A Return to Biķernieku Forest (Riga, Latvia)

Ah, yes, the posts are coming fewer and farther (further?) between. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. It actually means I am quite busy here at my site in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. As I begin my second, and final year as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer, I plan to spend as much time working at the university and preparing a long-term plan that will continue after my departure. What that is, I know not. But in the meantime, I have a backlog of adventures to report upon.

Last February I made a trip to Riga, Latvia (http://rlopcukraineblog.blogspot.com/2016/02/memorial-run-bikernieku-forest-outside.html). It was cold, windy, and wonderful. I had a great time and I made sure to schedule another stop when I visited the Baltic countries during the summer. I especially wanted to spend more time visiting the Biķernieku Forest which lies just three kilometers from Riga city center (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikernieki_Memorial) When I went in February it was hovering below zero and I decided to run out and back. Since the site is not well marked I had trouble finding the official memorial; rather I found one of the many marked burial sites. It certainly was moving but there was no coherence. Now that I had the time and the temperature on my side, I decided to do some more exploring. With my camera in hand and my backpack filled with snacks and water, I headed out to the forest. This is what I found....

I discovered that the official memorial is somewhat well-marked, that is if you know where to look in the first place. There is a map that explains the layout of the site and a pathway which leads from the road to the forest. In the center of the memorial there is an altar under a gazebo-type sculpture. Surrounding this centerpiece are slabs of granite which are sticking out of the ground much like gravestones, perhaps reminiscent of a Jewish cemetery, perhaps. In a curious note, the stone comes from the Zhytomyr region where I am currently living. As you walk amongst the rows of slabs you see the names of cities where (I'm guessing) many of the victims came from. Or perhaps there are there to names cities where Jews were persecuted and exterminated. I was unsure and there was no information to help. Although it was summer, I was once again the only person there. So there was an eerie quite as I walked around the memorial. I think I was moved the most by the various stones that sat on different parts of the memorial, many of which were marked by names and dates. But that was not the end of my exploration.

I decided to move further into the forest, away from the memorial. Although there are many marked trails, there are other paths that are smaller and more overgrown. As I wondered further in, I began to think about the people who were brought here: all of them innocent, most not expecting their ultimate fate. There were more posts emblazoned with the Star of David. To the side, a bit off the path, were filled-in pits with grave-like stones marking something or someone. Then what looked to be a flower caught my attention, buried beneath the underbrush in the trees. That is when I found the unofficial memorials. Off in the thicket or beside a tree under some weeds I began to find makeshift graves. Stones or flowers were laid out in rectangular fashion to mimic a gravesite. Were those that were murdered buried under these stones and flowers? Or were these sites randomly placed by someone who wanted another way, another method to remember those who perished? And who made these markers? Was it someone who knew much but did not want to tell? There were so many questions that I wish someone could have answered. But no one was around. And to me that was what made me sad. Here is a place more people should visit. (Depending on your count) thirty or forty-six thousand people should be remembered on a daily basis. But here was another former Soviet Republic Holocaust site that was not advertised in travel guides and not marked on any road sign. To find a place like Biķernieku Forest you had to know what you were looking for. And even if you did speak the language, chances are the locals might not even want to admit to knowing about the site. 

Anyway these were the thoughts passing through my mind as I stumbled my way through the overgrowth. The forest was peaceful, almost too much so. As heartbroken as I felt, I was glad I returned and hoped to return again in the future with friends and family. But I had to be going. It was only noon and I had to get back to town so I could catch a train to return to Salispils, the next step of my journey.

Biķernieku Forest 

The Path In

Introduction to Memorial

The Main Site

Altar with Memory Stones

Gescher, Germany with Marked Memory Stones

Massacre Site?

Marker with Dates

 Unofficial Grave

 More Unofficial Graves Off the Beaten Path

 Order Amongst Disorder

 Barely Visible 

 Not Forgotten - Deeper in the Forest

 More Memories

 Not Forgetting

Candles and Stones

Will Not Forget Babi Yar...If I Can Ever Find It!

It's been over a month since my last post but I am back to tell more of my adventures as a second time Peace Corps Ukraine Volunteer. Hopefully all my computer and Internet issues have been solved for the time being. On to the update!

