16th March in Latvia

[Peerkons]

As every year, also this year people marched towards Freedom Monument to hounour Latvian leggionaires who fought communism. This year about 3000 people participated in the march. This date always causes agressive discussions between Latvian nationalists and russian kremlin brainwashed chauvinists.
I made some photos but I will post them later, as I am in Germany now and don´t have my computer here.
For those who don't know what this is -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_Legion_Day

[youtube]3qELxloYc6w[/youtube]
5:50 you can see how average - disgusting russian youngster attack and spit on old Latvian lady.

Propaganda of modern day Russia, name-calling Latvian Legion soldiers “Nazis” and accusing them of “crimes against humanity” (what even Soviet propaganda in the times of highest might of the USSR was not taking liberty to do), keeps telling, that International Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal would have declared Baltic soldiers, fighting on the German side during WWII against Soviet Red Army, war criminals.

Though, as it often happens with the Russian (and formerly Soviet) mass media - the truth is considerably different. Yes, indeed, Latvian Legion soldiers had their place in Nuremberg, but in a role that is quite different from what Russian mass produced disinformation is trying to depict.

Everybody has seen soldiers with white helmets and white gloves standing along the walls in Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal hall. They are Americans. But only few know, that people dressed in similar uniforms - former Latvian and Estonian legionaries - were guarding imprisoned Nazis and securing facilities of Allied army.

Let us see what photographic images of the time and contemporaries do tell us.

"In 1946 next to English and American armies there were founded so called Guard companies. (The first one was called Viesturs company.) Legionaries were recognized as units in no way connected to the crimes of SS.” “Four companies (approx. 1000 men), including Viesturs company, in 1947 took over the guard at the Nuremberg Palace of Justice (!) and the prison!” “At their sleeves and later at their helmets there were the red-white-red national colors of Latvia” “Besides it shall be taken into account, that attitude of Allied authorities to the Nazi war criminals was very serious and consistent”. [1]

”References about the Baltic soldiers were good[...]. Almost all "viesturians" were former legionaries, therefore soldier drilling was not required, only “americanised” military code had to be adjusted to. [...] Officers and soldiers of the company were on garrison duty in several cities of Germany (from spring 1947 - were also on guard in Nuremberg Palace of Justice and the prison).” [2]

"Paramilitary units of Latvians and Estonians in Germany were also working at the Nuremberg Trials (1947 - 1949), where they were guarding war criminals. [...] guard posts were located not only at the perimeter of the Palace of Justice, but also at the doors to the cells. Baltic guards were escorting inmates to the walking areas and to the interrogations. [...] Only two functions at the Nuremberg Trials were performed by American military police: escort of inmates in the court hall and to the execution (hanging).” “When Berlin crisis took place and airlift for supply of West Berlin started to operate, viesturians were transferred to the forests near the border to secure the most important field storages of the USA Army. After that Latvian guards were transferred to the surroundings of Stuttgart to guard USA Army corps headquarters".[3]

[Peerkons]

http://www.lettia.lv/en_a_baigais-gads.html

Horrible Year, 1940-1941
Section: History - 2006-04-14/2006-10-31
Still not sufficiently studied and documented is the period from summer 1940 to summer 1941 in Latvia, that has become known as "The Horrible Year"*. Still both domestic and international community is lacking complete and systematic information about this period, when, after the “liberation” of Latvia brought about by Soviet tanks, a new regime was vigorously being established under control of former Communist underground and bolshevization “specialists” from USSR, until attack of the Germany on USSR put an end to it.

The Soviet occupation culminated on 14 June, 1941 when a mass deportation of civilians from Latvia to distant areas of the Soviet Union took place. A total of 15,424 persons, according to latest figures, were arrested and sent away in boxcars unsuited for human transportation. Among those deported were minor children and babies, most of whom died on the way or from cold or malnutrition in their settlement areas in Siberia. Many civilians were brutally executed in Riga and many other places after the beginning of the war between Germany and Soviet Union, 22 June 1941, as the Red Army retreated in disarray. [1]

(Jump to images>>)

Now there are suggestions to publish a new comprehensive and illustrative study, in order to fill in the white spots created artificially during Soviet years for this particular historical period.

One of the historians who is proposing to publish the comprehensive report about the Horrible Year is Dr. hist. Austra Mierina. She also writes:

[...] among those 25 brutally murdered victims, who found their terrible death in cheka** of Ludza town from 21 June to 2 July 1941 and whose mutilated corpses were found near Greizais hill in vicinity of Selekova village, was also my father's brother Aleksandrs Mierins. As interrogation record of 2 July shows it, his only “crime” was his membership in Aizsargi*** organization.

What crime against Soviet rule could have committed farmer T., who owned only 3 ha of land, but who was arrested on 21 June and found mutilated on 27 June near Greizais hill (tongue cut off, intestines pulled out through his mouth). Also remains of the last victims were found mutilated in the manner typical for cheka officers: arms and legs broken out, fingernails pulled off, tongues, ears and other body parts cut off. [2]

So far a book “Baigais gads” (“Horrible Year”), published in Riga during German occupation in 1942, has been an important source of visual information. The book clearly is a propaganda material produced in the notorious spirit of Third Reich's extreme antisemitism exaggerated to grotesque, nevertheless, if one leaves the text aside, the photographic images contained in the book serve as a valuable historical material by themselves.

