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The New Life of a Soviet Base in Germany – Ribnitz-Damgarten

CarloRLeave a comment

Most Soviet bases in the former territory of the German Democratic Republic met with oblivion following the departure of their Red Army tenants back to mainland Russia, in the early 1990s.

Most locations – including full scale airbases (see here, here or here), infantry academies and shooting ranges (see here) and nuclear warhead bunkers (see here) – have been returned to nature, demolished or converted into something else. Much on this website documents this hidden part of the Cold War heritage in Germany.

However, there exist exceptions, like the airbase of Grossenhain with its preserved Granit-type bunker (see here), or the central Soviet headquarters of Wünsdorf (see here).

Another notable exception is that of the former Third Reich, and later Soviet, airbase of Ribnitz-Damgarten. Following an exploration in a day of closure in 2016 (documented here), the site was visited again legit, this time accessing the unique Museum of Technology of Pütnitz. The museum collection is very nice in itself, covering both civil and military vehicles from the DDR age, as well as heavy Soviet military vehicles, and even a few boats and aircraft from the Eastern bloc.

The museum is hosted in a complex of hangars dating from the years of the Third Reich, when the airbase of Ribnitz was active for experimenting with seaplanes, and busy with a facility of the Heinkel aircraft manufacturing company. These concrete hangars are still standing today, undoubtedly an example of German engineering excellence.

The Soviets made good use of this facility, and Ribnitz-Damgarten became a very active base on the Baltic coast for the full span of the Cold War – until the withdrawal of the then-Russian troops, who used this airport as the springboard for their final hop to their new home in Russia.

A further reason to pay a visit to Ribnitz-Damgarten is the chance to assist to the one-of-a-kind reunion and live exhibition of preserved vehicles from the Soviet bloc. Held in the summer, this ‘Treffen’ (i.e. reunion) is really worth the effort of setting up a trip, even when visiting from abroad. It is a multi-day event, and possibly the largest meeting of aficionados of cars, motorcycles and trucks from the communist world, with the chance to see all this good old technology at work, i.e. spitting and thick-smoking, all around the base. Chance is that you will drive on the original Soviet runway to reach the event parking!

Besides this yearly event, the museum offers live demonstrations of military vehicles on a more regular schedule.

The present post and photographs cover a visit to the Technology Museum of Pütnitz in occasion of the reunion of Eastern Europe vehicles held in late August 2021.

Sights

Museum of Technology of Pütnitz

The museum of Pütnitz has taken over the hangars of the old Third Reich base to the west of the airfield of Ribnitz-Damgarten. These hangars are pretty interesting from an architectural standpoint. By using large and curved concrete frames, the inside volume is extremely big for the time. As a matter of fact, they were kept in use for decades, since they could match the size of larger aircraft and vehicles of the Cold War.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

These hangars are just a handful, but complemented by smaller (regular size…) hangars they provide for a very large display area, wisely adopted by the museum for its exhibits.

One of the hangars is dedicated to the NVA, i.e. of the Armed Forces of the former GDR. Among the many artifacts on display, are a MiG-21 fighter, the skeleton of an Antonov An-2 transport, and a Mil-8 helicopter. The latter has been placed in a suspended position, with a mechanism to rotate its rotors!

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

In the same hangar you can find a pretty extensive collection of light armored vehicles, technical amphibious vehicles as well as full-scale tanks formerly in use with the NVA in different stages of the Cold War.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

A smaller area is dedicated to a display of NVA uniforms, GDR emblems and medals, uniforms of youth organizations within the GDR, as well as detailed scale models of war material in the arsenal of the USSR or the GDR over the years.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

A second smaller hangar hosts trucks of Soviet make, formerly used by – presumably – the NVA. Some are especially interesting, since they were used as missile transports, and are on display with their original trailers and… payload! Also trucks transporting Soviet-made radar antennas, for air target capture or anti-aircraft missile guidance, are on display.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

To the back of the same hangar, a super-interesting collection of material connected with nuclear warfare is on display. In particular, field instrumentation for measuring radiation levels, dosimeters, anti-radiation suits and masks, specific medical kits are part of this rich and uncommon exhibition.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

Some of the measurement equipment is still working, with old-fashioned, low-light electronic displays still lit – really an evoking sight from the Cold War era!

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

Yet in another hangar, a huge collection of GDR cars and motorcycles is on display. Most of these now vintage cars and vehicles used to be a rather common sight in the GDR. The now iconic Trabant was a product of the GDR. However, many other car manufacturers existed in the Eastern Bloc, and in the USSR as well, and their products were often exported to other Countries in the bloc.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

Stately cars for the top-ranking communist leadership were usually Soviet-made. You can find a small gallery of these Cold War icons in a corner of the same hangar, ahead of giant portraits of the SED (the ruling party of the GDR) leaders – Ulbricht, Honecker, Krenz.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

To the back of the hangar, classic motorcycles from the Eastern Bloc are on display. They include MZ motorcycles in use with the Völkspolizei, the police of the GDR. A sizable collection of cameras is also on display.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

In the same hangar are a reconstruction of a gas station, as well as a crop-dusting propeller aircraft.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

Notably, you can spot fading writings in Russian on the walls of this hangar, an heritage of the Soviet tenancy of the airbase.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

Some museum items are on display outside. Some of the military vehicles in the collection are still in working conditions. Live demonstrations of tanks and armored transports are regularly planned, and make for a nice sight and a thrilling experience!

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

Soviet Relics

Despite having being taken over by the museum and other commercial activities, the premises of the old Soviet airbase of Ribnitz-Damgarten betray the long decades of Soviet use. Besides the relics you can find scattered around in the airfield (see here for a previous exploration), very close to the museum hangars you can spot several technical buildings belonging to the base, and now basically abandoned.

On the side facade of one of those, a colossal Soviet emblem can still be seen, albeit now fading.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

Signs written in Russian can be spotted here and there, as well as an original, very interesting full scheme of the base (in Russian too), a typical sight in any Soviet base.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

Now-rotting buildings for the base staff can be found emerging from the overgrown vegetation to the north of the hangars.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

Finally, the runway is still in a good shape, albeit cut to the east to make room to yet another solar power plant – with a really questionable function, considering the rainy weather physiologically insisting on the region most of the year. The original centerline and other markings can be clearly seen still today.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

The airport is closed, but since the runway has not been taken away, perhaps some hope remains for a future with at least general aviation activities, like in Rechlin or Finow.

International Reunion of Vehicles of the Eastern Bloc

Perhaps among the busiest days of the museum in Pütnitz, those of the ‘Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen’ (which translates into the title of this paragraph) make for one of the most exciting occasions for a visit. Usually taking three days, this colossal reunion hosts roughly 2.000 vehicles, from cars to trucks, from farm tractors to motorcycles, from side-cars to firefighting vehicles, and from 4×4 military transports to camping trailers – all made on the communist side of the Iron Curtain!

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

The reunion is international, and many come from beyond the near border with Poland. In 2021 the reunion hit its 20th edition.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

All vehicles are parked in virtually any lot of flat land between and around the hangars of the museum, including the original taxiways and any grassy areas around.

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

Furthermore, besides some official movements and parade, you will see vehicles moving around at any time, with their very characteristic good old piston engine crackling sound, as well as much spitting and thick-smoking!