As I have come to know Kyiv better I have tried to move beyond the better know historical attractions located in the downtown area. This time I was ready to go to Babi Yar, the site of one of the first and worst massacres of the Holocaust. The problem seemed to be less difficult than looking for similar sites in the Baltics, for example. In Riga I had to do copious online research and then plot and plan my way on maps. There were no signs nor information in guidebooks. Conversely, Babi Yar is mentioned in guidebooks and there is ample knowledge by locals that the place does indeed exist. But physically getting there from the nearest metro station was a chore. First, the ravine where hundreds of thousands of Jews, Roma, mental patients, etc. were brutally gunned down is located in a park across a busy road. But there are no signs that say this. Second, there is another part of the park right next to the metro station  where other monuments are located. Once again there are no signs or maps to show visitors where to go. For such an important piece of history is this a coincidence, an oversight, or a passive aggressive way to pay lipservice to remembering (while discouraging people from actually finding the site)? It's hard to know...or is it?

Until Ukraine became an independent nation in 1991, there was severe omissions at Holocaust sites such as Babi Yar; specifically any mention of Jews. Remembrance sites talked of 'Soviet Citizens' who are died at the hands of Nazi oppressors. But time after time Jews were purposely not mentioned even if the site contained a majority of Jewish victims. The post-Soviet leaders tried to rectify the situation by building a menorah memorial and having Jews mentioned at the main monument at Babi Yar. But, after searching for the menorah (which was torched on the first night of Rosh Hashanha in 2015) I came to find that it was at the far end of the park....in a parking lot! Additionally there was not much more information regarding the monument and the importance of remembering it's victims. For an event that many claim was a testing ground for the Final Solution, this omission seems bewildering.

Fortunately, I was finally able to get orientated. I spent a blazing hot morning walking from one side of the overgrown park to the more manicured main massacre site. Looking at the site today and you can understand why the Nazis used it. The ravine is long and wide and at one time the site was covered in forest. And of course it was on the outskirts of town. But even though it is now surrounded by busy streets and large apartment buildings people walk by and don't seem to notice. Just like in 1941, citizens don't pay it any mind. I think that is a shame. The Babi Yar's of the world need to be remembered. And the way to remember is to let people know it is there and encourage them to visit and share their memories. Menorahs in parking lots won't do the trick.

More on Babi Yar: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/babiyar.html
                              https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babi_Yar

Menorah memorial at Babi Yar...in a parking lot far from the massacre site. 

Cross with further explanation of the site. This, for some reason, is much closer. 

Inscriptions in Hebrew.

Main memorial at Babi Yar, built during Soviet times, I believe.

Another view of the Babi Yar Memorial. Note the three plaques describing the events. 

Third plaque that actually mentions the Jews intead of only "Soviet Citizen" on the other two plaques. You do the math. 

Behind the Doors of 'Number One'

How often we walk through our cities and towns, past buildings that display no sign of their purpose. I never ask myself what is behind the door of the yellow house on the corner or the imposing building on the main street. We might actually be surprised or shocked at what goes on behind closed doors and high walls. This is certainly the case with One Lonstsky Street in Lviv.  Starting in 1918 with the Polish and ending in 1991 when the KGB skipped town for good, this nondescript building with the high walls was a prison and, virtually, a death camp for political prisoners. Today, if you know where to go, it is a museum of remembrance for future generations. I was lucky enough to read a few guidebooks and look at some maps so I knew where to find the National Museum and Memorial to the Victims of the Occupation. (http://www.lonckoho.lviv.ua/)

Much like memorials to the Holocaust in Riga, memorials to those killed by the NKVD and its successor, the KGB, are often difficult to find. Whether it's from a conscious decision (http://www.lucorg.com/news.php/news/4554), negligence, or a will NOT to remember, I am unsure. Either way, it took some time to make my way to the museum on a street I had walked upon in January. At that time I was looking for the Cat Cafe but little did I know that the building I was standing beside while waiting for a tram was the same place the NKVD killed between 1,300 and 1,700 political prisoners in late June 1941 as the Germans were preparing to roll into town. Many of these prisoners were Ukrainian nationalists, from religious orders, or people at the wrong place at the wrong time. (http://www.kyivpost.com/article/content/ukraine/lviv-museum-recounts-soviet-nazi-atrocities-66675.html). It's not surprising I didn't identify the place as a museum since there were no markings on the wall besides a wreath adorned with blue and yellow ribbons and flowers. (Clue #1) The real entrance is around a side street where you find an entrance with some printed information and a flag over the door.