The photos were taken right after the retreat of Communists, to document their atrocities. Corpses were inspected by commission consisting of judge for especially important cases Snikvalds, vice-prosecutor Silins, investigation judge Grantskalns, director of scientific justice expertise institute Berzins, expert Suta, Riga district medicine doctor Ciemins, justice medicine doctor Kocers, head of Riga district police colonel-lieutenant Veide, under supervision of Riga District court prosecutor Zutis, with participation of director general of interior affairs of Latvia self-governance general Dankers. [3]

Soviet Communist regime was not so active in making photographic and cinematographic documents of its crimes itself as the Nazional Socialist regime was, besides, being the victor in its part of the world, it had unlimited time and opportunities for hiding all their traces. Probably a lot of other dramatic documents are kept secure today in the archives of Russia. As we know, availability of Russian archives, after short improving during Yeltsin's presidency, is again diminishing and the old Soviet tradition of denial and secrecy is returning. Therefore even more cynical seem the Russian accusations of East European countries of attempts to “rewrite history” - the propaganda term for attempts to find out the truth buried behind the wall of disinformation and silence built by the Communist regime over half of the century.

As even mentioning of the book “Horrible Year” in certain circles, sharing political radical leftist sentiment, triggers hysterical hatred and immediate accusations of “antisemitism” and “rehabilitation of Nazism”, it would be appropriate to quote:

Supreme prosecutor Uldis Pauls Strelis of Department for investigation of totalitarian regimes and crimes of General prosecutor's office has admitted to news agency LETA that the the book “Horrible Year” describes events verified during the trial of Alfons Noviks, who was found guilty of genocide, and, if anyone questions the credibility of events, Riga regional court archive has the ruling for this case. [4]

Investigation of the crimes of Communist regime in Latvia was started already by prosecutor's office of Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic on 23 October 1988. The facts of mass murder of people of Latvia in Litene, Baltezers, Katlakalns, Liepaja, Valmiera, Ludza and many other places, as described in the book “Horrible Year”, were found to be true. But the criminal case was terminated because of the lapse. The legal process was restored in 6 April 1993 after a special section was added to the Latvian Criminal Code which provided for a criminal responsibility of the crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes as not having a lapse limitation.

[...] During all after-war occupation period of Latvia the crimes committed by the totalitarian Communist regime were hidden, the evidence was destroyed. Therefore any acquirable testimonies and evidence about this period shall be thoroughly considered. The events illustrated and described in the book “Horrible Year” shall be evaluated from this point of view.

[...] When evaluating the events described in the book “Horrible Year”, one shall disassociate himself from the antisemitic propaganda, which shall be condemned. The book is illustratively documental reflection of a historical events and the evaluation shall be made objectively. [5]


Hereby the links are provided to the images from the aforementioned book “Baigais gads” as available online:[6]



Mass deportation of people commenced by Communist regime in the night to 14 June 1941.






Photos of arrested people of Latvia in the register of cheka.




Handwritten instruction by commissar of NKVD Simon Shustin, dated 26 June 1941, on a list of arrestees: “Because of their social dangerousness shoot them all”.






July 1941, Baltezers village.
After the fall of Soviet regime a mass grave of cheka victims is being uncovered in a garden of some Baltezers cottage.



People murdered by retreating Communists in area of the Krustpils city airfield.



Exhumation of Communist victims at the Krusta church in Riga.



People murdered by Communists in Dreilini area, Riga.



Identification of Communist victims in Bikernieki area, Riga.



Latvian soldiers treacherously murdered by Communists on 29 June 1941 in Balvi parish: Vilis Lapins, unidentified, Peteris Krauja



Latvian soldiers treacherously murdered by Communists, found in vicinity of Litene army camp: E. Vilkajs, J. Pinka, V. Leja, V. Tumasevics, A. Tumasevics






Mass grave in the yard of Riga Central prison of people murdered on 28 June 1941 by Communists. After expelling of Soviets from Latvia the corpses are exhumed and people are coming to look for their missing friends and relatives taken by Communists.



Exhumed corpse of schoolboy Gedemins Franckevics.
Along with the body there was found a copy of a ruling of the Military Tribunal where, basing on Criminal Code of Soviet Russia (!), he was sentenced to execution and confiscation of his property, being found guilty of “counter-revolutionary activity”.



Colonel Streipa - former head of Organization and Mobilization Department of Latvian Army Headquarters.



Tailor Voldemars Janelis.



Director of school department Arnolds Cuibe.



Railway Aizsargi regiment commander Janis Ozolins.



Mihails Afanasjevs



Andrejs Krumins



Peteris Dobe



Stanislavs Belkovskis



Karlis Purnins, “Nr. 6“, Arvids Zemitis



Janis Steps, Alberts Broders, Nikolajs Zokorko



Unidentified victim, Nikolajs Davis, Janis Opincans



Basement at the Liepaja city militia****: three members of a family shot dead; another murder victim.



In this premise of the Liepaja militia basement a hand grenade had been thrown in first and the survivors shot dead afterwards.



Victims of the Communists in Daugavpils city.



Victims of the Communists in Valmiera city.



Civilians murdered in Jelgava city - tortured before killing; murdered workers in Jelgava.


Notes:


* Alternative translations to English are "The Gruesome Year", "The Year of Terror".
** Cheka - first of the many names for Soviet secret police (known at different times also as OGPU, NKVD, KGB) and also its colloquial name.
*** Aizsargi (Defenders) - a voluntary paramilitary organization in Latvia before WWII, established in March 1919 to assist government in maintaining law and order. Carried out functions similar to National Guard or Home Guard in other countries.
**** Militia - Soviet replacement for police.



Sources:


[1] “Crimes against Humanity in the Territory of Latvia during the Soviet Occupation 1940–41”, Chancery of President of Latvia, Committee of historians, First sub-commission
[2] “Ar dokumentiem pret apmelojumiem”, Dr. hist. Austra Mierina, Latvijas Avize, 24.03.2006
[3] "Par lietām, kuras nepāriet...", Leonards Inkins, "Latvietis Latvijā" Nr. 4(7) 25