Brought into the present with help from EU funding, yet firmly rooted in the past by its concrete base, the Ventspils fire control tower stands at a unique intersection of history and time. It has witnessed three occupations, Latvian independence, and most recently the country’s entrance into the European Union.
First used outside training exercises on the 24th of June 1941, this tower enabled Soviet forces to direct artillery fire, repelling an attack on Ventspils harbour by German torpedo boats. Over the next four days, Ventspils faced several further unsuccessful assaults until the morning of the 28th of June, when retreating Soviet soldiers destroyed the cannons to prevent their capture and use by the Nazis.
Reopened eight decades later in April 2021, it remains the only partialy restored fire control tower in the Baltics. Inside, the tower features safe ladders and informative plaques—things that the other towers I visited can only dream of. Now, instead of overseeing four massive artillery guns and military activity, the tower gazes upon a new car park, a protected dune area, a picturesque wooden boardwalk leading to the beach, and lots of visiting tourists.
