of Murmansk, invisible from the town center. Much precise information about the home port of the vessels of the current Northern Fleet is not easy to get, anyway in the pictures you can see the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, the only Russian aircraft carrier, recently deployed to the Black Sea and now returned to the bay of Murmansk – somewhat mimetic, carefully look at the pictures below.

Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Admiral Kuznetzov Aircraft Carrier
Murmansk Admiral Kuznetzov Aircraft Carrier
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk
Murmansk

Alyosha

The most famous monument in Murmansk and in the region surrounding it, the monument to the Defenders of the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War, informally known as Alyosha – ‘little Alexander’ in English -, is a gigantic statue to the Soviet Soldier, commemorating the battles fought by the Soviet Army against the Third Reich during WWII. Not only is this monument placed on top of a hill, but it is some 115 feet tall, making it the third tallest monument in the former USSR, after Stalingrad, now Volgograd, and Kiev, today in Ukraine. It is visible from many places in town and from the area around Murmansk.

Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

It can be reached easily from downtown with a taxi, or if you are coming following the itinerary, climbing uphill at a short distance from the Monument of the Waiting Woman (see the map for a detailed trail to follow).

Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier

The monument is surely worth a visit. The size is impressive, and the eternal flame still burning ahead of the statue adds to the authenticity of the ensemble as a place of remembrance.

Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier

There are also two anti-aircraft guns and some ancillary parts to the back of the monument. The square ahead of it, possibly made for ceremonies, is not very well-kept and infested by mosquitoes in the warm season.

Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier

Leaving from the monument towards the city center can be done cutting through a wild green area along a well-marked trail. A mystery communication central can be found at some point. I met people grilling meat on a barbecue in this partially wild park.

Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier

From here you have a good view of the industrial port and of the central districts of Murmansk. Upon reaching Ulitsa Chelyuskintsev there is a small modern memorial showing some pictures of Murmansk soon after the devastation caused by WWII.

Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

From here it is possible to go back to the city center where your hotel will probably be and where you can find some very good local restaurants.

Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church

Getting to Murmansk

Notwithstanding the interesting ensemble and some noteworthy monuments, this city alone can hardly motivate a trip from abroad even for dedicated enthusiasts. On the other hand, it makes for a quick and easy detour from a travel to scenic Lapland (Finland) or northern Norway. After some investigation about going there with a car I abandoned the idea – too complicated in terms of papers and risky – and elected to go there starting from Kirkenes, a small town in northern Norway just a few miles from the only border crossing point between Norway and Russia. There is a local Norwegian travel agency called Pasvikturist selling on the Internet the tickets of a bus service operating between Kirkenes and Murmansk with no stops. The service is operated once per day in both directions. They also sell travel packages of one or two days to Murmansk including a part-time guide and accomodation.

The bus is actually a comfortable Russian registered minibus. The pick-up point in Kirkenes is by the Scandic Hotel, where there are some possible pick-up points in Murmansk, which is much larger, typically by all the biggest hotels.

You must have the visa for entering Russia, and you can get the necessary invitation from both the Azimuth and Meridian hotel. I noticed not all hotels in Murmansk offer this service, so be careful if you want to opt for a smaller hotel. Getting the invitation involves an easy electronic procedure worth a few dollars. Passport control – both Norway and Russia – takes a while, about 45 minutes in total for all on the minibus. Restrictions on the goods you can transport apply, but are by far less stringent than when traveling by air. You are not required to pass a metal detector, and bags are inspected only sporadically. My small army knife and all photographic gears passed without trouble.

The trip from Kirkenes to Murmansk can be very interesting. The region you cross is full of military installations. Extensive areas along the road are fenced and under surveillance. Going to Murmansk we had to stop to let a number of tanks cross the road. There is at least one military checkpoint where all passports are quickly inspected again by military staff!

Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Pechenga
Pechenga
Nickel
Nickel
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks

Among the unusual sights along the road are the huge nickel mines between Nickel and Zapolyarny, the countless memorials of WWII along the valley of the Pechenga river, the military town of Sputnik, and a ropeway built by the German Army to carry supplies to the front. The background scenery is that of an endless sequence of hills with arctic vegetation.

Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik training grounds
Sputnik training grounds
Pechenga training grounds
Pechenga training grounds
Pechenga monument
Pechenga monument
Pechenga monument
Pechenga monument
Pechenga
Pechenga
Pechenga
Pechenga
Kola
Kola
Pechenga
Pechenga
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel
Nickel
Sputnik
Sputnik

Getting closer to Murmansk you will see directions to many ‘closed towns’ – connected with military activities, and where foreign visitors cannot enter – including Polyarny, cited in ‘The Hunt for Red October’. This surely adds to the atmosphere and prepares you to the visit of the town.

Polyarny closed town
Polyarny closed town
Polyarny
Polyarny
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

Entering the town you will pass over the bay on a bridge and you will get a view of the southern part of the port and of the city, otherwise difficult to reach by foot.

Murmansk train
Murmansk train
Murmansk train
Murmansk train
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk chimney
Murmansk chimney
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

Murmansk is clearly served also by an airport, so if you want or need you can surely reach the city by air – and also by train – from within Russia, but you will not get a view of the region, which may be very interesting if you are traveling as a tourist.