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

Besides the countless Trabants, built in several different versions you will come to discover, chance is to see massive Soviet GAZ military trucks, or even Hungary-built Ikarus buses!

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

The ‘Treffen’ of 2021 was especially unlucky with the weather, which on the plus side allowed many vehicles to show their all-weather capability!

Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen
Museum of Technology Püttnitz, Germany – Soviet Airbase Ribnitz-Damgarten – Internationales Ostblock-Fahrzeugtreffen

To better appreciate the noise and smoke, have a look to these three videos!

Visiting

The Museum of Technology in Pütnitz allows you to access the otherwise inaccessible base of Ribnitz-Damgarten. Access is recommended by car. The entrance is to the northeast of the airfield, through the original gate of the airbase. The museum has a website here.

Visiting in normal conditions, i.e. out of any special event, may take about 1 hour, more for a piston-power-minded subject, or for military/vehicles enthusiasts. In occasion of the vehicle reunion, planning a half-day visit at least is recommended, since the display of vehicles is really huge and worth a careful glance. A talk with many nice owners and enthusiasts may be a further plus in this occasion.

Soviet Traces in the Caucasus – Armenia, Azerbaijan & Georgia

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A visit to the three Caucasian republics – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia – today offers much to virtually any type of traveler. An incredible range of sceneries can be found there, from beaches to mountain ridges, from abundant traces of a multi-millennial civilization to futuristic skyscrapers and oil rigs.

As recent history has dramatically shown, these countries are inhabited by markedly different, deeply divided populations. Furthermore, all three of course still have a complicated relationship with their gigantic neighbor, Russia, which shares a border with both Georgia and Azerbaijan – with some unsolved uncertainties especially with the former, as shown in the cases of the contended territories of Abkhazia and Ossetia. On the other hand, Armenia is historically at loggerheads with Turkey, with which it shares a long – and impenetrable – border.

The three Caucasian nations have suffered the influence of stronger powers for ages. Constant clashes between Czar’s Russia and the Turks meant the loss of independence for long. As a matter of fact, both today’s Georgia and Azerbaijan where under Russia, and Armenia under the Turks, when WWI broke out. Soon after the war, short-lived independent nations were extirpated by the deadly action of the communist Bolsheviks, invading from Russia. The three Caucasian nations were forcibly incorporated in the Soviet Union, creating an artificial, uncomfortable friendship between each other and with Russia.

For roughly seven decades the three nations were on the southern border of the USSR, sharing a frontier with Turkey and Persia (later Iran). Turkey collaborated with the Third Reich in WWII, and later joined NATO, hosting – as it still does today – Western military forces on its territory. That border with the USSR was very active in the Cold War years. Aerial espionage missions were flown by the US from Turkey, ballistic missiles were installed, gigantic radar plants were put in place by the Soviets, who also manufactured MiGs in the outskirts of the Georgian capital – really a hot region in the Cold War!

As soon as the Soviet power started to creak at the very end of the 1980s, national movements faced again, eventually leading to the birth of independent nations as we know them today. This was not without a deadly struggle however, as for the case of Azerbaijan, mostly relevant for its oil reserves and the border with Iran. Furthermore, religious and cultural differences and unsolved disputes over the actual borders among each other meant that these three nations were never friends over the last three decades.

Besides this complicated geopolitical inheritance, the long-lasting Soviet tenancy of the three Caucasian Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs) left traces, of course. Some highlights among the architectural leftovers of Soviet times are presented in this post, from all three Republics. Monuments, from Soviet times, or celebrating independence from the Soviets, are similarly included. Further traces are preserved in museums – military museums dating from the Soviet era, like in Gori (Stalin’s birth town in Georgia, see this post) and Yerevan, history museums like in Baku and Tbilisi, or collections of artifacts from Soviet times, like the world-class Auto-Museum next to the airport in Tbilisi.

Photographs are from a long visit to the Caucasus in summer 2019.

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Armenia

Azerbaijan

Georgia

Sights in Armenia

Republic Square, Yerevan

A fine example of Soviet-times architecture, Republic Square – originally named Lenin’s Square – was designed in the mid-1920s, soon after the creation of the USSR, and was actually built little by little, reaching completion in the 1970s. It is a great example of Soviet-classicism, contaminated by some Armenian motifs – Armenia boasts an original architectural school originating several centuries ago, and particularly evident in medieval Armenian churches.

The focal point, once a statue of Lenin at the center of the square and pulled down in the 1990s, is possibly the front facade of the rich History Museum of Armenia, in a pale color and openly recalling the lines of the beautiful monasteries to be found in the country.

Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia

Besides the museum building, fronted by a huge fountain, the oval shaped square is defined by four more buildings, coordinated in terms of volumes and colors. The frieze on some of the buildings is centered on the usual Soviet iconography – five-pointed stars, sickles, harvest, …

The easternmost building with a clock tower used to be the seat of the government of the Armenian SSR, and is now the palace of the Armenian Government.

Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia

The westernmost building was designed, and still is, a hotel.

Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia

At night, they regularly offer a nice show with music, lights and water games.

Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist Republic square – Armenia

Visiting

Centrally located in Yerevan, you can reach this place in several ways. You probably won’t miss it if traveling to the Armenian capital city. Just note that parking is not possible on the square.

Cascade, Yerevan

A large – better, a monster-size… – stairway, climbing uphill from central Yerevan to a residential uptown neighborhood, was designed in the early 1970s and built in two stages, both in the 1970s and in the 2000s.

Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia
Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia
Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia

The stairway is interrupted by platforms, with sculptures and fountains, which make it look pretty irregular and full of details to discover.

Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia
Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia
Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia
Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia
Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia

Access to the famous Cafesjian Museum is along the stairway.

As of 2021, the complex is unfinished, still missing a planned building on top. The stairway offers a beautiful view of Yerevan, basically in its entirety. The panorama reaches to Turkey and mount Ararat.

Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia
Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia

Visiting

This is a highlight in town you won’t probably miss. A climb with a taxi to the top is recommended, descending the stairway instead of climbing it, especially on torrid summer days.

Mother Armenia & Victory Park, Yerevan

A unique sight in the former SSRs of the Caucasian area, the Mother Armenia statute is a typical relic of the Cold War, like you can find elsewhere in Russia or more rarely in the Soviet satellite countries of Eastern Europe.

The statue was born as a commemorative monument for the effort of the Armenian SSR in the Great Patriotic War. Having been designed soon after WWII, when Stalin was still the leader of the USSR, the monument was pretty different from now – a huge statue of Stalin used to stand on top of the huge pillar! This was removed in the early 1960s, being swapped with a nicer statue resembling an Armenian young woman, and titled ‘Mother Armenia’.

Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia

The base of the monument features a few decorations, based on typical Soviet iconography.

Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia

Around the monument, in what is called Victory Park, a few specimens of Soviet military technology are there to see. These include a few tanks, missiles and aircraft.

Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia

Ahead of the monument, an eternal flame is still lighted today (invisible in the pics due to the extreme sunlight). A majestic perspective leads to a balcony, from where you can enjoy a nice view of the Armenian capital city.

Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Armenia & Yerevan
Armenia & Yerevan
Armenia & Yerevan
Armenia & Yerevan
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia

The base of the statue is home to a war museum, conceived in Soviet times, and later updated with documents over the most recent  Armenian war actions.

The latter, including the countless clashes with Azerbaijan and Turkey, are documented on the much visited ground floor, besides the main hall.

Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia

A part on the same floor is dedicated to the actions of soldiers from the Armenian SSR in Soviet times, and more generally to the Cold War period.

Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia

Little or no attention is devoted by visitors to the rich collection on the underground floor, mostly centered on the actions of the Red Army against Hitler’s Wehrmacht in WWII.

Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia

Here the exhibition is very rich of relics from both the German and Russian sides, including weapons, papers, uniforms, … Several maps retrace the epic battles and actions, leading to the defeat of the German military machine.

Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia

Portraits of generals, insignia and mottoes in Russians, not limited to the actions in WWII, relive the genuine ‘Soviet remembrance’ feeling, to be appreciated also in similar museums like in Kiev (see here) or Moscow (see here).

Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia
Mother Armenia & Victory Park – Soviet Military Museum, Yerevan, Armenia

Visiting

Reaching Victory Park, where the monument is immersed, is easy with a taxi, or climbing uphill from downtown on top of the Cascade described previously. Visiting inside the monument is totally recommended for curious visitors, war history enthusiast and similar folks. Nothing can be found in a western language. A visit of about 45 minutes may suffice for a rich overview of the inside exhibition.

Railway Station, Matenadaran, Opera Theater & Other buildings in town, Yerevan

Soon after its annexation to the USSR, Armenia started receiving many prototypical items of Soviet architecture. However, like in the case of Republic Square (see above), some buildings were designed by local architects, including elements of traditional Armenian style.

A typically Soviet building in Yerevan is the Railway Station, dating from the 1950s, still featuring the emblem of the Armenian SSR on top of a tall spine, and double Russian/Armenian signs on top.

Erevan Soviet-style stalinist railway station with emblem – Armenia
Erevan Soviet-style stalinist railway station with emblem – Armenia
Erevan Soviet-style stalinist railway station with emblem – Armenia
Erevan Soviet-style stalinist railway station with emblem – Armenia
Erevan Soviet-style stalinist railway station with emblem – Armenia
Erevan Soviet-style stalinist railway station with emblem – Armenia
Erevan Soviet-style stalinist railway station with emblem – Armenia

An example of a blend between Armenian architecture and Soviet ‘magnificence’ is constituted by the Matenadaran, designed soon after WWII (Stalin’s era), to host a unique world-class collection of ancient books and papers.

Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia

This enigmatic building, despite of course imposing, is definitely not the usual Soviet ‘monster block’ like other museums elsewhere in Soviet capital cities.

Similarly peculiar is the Opera Theater, dating back again to the years of Stalin. Soviet pomp is scaled down to Armenian proportions, and the color of local stone makes the outcome different from buildings with a similar function in other communist capital cities.

Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia

Other examples of Soviet buildings can be found scattered in downtown Yerevan, which is generally speaking a nice-looking, neat city center. These include residential buildings, as well as hotels and more.

Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia
Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia
Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia

Even for more recent low-level, purely-‘communist style’ blocks, they put some effort in reducing the inevitable impact of these bulky constructions.

Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia
Yerevan weird architecture – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia
Yerevan Soviet-style stalinist buildings – Armenia

Visiting

With the exception of the railway station, located south of the city center, all sights just cited can be found in the very center of Yerevan, at a walking distance from one another, highlights along a nice stroll in the area.

Mikoyan Brothers Museum, Alaverdi

Besides the gorgeous monasteries gracing the area of Sanahin, in the northernmost part of Armenia, an unmissable destination in the area for seekers of Soviet relics and aviation enthusiasts is the home of the two Mikoyan brothers.

For aviation connoisseurs, the name ‘Mikoyan’ is one of the most prominent – the ‘M’ in the acronym ‘MiG’ being borrowed from the surname of Artem Mikoyan. This marvelous aircraft designer, whose design bureau grew to top fame in the Cold War period, created with his designs the backbone of the fighter force of the USSR and all its Eastern Bloc satellites. Some of his models have been manufactured in the highest numbers in aviation history, and have served in the Air Forces of the world for several decades. The firm remained alive well after the collapse of the USSR, until the (Russian) state-imposed incorporation of several aircraft design bureaus in a single conglomerate, in the early 2000s.

Possibly less-known today, but a really prominent personality in his era, and perhaps even more influential in recent history than his brother, was Anastas Mikoyan. This was a member of the Soviet Politburo since its foundation in the years of the civil war following the communist revolution in 1917, until 1965 – i.e. managing to stay on top for the entire length of Stalin’s and Khrushchev’s reigns, and resigning only some time after Brezhnev had taken the lead. He over-viewed production in the USSR, acted as an emissary to the US and Cuba in the years of the Kennedy administration, and especially during the missile crisis in 1962.

The two Mikoyan brothers were born in the small mountainous town of Alaverdi, Armenia, where a monument and museum was created back in Soviet times to commemorate their achievements.

The most notable feature, really an unexpected view in this mountain town, is a MiG-21 placed under a concrete canopy, with inscriptions nearby. This supersonic fighter is a true icon of the Cold War, and of course a good way to commemorate Artem Mikoyan’s contribution to aviation history.

Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia

The museum is housed in a small building, where visiting is with a guide (English speaking) and photography forbidden and impossible. Several artifacts, pictures and papers unfold the life of the two brothers, since their birth in this village until their respective rise to prominence and success.

An old Soviet car, likely belonging to one of the two (unclear), can be found in an adjoining building.

Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia

Despite a primary touristic destination, the area around Alaverdi and the town itself is (as of 2019) a prototype of post-Soviet decay, with a monster-size, partly abandoned factory building dominating the valley, and old-fashioned, shabby working-class blocks scattered along a road in poor conditions, where buses dating back to the Soviet middle-ages move people around.

Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia
Mikoyan MiG memorial – Alaverdi, Armenia

Visiting

Visiting the museum is recommended for all aviation enthusiasts and for those interested in the Cold War. The town is a tourist destination thanks to the beautiful monasteries. The museum and monument can be visited in less than 1 hour by a committed visitor.

Sights in Azerbaijan

Museum Center, Baku

One of the few prominent remains of Soviet Baku, the Museum Center has taken over the former building of the Lenin Museum, born in the the early 1960s to celebrate the achievements of communism in the USSR (?).

Today this relatively small building hosts several institutions, including a museum on the history of Azerbaijan. The latter includes many pics and smaller artifacts from older and more recent history. Among them, mock-ups of the famous statues in Berlin-Treptow (see here) as well as the one in Volgograd can be found. The museum covers also the contribution to the history of the country made by the influential Heydar Aliyev, a former member of the Soviet Politburo and first president of newborn Azerbaijan.

Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan

However, the Soviet roots of the building are clearly visible in the details of parts of the decoration, which include hammer and sickles on the facade as well as inside. The Soviet-neoclassic architecture of the exterior, and some evident miscalculations in the size of the stairs inside (the ceiling is embarrassingly low!), are other distinctive features of communist design.

Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan
Baku Museum Center Lenin Soviet Communist architecture, Azerbaijan

Visiting

Centrally located along the nice seaside park, this museum is worth a visit for the small art collection and for the history exhibit. Visiting may take about 45 minutes for the committed visitor.

Martyrs’ Lane and Shehidlar Monument, Baku

Despite not dating to the Cold War, this monument is strongly bound to the Soviet impact on the history of Azerbaijan – in particular, to the victims of Soviet military actions.

The annexation of Azerbaijan by hand of the Bolsheviks was fiercely opposed by the population, and many lost their lives trying to stop the attack of the communists. A first memorial for them was erected here, wiped out soon after when the Bolsheviks finally gained control of the area.

A small monument from Soviet time can be seen in the area, from the time of WWII.

Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan
Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan

A more recent episode in the closing stages of the Cold war, largely forgotten in the West, was the brief but bloody war fought by Azerbaijan against the agonizing USSR, which militarily invaded the region of Baku to prevent secession. Many were killed in the so-called Black January of 1990.

Today’s monument, made of an alley with graves and an eternal flame, is rather scenic but not excessively pompous.

Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan
Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan
Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan
Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan
Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan
Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan

The location is really gorgeous, with a stunning view of Baku and the gulf in the Caspian Sea, as well as of the iconic Flame Towers.

Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan
Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan
Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan
Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan
Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan

Visiting

Reaching is easy with the funicular starting from downtown Baku. Highly recommended for both the significance of the place and for the panorama.

House of Soviets & Other buildings

The government of the Azerbaijan SSR operated from a stately building, designed in a purely Soviet formal style, and completed under Stalin after WWII. A statue of Lenin originally ahead of the building was demolished following the independence war in 1990 and the secession from the USSR. The building still retains an official role, hosting some ministries of Azerbaijan.

In the peripheries of the pretty big town of Baku, more typically Soviet alleys, architectures… and cars can be easily found. These are in striking contrast with the hyper-futuristic architectures of the big central district, dominated by the iconic Flame Towers.

Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan
Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan
Shahidlar monument, Baku, Azerbaijan

Visiting

The House of the Soviets, now Government House, can be found in central Baku, along the nice seashore garden. For touring the outskirts of Baku, rich of interesting touristic destinations, a full-service taxi or a car rental are advised.

Sights in Georgia

Georgian Parliament Building, Tbilisi

The Parliament of Georgia was designed and built under Stalin, starting in the 1930s, as the seat of the government of the Georgian SSR. The formal appearance of the front facade is typically Soviet. A now empty medallion on top of the facade used to display the emblem of the SSR. This was destroyed following the clashes against the agonizing USSR which led to the independence of Georgia in 1991-92.

Visiting

A look to the outside is easy to take walking along very popular Shota Rustaveli avenue, a short walk from Liberty Square (formerly Lenin’s Square).

Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi

This world-class museum is dedicated to the history of the Georgian culture, and displays invaluable artifacts dating from all ages.

A small but pretty rich hall is dedicated to the bloody invasion of the Bolsheviks in 1921, which quickly destroyed the short-lived independent Georgian state. This had been created following the collapse of the Czarist empire as a result of WWI and the ensuing revolution/civil war in Russia.

The communist invaders did not waste any time, and openly persecuted all political opponents, quickly imprisoning and killing many in more instances.

The exhibition is centered on documents on both the sides of the independence movement and the invading communists.

Artifacts from the quick and bloody war of 1921 are on display, including guns, insignia, and more. The setting of the shooting of political opponents in a prison (similar to the one you can see in the KGB house in Riga, Latvia, see here) is reconstructed.

A particularly striking memorial is constituted by a train truck used for mass execution – bullet holes are clearly visible.

Visiting

Anybody with an interest in Georgian culture will hardly miss this wonderful museum. Visiting the hall dedicated to the communist attack and the installation of a  Soviet dictatorship will take just a part of the overall time devoted to the visit. The place is centrally located in front of the Parliament Building.

Mother of Georgia Statue & More buildings, Tbilisi

Georgia has got rid of most Soviet relics as quickly as possible. Elusive traces of Soviet architecture remain especially in Tbilisi. This gracious town is not dominated by any Soviet monstrosity, and with the exception of the Parliament Building (see above), buildings dating to the years of Soviet tenancy are blended among older and more modern ones, luckily sparing the town from the typical post-Soviet ghost aura.

The very central Lenin Square has been renamed into Independence Square, when the statue of Lenin gave way to that of St. George.

A nice addition from Soviet times is the Statue of Mother Georgia, from the late 1950s. The idea of gigantic statues was pretty popular in the Soviet Union and other communist countries, like Yugoslavia (see here). However, the nationalistic inspiration of Mother Georgia meant it was not torn down when the Nation gained independence.

A few buildings and decorations from Soviet times can still be found in Tbilisi – side by side with futuristic ones – as well as many cars from the Cold War era!

Batumi

A thriving holiday destination on the Black Sea, closely resembling Miami Beach, the contrast between old-Soviet and novel American-style buildings is sometimes striking in Batumi. International hotels are there side-by-side with old monster apartment blocks from Soviet times, now less visible thanks to the application of some architectural cosmetics.

The town is very lively and enjoyable, as a result of a serious effort to make it an international-level seashore location. Even Donald Trump has been reportedly involved for a while in the construction of a resort on site!

Besides older buildings, some from before the Soviet era, as well as some small-scale Soviet-style monuments are still there. Only rare examples of really shabby Brezhneva (‘Brezhnev-era housing’) can be found in more peripheral areas.

A former port town of the Czar, Batumi was the target of the young communist Stalin, who preached to the workers of the port, spreading the word of Marx in the early 1900s.

Visiting

A visit to Batumi may be for the nightlife, for the sea, or for the Gonio Fortress nearby. The place can be reached directly by plane, car or train.

Kutaisi

The central square of Kutaisi, the second largest town in Georgia and the seat of the Parliament, is centered around the Colchis Fountain, designed in a style similar to that of Mother of Georgia in Tbilisi (see above).

Around the square, the Drama Theater and an adjoining building are clearly built in a Soviet formal style.

Visiting

Easily reachable, the ancient town of Kutaisi may be visited for the many historical and natural attractions in town and around. It is totally easy to reach by plane, train or car.

Borjomi

The name ‘Borjomi’ is known everywhere in the territory of the former USSR, thanks to the water springs in town. The water label ‘Borjomi’ is still today the perfect analogous of ‘Perrier’ or ‘San Pellegrino’ for the western world, meaning a top-quality sparkling water.

Actually, this natural spring was discovered when Georgia was part of the Russian Empire, when Russian soldiers fighting against the Turks  were mysteriously healed from some belly sickness while stationed in the area. The place became famous all over Russia for the its springs. A railway was put in place to connect Borjomi to the rest of the Empire, and famous personalities like Tchaikovsky are celebrated among the illustrious visitors to this nice location in the mountains. This town is still today a popular destination for vacation, with top-level hotels, a theme park, and much nature around to be explored.

Besides some older buildings, dating from before the Soviet era, some others are typically Russian style, like the railway station. Original timetables in Russian are still on display.

Look at this pic from an old Soviet base in the former DDR, to see the name ‘Borjomi’ among the railway stops in Soviet times!

