Sigulda, thank god the Red army are gone

The house

 

I got back from Sigulda, I stayed in the Krimulda Manor, very nice.

I can honestly say, i really enjoyed staying in a place where you could play football in the corridor and ping pong in the toilet, but i guess that’s just me?

Summer dormitory’s (built when the house became a hospital)

Of the many little stories i read while walking about, i stop to read the tourist stuff was about how in 1918 the Red army and the Bolsheviks came knocking, but the family were on a boat out of Latvia.

The Red Army is credited as being the decisive land force in the Allied victory in the European theatre of World War II. During operations on the Eastern Front, it fought 75%–80% of the German land forces (Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS) deployed in the war.

How interesting, i wonder if anyone these days could fathom the terror they had, knowing, that the Russians were on the way? And things weren't looking good for them?

I was wondering what it would take for someone to drop what they are doing and run for your lives and get out on a boat to some other country? And these were rich people, they knew there was no negotiations, just get out with your life,

Obviously they had an idea of White terror and the Russians were not going to take any prisoners?

The White Terror in Russia refers to the organized violence carried out by the White Army during the Russian Civil War (1917–23).

It began after the Bolsheviks seized power in November 1917, and continued until the defeat of the White Army at the hands of the Red Army. The White Army had support from the Triple Entente and fought the Red Army for power, which engaged in its own Red Terror.

In contrast with the Red Army, the White Terror was not a series of premeditated actions directed by their leaders, but some Russian historians argue the contrary and say the terror came from officials high in the White movement.

This was in 1918, way before Hitler came on the scene, and the Surname Liven in Jewish, so there was no winning that one.

Side of the house

A little background on Latvia

The left wing of Latvian Social Democrats had become allied with Bolsheviks and during its conference of November 18-19, 1918 proclaimed that Latvian commune is a part of Russian Soviet Federation.

On December 1, Soviet army from Pskov and Daugavpils began their attack. Much of the Soviet army in Latvia consisted of Red Latvian Riflemen, which made it easier to establish Soviet order. On December 17, 1918 the Provisional government of Workers and Peasants, led by the veteran left-wing politician Pēteris Stučka proclaimed the Soviet rule. On December 18 Lenin officially recognized the new Soviet Latvia.

The house comes with lots of buildings and many staff

Soviet offensive met little resistance coming just a few weeks after the collapse of German Empire and proclamation of independent Latvia, very soon Provisional Government and remaining German units had retreated all the way to Liepāja, but then the Red offensive stalled along the Venta river.

The Red army entered Riga without a battle on January 3, 1919 and the Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic was officially proclaimed on January 13.

Road to the hunters lodge

Stučka established a radical communist regime of nationalizations, expropriations and executions of class enemies.

Revolutionary tribunals were established, condemning to death German nobles, priests, wealthy traders as well as peasants, who refused to surrender their grain, in total some 1000 people were executed. Due to food supply disruptions 8590 people starved to death in Riga

The view of the house as i walked up to it

 Another happy ending, for me


You cant help but think, what a crazy history, and it wasn’t that long ago either.