Mezaine

Coordinates: 56°43′00″N 21°59′00″E / 56.716667°N 21.983333°E / 56.716667; 21.983333
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Skrunda-1
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Mežaine
Militārais poligons Mežaine
Raņķi, Latvia
Mežaine is located in Latvia
Mežaine
Mežaine
Coordinates56°43′00″N 21°59′00″E / 56.716667°N 21.983333°E / 56.716667; 21.983333
Typemilitary training area
Site history
Built2022 (2022)
Built byLatvia
Garrison information
Garrison4th Brigade of Latvian National Guard

Mezaine, officially Military training area Mežaine (

collapse of the Soviet Union the radar stations were torn down and the buildings abandoned. It has been repurposed for use in urban warfare
training.

Soviet military installation

In the 1960s, two Soviet Dnepr radar (NATO designation "Hen House") installations were constructed at the site near the town of

ICBMs.[2]

Pursuant to an agreement On the Legal Status of the Skrunda Radar Station During its temporary Operation and Dismantling, signed by Latvia and Russia on 30 April 1994,

Baranovichi in Belarus became operational. Riga rejected these requests, and the radar was verified closed on 4 September 1998 by an inspection team from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.[5][6]

Former Daryal radar receiver

On 4 May 1995 US demolition experts razed a 19-story tower, which housed a former Soviet

US dollars for the destruction performed by Controlled Demolition, Inc.[7]

In a joint New Year 1998 statement, the presidents of

troops from the region, as Russia had promised four years prior in 1994.[citation needed] All materials of value were removed from the site and transported back to Russia when the last Russian troops left that year; the 60 buildings that comprised the former complex and town, including apartment blocks, a school, barracks and an officers club, were abandoned but left standing.[8]
The buildings, in increasing disrepair, were still standing in 2010.

Ghost town

The ghost town in 2016

The

USD; 211,000 EUR).[10] The winning bid was by Russian firm Alekseevskoye-Serviss for 1.55 million lats (3.1[11] million USD; 2.2 million EUR). The auction, which lasted two hours, was also contested by another Russian firm, as well as a bidder from Azerbaijan.[12]

The winning bidder pulled out of the auction, as did the runner up.[13] The town was reauctioned in June 2010 for only 170,000 Lats.[14]

In 2015 the site was bought by Skrunda Municipality for €12,000 (14192.4$). Around half the area was transferred to the Latvian National Armed Forces as a training ground. The remainder is to be leased by the local government with the stipulation that potential investors develop the area economically.[15][16] Demolition of selected derelict buildings has since commenced.[17]

From February 2016 in response to increased interest at the site, the municipality began charging an entrance fee of 4 euros for individuals.[18] As of 21 October 2018 the ghost town was closed for visitors.

References

  1. ^ "Aizsardzības ministrs atklās pārbūvēto mācību kompleksu militārajā poligonā "Mežaine"". Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  2. S2CID 122901563. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 2012-03-15.
  3. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia. 24 March 2004. Archived
    from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  4. ISBN 978-81-8205-140-9
    .
  5. ISBN 978-90-411-1677-2
    .
  6. ISBN 978-90-411-0372-7
    .
  7. ^ "LATVIA: SKRUNDA: DEMOLITION OF 19 STOREY TOWER". Associated Press, AP Archive 04/05/1995 04:00 AM. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  8. ^ "For sale: bargain missile warning station, no mod cons". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 February 2010. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  9. ^ "Soviet ghost town for sale". Irish Independent. 6 February 2010. Archived from the original on 24 October 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  10. ^ "Latvia auctions off Soviet military ghost town". AFP. 5 February 2010. Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  11. ^ Koksarovs, Romans; Peach, Gary (5 February 2010). "Latvian ghost town auctioned off for $3.1 million". AP. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  12. ^ Dahl, James (6 February 2010). "Latvia sells entire town for €2.2 million". Baltic Reports. Archived from the original on 16 February 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  13. ^ "Latvijoje buvęs karinis Skrundos miestelis parduotas už 170 tūkstančių latų (nuotraukos)". 15min.lt. 5 June 2010. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  14. ^ "Former Skrunda army base auctioned off for LVL 170,000". The Baltic Course. 6 June 2010. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  15. ^ "Local government to purchase military ghost town". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 16 January 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  16. ^ "Ghost town finds use as military training ground". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 22 July 2015. Archived from the original on 30 January 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  17. ^ "Skrundas lokatora pilsētiņā uzsākta militāro būvju demontāža". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 14 January 2016. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  18. DELFI. 4 February 2016. Archived
    from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mezaine&oldid=1171549896#Skrunda-1"