Visiting

Reaching secluded Borjomi is not difficult by train or car from Tbilisi, or from nearby Gori.

Great Patriotic War Museum, Gori

Besides Stalin’s birthplace and the corresponding museum (see this dedicated post), for more curious visitors many memorabilia items, documents and artifacts can be found in Gori, in a museum dedicated to the Great Patriotic War (i.e. WWII for the Soviets). A scaled-down museum totally like the one in Kiev or Moscow (see here and here respectively), this exhibition is centered on the role of the Georgian SSR in the fight against Hitler’s Wehrmacht during WWII.

Many documents and photographs make this exhibition very lively.

Rare German relics are displayed in dedicated cases.

Similarly interesting are various artifacts from WWII and the Cold War.

The local hero – Stalin – is of course celebrated with a dedicated wall sculpture, photographs, and more.

A part of the museum is actually a memorial.

The museum has been more recently updated, with some displays concerning the most recent actions of the Georgian Army.

A large commemoration monument from Soviet times, slightly modified after independence, can be found outside the museum, making it noticeable when passing by.

Visiting

This small but interesting museum is located at a minimal walking distance from Stalin’s birth house, but it is a separate entity from it. It can be easily found at the southern tip of the garden leading to Stalin’s house. The entrance can be spotted thanks to the wall monument ahead of it.

Tbilisi Automuseum, Tbilisi

A full immersion in the history of automobiles of the Eastern Bloc! This museum is a true must for 4-wheels enthusiasts. The collection is hosted in two hangars.

The larger one is stuffed with cars from several decades of the Cold War timeline.

Older Soviet cars from Stalin’s era sit side-by-side with more modern Chaikas.

Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection

Not only stately ‘official’ cars, unreachable for the general public, are on display.

Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection

Smaller Ladas and Zil, often license-built Russian versions of Italian FIAT cars, can be found – some in the colors of the Police or other services.

Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection

At the time of visiting (2019) at least one original Soviet Pobeda car could be boarded!

Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection

The second hangar hosts a few light military vehicles, and some motorcycles.

Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection
Tbilisi AutoMuseum Georgia Soviet Cars Collection

Visiting

Visiting this museum is definitely recommended for car enthusiast, Cold War fanatics and alike. Easy to reach with a car or by taxi, moving from downtown in the direction of the airport. Totally worth a detour from Tbilisi city center. Don’t be discouraged by the ‘industrial’ setting around when approaching this elusive location. The place is polished, and managed like a regular museum. Website here.

Plokstine – A Preserved Nuclear Missile Site in Lithuania

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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.

A Walk in Kiev – From Medieval Town to Post-Soviet Metropolis

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Founded as a trading post back in the 5th century in the Ostrogoth region on the far eastern border of the Roman Empire, Kiev later grew to become the capital of the first ‘Rus’ in early medieval times. The ‘Rus’ embraced a vast territory between todays Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Western Russia. Centuries later, after a war lost against the Mongols and having changed hands more than once, it finally became part of the Czarist Empire.

In Soviet times, Kiev was the capital of the second largest Socialist Republic of the Union, i.e. the Ukraine. This large and fertile land, not subject to the exceptionally harsh winters typical to the majority of Russian territories, features a long coast with several port towns on the Black Sea, and since the Bolshevik Revolution and the Russian Civil War, it accounted for a good share of the population and workforce of the USSR.

Despite being kept in great consideration by the Soviet central government for its economic and military value, the Ukraine was among the fiercest opponents of the Bolshevik revolution back in the years of Lenin and the Russian Civil War. Some top-ranking Soviet leaders actually came from this Country, but that it remained separated from Russia even in Soviet times was not just by chance.

As a matter of fact, after the collapse of the USSR, the Ukraine immediately left for independence, entering a very difficult transitional phase, which is basically still lasting today. The general weakness of all recent presidential administrations, the claims of ownership over the former national industries and natural resources by private owners, and substantial border controversies with Russia, have produced living conditions for the population which are much lower than for other ex-USSR countries like Russia, the Baltics or Belarus.

All these pieces of national history are reflected in Kiev, a very large city where you hear echoes from all the eras of its complicated past. This chapter presents a quick account of the highlights of Kiev’s heritage from older and newer times, providing also an impression of how this town is evolving today. Photographs were taken in spring 2018, and portray a bit of everything, from spectacular Orthodox temples to gigantic Soviet statues, cannons from WWII, the Chernobyl Museum, panorama views of the city and more!

Map

The map below shows the location of everything described or portrayed in this post.

Pictures were taken mostly in central Kiev, itself a pretty extensive area, served by public transport, but more quickly and efficiently explored by taxi. As of today (2019), the cost of life for a visiting westerner is incredibly low, so even taking a taxi for every shift is not inconceivable.

Of course, there are some parts of the central district which are interesting to explore by walk, and if you are a well-trained type you might simply spend your day walking from a destination to the other – getting a more complete view of the city center, and avoiding traffic jams which constantly plague the city.

I really enjoy driving, but in Kiev I would not suggest moving around with a car on your own, cause traffic is really a nightmare, traffic flows are fuzzy and chaotic, so you may be easily wasting your time, letting aside the chance of accidents and damage to your car.

The central districts appear reasonably safe, so you may relax and move around by foot, taking all the pictures.

Navigate this post – click on links to scroll

Sights

Saint Sophia’s Cathedral

If you want to start you exploration with a true masterpiece, then head directly to the very central Saint Sophia’s Cathedral. This glorious church and monastery founded around the year 1000 AD was renewed and modified over the centuries, but the main features of the central church have remained basically unaltered since its origin.

Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Architecture Panorama
Kiev Architecture Panorama

Access to the monastery grounds are via the tall bell tower. You can also climb upstairs, very much advised to enjoy a very good view of Kiev’s central districts, including the nearby church of Saint Michael.

Kiev Saint Michael
Kiev Saint Michael
Kiev Saint Sophia Panorama
Kiev Saint Sophia Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama Government
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama Government
Kiev Architecture Panorama
Kiev Architecture Panorama
Kiev Architecture Panorama
Kiev Architecture Panorama
Kiev Architecture Panorama
Kiev Architecture Panorama
Kiev Architecture Panorama
Kiev Architecture Panorama

Looking farther, you can appreciate the size of the outskirts of the city, which is really extensive. The typical Soviet/post-Soviet amenity of the most peripheral districts is readily apparent. There is also a plant looking like an oil power plant, with giant red and white chimneys, right in town.

Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama

The majestic river Dnepr can be barely seen from here, looking east.

From the outside the church in the monastery – resembling the plan of Saint Sophia’s Cathedral in Constantinople – is a masterpiece, but the mosaics inside are really unmissable.

Kiev Saint Sophia Cathedral Monastery
Kiev Saint Sophia Cathedral Monastery
Kiev Saint Sophia Cathedral Monastery
Kiev Saint Sophia Cathedral Monastery
Kiev Saint Sophia Cathedral Monastery
Kiev Saint Sophia Cathedral Monastery
Kiev Saint Sophia Cathedral Monastery
Kiev Saint Sophia Cathedral Monastery
Kiev Saint Sophia
Kiev Saint Sophia

Unfortunately, taking pictures inside is strictly forbidden (many guards around).

