The orange setting sun cast a fitting atmosphere over my visit to the Baltic fire control towers in the most dilapidated condition. Standing side by side only 10 meters apart, the two towers' familiar designs rise above the pine forest, gazing out toward the Baltic Sea. With no interior staircases remaining, my exploration was limited to ground level.
In 1963, all of the Liepaja coastal defence guns were dismantled as ballistic missiles replaced artillery as the primary defense mechanism in the Soviet-occupied Baltics. The two towers are joined in decay by nearby reinforced concrete artillery batteries, which, through erosion, are now partially washed into the sea.
I believe I've now visited all remaining fire control towers in the Baltics. Many other unexplored coastal batteries endure as reminders of the Soviet and Nazi occupations, but they lack the unique draw of these towering historical markers.