Saint Andrew’s Church & Ministry of Foreign Affairs

A quick detour to the east from the alley connecting Saint Sophia’s to Saint Michael’s Cathedral, Saint Andrew’s Cathedral is a nice example of Czarist Rococo style. Unfortunately the church was undergoing renovation inside at the time of my visit.

Kiev Saint Andrew Cathedral
Kiev Saint Andrew Cathedral
Kiev Saint Andrew Cathedral
Kiev Saint Andrew Cathedral

On the way from Saint Andrew’s Cathedral to Saint Michael’s Cathedral you can find a Soviet monolith, today the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The building, with a line of prominent columns aligned ahead of the façade, was built over a terrain formerly part of Saint Michael’s Monastery.

Kiev Ministry of Foreign Affairs Soviet Architecture
Kiev Ministry of Foreign Affairs Soviet Architecture
Kiev Ministry of Foreign Affairs Soviet Architecture
Kiev Ministry of Foreign Affairs Soviet Architecture

Saint Michael’s Cathedral

This beautiful church, with distinctive golden domes, was reconstructed in its baroque form in the late 1990s, after it had been completely demolished in the 1930s, among the darkest hours of Stalin’s communist dictatorship. The ancient mosaics which adorned the original church, dating back to the Byzantine period, were transferred to major museums of the USSR before demolition took place.

Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Sophia Monastery
Kiev Saint Sophia Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery

The accurate reconstruction work has produced a beautiful ensemble, with a church in the middle, a tower over the main gate, and several smaller buildings. The contrast between the blue façade walls and the golden roof produces a very nice chromatic effect.

Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery
Kiev Saint Michael Monastery

Friendship of Nations Monument

Descending towards the river from Saint Michael’s Cathedral, you soon reach an artery of the city called Kreshchatyy, and a typical soviet building – the Ukrainian House, today a congress center. This artery leads to the central Independence Square.

Kiev Ukrainian House Congress Center
Kiev Ukrainian House Congress Center
Kiev Ukrainian House Congress Center Kreshchatyy
Kiev Ukrainian House Congress Center Kreshchatyy

Next to the Ukrainian House you can find the head of short promenade leading to a balcony with a gorgeous view of the Dnepr. Going there, you pass under an arch, framing some sculptures including a – strangely – moderate soviet memorial, the Friendship of Nations Monument.

Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument

The size of the Dnepr is impressive. The balcony is a vantage point for a panorama view of the northern and eastern districts of Kiev.

Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama Dnepr River
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama Dnepr River
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Friendship of Nations Soviet Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama Dnepr River
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama Dnepr River
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama Dnepr River
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama Dnepr River

Governmental District

Taking to the south from the Friendship of Nations Monument you get access to an extensive city park. Immersed in this park are the residence of the President of the Ukraine – Marijnsky Palace. This is a fancy blue and cream palace, with a nice Italian-style garden ahead of it. It is still working, so it is usually off-limits for tourists. A great panorama to the east can be seen from besides the palace.

Kiev Marijnsky Palace Presidential Residence Ukraine
Kiev Marijnsky Palace Presidential Residence Ukraine
Kiev Marijnsky Palace Presidential Residence Ukraine
Kiev Marijnsky Palace Presidential Residence Ukraine
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama River Dnepr
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama River Dnepr
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama River Dnepr
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama River Dnepr
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama River Dnepr
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama River Dnepr
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama River Dnepr
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama River Dnepr
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama River Dnepr
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama River Dnepr
Kiev Soviet Architecture Dynamo Stadium
Kiev Soviet Architecture Dynamo Stadium

Next to the presidential residence you can find the small Parliament Building.

Kiev Parliament Ukraine
Kiev Parliament Ukraine
Kiev Soviet Hotel International Kijv
Kiev Soviet Hotel International Kijv
Kiev Soviet Hotel International Kijv
Kiev Soviet Hotel International Kijv
Kiev Soviet Hotel International Kijv
Kiev Soviet Hotel International Kijv
Kiev Soviet Hotel International Kijv
Kiev Soviet Hotel International Kijv

On the border of the park you can find the International Hotel Kiev, part of the soviet heritage. The park is pointed with many soviet statues and memorials, as well. To southern end of the park you meet the area of the old arsenal. The metro stop there resembles some of the stations in Moscow.

Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument
Kiev Soviet Architecture Monument

Further south you come to  what is probably one of the most popular area among tourists, you meet more soviet buildings, including old soviet hotels.

Monument to the Unknown Soldier

The southern end of the governmental district is marked by the nice area on top of a cliff rapidly descending to the river. Here you will find the sober Monument to the Unknown Soldier. The focus of the monument is an obelisk with an eternal flame nearby. Access to the obelisk is via an alley with commemorative slabs along the sides.

Kiev Monument to Unknown Soldier
Kiev Monument to Unknown Soldier
Kiev Monument to Unknown Soldier
Kiev Monument to Unknown Soldier
Kiev Monument to Unknown Soldier
Kiev Monument to Unknown Soldier
Kiev Monument to Unknown Soldier
Kiev Monument to Unknown Soldier
Kiev Monument to Unknown Soldier
Kiev Monument to Unknown Soldier
Kiev Monument to Unknown Soldier

The obelisk is constantly guarded by the military. The area is quiet and nice to stay. The panorama to the east is again really gorgeous.

Kiev Unknown Soldier Panorama
Kiev Unknown Soldier Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Soviet Architecture Panorama
Kiev Unknown Soldier Panorama

Immediately south of the obelisk, it is possible to see a monument to the victims of the Holodomor Genocide. This was a famine intentionally caused by Stalin in the year 1933, in support of the industrial development plans. By conveying all the food to the cities with industrial plants, and simultaneously prohibiting any movement to Soviet citizens among districts within the Union, Stalin and the Soviet Government set the stage for one of the worst famines in European history, causing millions of victims among farmers and the rural population. The rural population of the Ukraine was among the most hit by this move.

Kiev Holodomor Genocide Memorial
Kiev Holodomor Genocide Memorial
Kiev Holodomor Genocide Memorial
Kiev Holodomor Genocide Memorial
Kiev Holodomor Genocide Memorial
Kiev Holodomor Genocide Memorial

Pecerska Lavra Monastery

This is probably the best known monument in Kiev. This immense monastic complex is basically a citadel, with several churches scattered over a large area descending towards the river. Besides the churches, it is possible to find several buildings with refectories, dorms and more, plus an incredible museum with some incredible treasures from ancient times.

The churches date from different epochs, and some have been altered over the years. The most prominent, nearby the entrance, is in baroque style, with a tall tower ahead of it.

Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery

The size of the monastery is really striking, and it is very lively, with religious services and related activities often taking place.

Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery

The archaeological museum with its golden treasure is surprisingly rich and valuable.

Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery Museum Treasure
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery Museum Treasure
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery Museum Treasure
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery Museum Treasure
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery Museum Treasure
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery Museum Treasure
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery Museum Treasure
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery Museum Treasure

A less usual feature of the monastery is an Orthodox church dating from the late Czarist age, late 19th-early 20th century. It reflects the typical innovative style of the time, without departing from the classical subjects of the Orthodox iconography.

Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery

One of the most famous features of the Lavra is the catacomb with the mommies of the monks. This is really impressive, cause the tunnels are very narrow and dark, and you go there with a small candle. Taking pictures is strictly forbidden, and technically very difficult, due to the low light of the place.

Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery
Kiev Pecerska Lavra Monastery

Looking south from the beautiful area of the Pecerska Lavra Monastery, you can spot the most prominent Soviet monument in Kiev – the Motherland Monument.

The Local Conflicts Museum

Accessing the area dominated by the immense statue to the Motherland from north, you find some damaged military vehicles. These are Russian vehicles requisitioned by the Ukrainian military in the course of the recent tensions which led to the annexation of the Crimea – a former Ukrainian territory – by Russia. The vehicles on display are Russian-made and Russian-operated relics, found on Ukrainian soils.

Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War Motherland
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War Motherland
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum Russian Aggression
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum Russian Aggression
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum Russian Aggression
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum Russian Aggression
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War

As the explanatory panels tell you, they are a proof of unauthorized military actions carried out by Russian troops on the territory of the Ukraine. As of today, the Ukraine and Russia are not openly fighting, but they are not friends.

Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum

The Local Conflicts Museum is actually a wonderful collection of military vehicles, tanks, cannons, missiles, a few aircraft and even a submarine and an armored train. They are all from the Soviet weapons arsenal, and despite the name of the museum, there is even a ballistic missile among them.

The collection is split in two parts. One is on display over an apron which can be freely accessed. In this part you can see a few classic Soviet tank designs, rocket launchers and an attack helicopter Mil Mi-24.

Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum

The second part is located nearby, but it is somewhat more secluded, and can be accessed only with a small fee. Here you meet first a few aircraft, including a Lisunov Li-2, a license-built Soviet copy of the Douglas C-47.

Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile

There are a few attack aircraft from various ages (you can find many more in the beautiful air museum in Kiev, see here, a must-see for every aviation enthusiast), but what will probably capture your attention is a mighty SS-4 Sandal missile. This strategic missile type, also known as R-12 in the Soviet inventory, was the key element of the Cuban crisis. Before that, its deployment was planned in the last years of the Eisenhower administration also in the German Democratic Republic (see here). This was a major asset for the USSR in the years of the Kennedy administration, and was deployed in large numbers within the borders of the Soviet Union – preferably next to the borders, due its relatively limited range (see here).

Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile

Nearby the missile, you can find its launch gantry, which was anchored to the ground through a metal crown. This is what you find in todays Germany, the scant traces of the planned deployment of this system out of the USSR (see here). Another exemplar of this iconic missile with its gantry tower can be found in an excellent museum close to Minsk, Belarus (see here).

An impressive array of cannons with different calibers, a small submarine and an armored railway car with turrets – a similar one can be found in the Parola Tank Museum in Finland (official website here).

Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile

Also on display is a tactical nuclear missile with its movable canister truck.

Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile
Kiev Local Conflicts Museum War Soviet Cold War WWII Missile

Motherland Statue

This iconic statue is actually one of the youngest WWII monumental memorials of the USSR. Despite being planned soon after the end of the Great Patriotic War in the early Cold War period, it was not until the early 1980s that this metal colossus was built and inaugurated, at the presence of the then-Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War

The statue stands on a very nice natural stage, on top of a cliff dominating a wide panorama with river Dnepr in the middle.

Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War Motherland
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War Motherland
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Panorama
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Panorama
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial

The area around the monument forms a WWII memorial. There is provision for a big eternal flame, which despite the name is not constantly operating due to the massive gas flow needed for feeding it. Scattered around are some interesting groups of sculptures celebrating the efforts and the final victory of the USSR in WWII.

Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War
Kiev Monument Victory Soviet Statue Gigantic Patriotic War

The foundations of the Motherland Statue host a nice crypt with the names of thousands of soldiers and civilians fallen in the battles over the Ukrainian territory during the Great Patriotic War (which is WWII for the USSR).

Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum

Besides the slabs with the names carved in them, there is very nice and sober mosaic decoration on the ceiling.

Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum

You can get access to the crypt visiting the Ukrainian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War.

Ukrainian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Similar to other museums dedicated to the Soviet actions in WWII you can find in Moscow and Minsk, this collection is a true must-see for anybody with an interest in the topic. The museum right under the Motherland Statue, with access from the front of the monument (official website here). In the case of the museum in Kiev, the totally Soviet construction adds to the value, with red stone and bronze lamps and ceiling decoration adding to the atmosphere.

Before you get access to the original collection, you can see in the hall of the museum, and in a few small rooms nearby the entrance, material from the recent Russian-Ukrainian confrontation.

Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum

The original collection is on two floors. There are uniforms, flags, many weapons, military gear, personal diaries, maps, passports and military papers. What is especially striking is the abundance of German material from the time, with tons of swastikas, Nazi insignia, original uniforms and more.

Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum

There is a small collection of rare Nazi daggers. Other interesting items include an Italian-issued certificate of merit, given to a Soviet soldier fighting in the Italian resistance movement.

Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum

There are clearly also many Soviet artifacts from the time, including original newspapers, books autographed by Stalin, and more. There is also the wreck of a downed Soviet aircraft.

Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum

On the top floor you get access to the collection through a monumental wall with metal sculptures.

Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum

Further Nazi and Soviet gear, uniforms, medals and papers are on display here. There is a diorama portraying the battle of Berlin, and even some Japanese war material – the USSR fought against the Japanese Empire especially in the months between the collapse of the Third Reich and the end of WWII in 1945.

Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum

Before you come to the crypt under the Motherland Statue (described above) in the dome on top of the museum, you can visit also a more modern commemorative display, with black and white pictures of people involved in the war.

Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum
Kiev WWII Great Patriotic War Memorial Museum

Independence Square

This is the geographical and symbolic center of Kiev. This large square is crossed by a major road, with massive Soviet apartment or office buildings, which splits it in two.

Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Maidan Square
Kiev Independence Maidan Square
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan

On one side there are a few similar buildings creating a curved theatrical set. Looking closer, they are adorned with Soviet iconography, hence probably dating back to Stalin’s years. You may also notice they are not so well-kept – this applies in general to all buildings around the square, producing a strange ‘disorder feeling’.

Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan

There are traces of an original gate, from older times and misaligned with respect to the main axis of the square.

On the other side, the square is dominated by the monster Soviet building of Hotel Ukraine. This is preceded by a kind of modern mall, flanked by classical buildings probably dating back to an older era.

Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan

The district around the square is rich of older – pre-Soviet – buildings, making for an interesting stage for a relaxed walk.

Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Independence Square Maidan
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture
Kiev Independence Maidan Square
Kiev Independence Maidan Square

To the south of the square you can find a group of particularly striking examples of Art Nouveau from the late 19th-early 20th century. Some of them are really world-class masterpieces, like the famous Chimera House, with sea monsters, animals and various strange creatures haunting the house.

Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House
Kiev Nouveau Liberty Architecture Chimera House

Golden Gate

A few minutes walking from Independence Square you can find the so-called Golden Gate, which is a reconstruction of one of the medieval gates of the city. The appearance of Kiev was greatly altered following its evolution in the centuries, leading to the disappearance of the walls and gates of the ancient city. The famous Mussorgsky theme closing the Paintings of an Exhibition is dedicated to the ‘Gate of Kiev’ – this monuments provides an idea of the real size an shape of such a gate.

Kiev Monument Gate Great
Kiev Monument Gate Great
Kiev Monument Gate Great
Kiev Monument Gate Great
Kiev Soviet Architecture
Kiev Soviet Architecture
Kiev Soviet Architecture
Kiev Soviet Architecture
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Architecture

In the district around the monument there are examples of buildings from many ages and architectural styles. Soviet emblems are featured on many facades.

Chernobyl National Museum

Kiev is located less than 70 miles from Chernobyl power-plant. As a secondary effect of the increased popularity of Chernobyl as a tourist destination – as a result of the recent encapsulation of the ill-fated plant into a hi-tech protective armor increasing safety for visitors – Kiev has become a crossroads for international tourists.

The Chernobyl National Museum (official website here) has the function of a documents center for the accident, with rare artifacts taken away from the exclusion zone, papers and recordings from the time of the accident (1986), models of the power-plant and the contaminated area, and more.

Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum

Among the weirdest items on display, some specimen of mutated plants and trees, a mommy of a mutated animal, and photographs of similar subjects.

Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum

Another area of the museum is actually a memorial for those who perished, suffered a severe health condition or were deported for safety reasons after the accident. The latter happened to a number of smaller villages, including the now well-known Pripyat, which has turned into one of the largest ghost towns in the world.

Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum

There is also a quick pictorial overview of the Fukushima accident.

Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum
Kiev Chernobyl Museum

The district where the museum is located, north of Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, features several old-fashioned and classical buildings from pre-Soviet times, and Art Nouveau buildings as well.

Kiev Architecture
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Mohyla
Kiev Mohyla
Kiev Mohyla
Kiev Mohyla
Kiev Mohyla
Kiev Mohyla
Kiev Mohyla
Kiev Mohyla
Kiev Andriivsky Descent
Kiev Andriivsky Descent
Kiev Andriivsky Descent
Kiev Andriivsky Descent
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Andriivsky Descent
Kiev Andriivsky Descent
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Architecture
Kiev Architecture

Yet some Soviet monsters are scattered around the district, like market buildings and university buildings – don’t forget Kiev used to be a capital of a Soviet Republic!

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.

Surrender Sites of Nazi Germany – Reims & Berlin-Karlshorst

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Differently from what one is usually taught in schools, World War II in Europe did not stop in one moment with the death by suicide of the Führer, on April 30th, 1945.

As soon as the advancing Western Allies established strongpoints within the original borders of Germany – as these had been before the war – in 1945 the chain of command in Germany began to vacillate. Rumors about contacts between top-ranking Nazi officials and the SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force) have lived to this day, and they are reasonable even though not well documented – as a matter of fact, Hitler dismissed both Göring and Himmler just before his death, on account of unauthorized contacts with ‘the enemy’, promoting Admiral Dönitz to the rank of president of Germany.

The understandable confusion of those days at the ‘top of the pyramid’ is reflected by the local autonomous surrender of substantial parts of the German armed forces around Europe, against the will of the Führer, and even before his death. Literally millions of soldiers were disarmed on both fronts in April 1945, and the process culminated in the surrender of all German forces in Italy on April 29th, the day before Hitler’s death.

The new German president Dönitz acted with the same authority of the Führer in the last stormy days of the collapsing Nazi rule, early May 1945. Under Dönitz’s mandate, between the 1st and 7th of May 1945 some separate surrenders took place, including all German forces in Austria, North-West Germany, Holland, Denmark, Berlin – who surrendered to the Soviets -, Mecklenburg and Pommern north of Berlin, and Bavaria. The German navy ceased war operations on May 5th, by direct order of admiral Dönitz.

All this preceded the ‘official’, authorized, unconditional surrender which was signed on behalf of acting president Dönitz separately by General Jödl in the headquarters of the Expeditionary Force in Reims in the early hours of May 7th, and by Feldmarschall Keitel in Berlin-Karlshorst on May 8th, in presence of General Zhukov of the Red Army. The capitulation called for quitting all military operations at 23:01 CET, May 8th. Both of the signers were arrested soon after, as were Dönitz, Göring and other top German players of the war in Europe.

Today, the two locations where the unconditional surrender(s) were signed are open for visitors. The following photographs were taken during visits in 2015 and 2016.

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Reims – Musée de la Reddition

The headquarters of the SHAEF where the ‘instrument of surrender’ was signed on the western front occupied the building of a high school.

Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims

Today, the building has returned to its original function, but a small part of it with the original room and table have been preserved inside of a museum on-site. The walls of the room are covered with original maps from the time, resembling how it looked like in 1945.

Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi Germany Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi Germany Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi Germany Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi Germany Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi Germany Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi Germany Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi Germany Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi Germany Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi Germany Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi Germany Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims

Other rooms are packed with showcases, where you can see many items, including an official copy of the document signed by Jödl, authenticated by Dönitz, uniforms, original flags and other memorabilia.

Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Reims

The museum is rather small, and can be toured in about 30 minutes at most. This excludes the video presentation, which I had not the chance to watch.

Getting there and moving around

The historical place is located to the north of the city center in Reims, very close to the railway station. The exact address is 12 Rue du Président Franklin Roosevelt, 51100 Reims. There is chance of public parking nearby. If you parked somewhere else for visiting historical Reims, I suggest not moving your car, as the museum can be easily reached with a short 5 minutes walk from Porte de Mars, right on the northern edge of the center. Website here.

Berlin-Karlshorst – Deutsch-Russisches Museum

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Soon after the end of the war and the division of Berlin, with the district of Berlin-Karlshorst falling under Soviet rule, the Soviets converted the building where the capitulation was signed for hosting their headquarters. After the birth of the communist German Democratic Republic (GDR) at the end of the Forties, the place was turned into a museum.

Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst

Besides the very room where the document was signed, you can find some dioramas dating back to the first years of the museum, as well as a specifically designed foyer and a stained glass window portraying the statue of the Soviet Soldier in Treptower Park – dating from the same late Stalin’s era.

Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst

More recently, the museum has been refurbished and enlarged with very interesting and well prepared exhibits, including many memorabilia items, findings and relics not only from the events of May 1945, but more in general from WWII and the less known eastern front.

Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst
Nazi German Surrender Museum Capitulation Berlin Karlshorst

Compared to the museum in Reims, this is much broader and richer, going well beyond the preservation of the room and the evocation of the last stage of the war.

Getting there and moving around

The museum is in a nice residential area in southern Berlin. This is not a touristic area, so you’d better go there only if you are interested in this specific museum, cause there is not much else to see. Yet if you are interested in WWII and especially to the eastern front, I would say this absolutely a must – all in all, there is not so much information in the touristic areas of Berlin about WWII, so this might fill the gap.

Anyway, the exact location is Zwieseler Strasse 4. This can be reached with bus 296 from the S-3 station Karlshorst or from U5 stop Tierpark. Alternatively, from S-3 Karlshorst it is a walk of about ten minutes. Finally, if you are going by car – the most convenient way – there is a parking right in front of the building. Website here.