When I went to the museum on a Saturday afternoon, I was one of the only people there. It was free of charge and a man in what I took to be a police officer's uniform let me in with a polite greeting. Once inside the place looked as it should, uncared for. The wooden floors creaked and paint was peeling from the walls. I had a feeling that this was intentional as much as for a lack of funds to pay for renovations. Either way, the effect was chilling. There was no doubt this was a prison. Walls were papered over to keep out the sun and cobwebs filled what passed for toilets. Then there was the door leading out to the courtyard. While there were plenty of exhibits in English, many were not. I was trying out my Ukrainian when I was approached by an older woman who appeared to work there. Oksana, as she was called, initial spoke to me in Ukrainian but soon switched to English. As we chatted she offered to show me around. She was a wealth of information and her English was very good despite her objections to the contrary. What she could not explain in English she said in Ukrainian and we split the difference. I was thankfully she offered to show me around as I got to see some places that are not open to the public;  including the basement where the condemned waited to die.

I will not go on and on but it was an important experience on my trip to Lviv. This is a city that has been tossed between the Poles, the Soviets, the Germans, and the Soviets once more. The previous governments still do not seem to want to invest in these types of memorials to events that need to be remembered and discussed. It has been suggested that recent events in Ukraine could have been prevented or altered if discussions about the Soviet past had been taking place. (https://euromaidanberlin.wordpress.com/2014/04/01/kgb-archives-in-ukraine-will-be-open-to-public/) Regardless, this is a place that more people, especially Ukrainians, need to see.

Papered-over Windows - No light in or Out

Door Out to the Courtyard

The Long Hallway

"Luxury" Quarters

From the Photo Room

Inside Looking Out

Bathroom Facilities

Propaganda Room

Sinks and Peeling Paint

Once You Go Out, You Don't Go Back In

In the Cellar

The Padded Room

Solitary

Wall of Death

Remembering to Forget Victory Day

Sorry for the long wait. I have been having computer problems so I could not post for some time. I'm hoping this will make up for it.  Read on!

Twenty years ago, when I was first a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, May 9^th meant nothing to me. Only after a friend came up to me later that day, breathlessly describing how she and her friends had cheered, yelled, and threw flowers at the veterans, did I realize I missed an important Ukrainian holiday. Victory Day (День Перемоги) celebrates the Allied Victory over the Nazi’s in World War Two, or as Ukrainians called it, The Great Patriotic War (In Russian: Великая Отечественная Война). As with many countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Ukraine has forever been surrounded by belligerents on both sides, usually Germany and Russia/USSR. Therefore, when hostilities broke out, Ukraine frequently became the prime battleground as wars ebbed and flowed in either direction. In the case of World War II, when the Germans initiated Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, the initial hope of some Ukrainians that the conquering Nazis would soon offer Ukrainian independence was quickly and harshly dashed. Throughout the course of the war, Ukraine was devastated as cities and towns were scorched not only by the Nazis but by retreating Soviets as well. When the war finally ended, as many as eight million Ukrainians lay dead (5.5 million civilian and 2.5 million military), according to some accounts. Anyway you slice it, Ukrainians suffered tremendously under the Nazis and the Soviets. For this reason, May 9^th has always been a day of remembrance, a potent mix of joy and sadness. That I missed the parade twice when I was first in Ukraine, made me determined to celebrate the holiday this time around. With more veterans dying every year, soon these days may be a memory.

But times have changed and so has this important holiday. As Ukraine is embroiled in another war, May 9^th has taken on a new significance. There are now pointed connections made between the Great Patriotic War and the war simmering in Donbas. The name of the holiday has also changed from Victory Day to Victory over Nazism in World War II (День перемоги над нацизмом у Друній світовій віній). In fact, the term “Great Patriotic War” was removed from Ukrainian legislation altogether and replaced with the term World War II. Due to recent legislation, as of 15 May 2015, Communist and Nazi symbols are no longer allowed in Ukraine. Instead of the Hammer and Sickle flags and the Ribbon of St. George (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribbon_of_Saint_George)and other Soviet symbols, Ukrainians now wear a red poppy. (http://uatoday.tv/society/ukraine-celebrates-daly-of-victory-over-nazism-in-world-war-ii-645162.html)

So how have these changes affected the citizens of Ukraine? From new reports and my own observation, feelings seem to be mixed. Many of the older citizens, especially veterans, do not want to forget the Soviet Red Army who saved them from Nazi aggression. How can people turn their backs on history and forget how this country was saved by German domination by the Communist Party and the USSR despite some other unpleasant history? There are many others who see it differently. Ukraine was forcibly taken over by the Soviet Union, and then by Germany, followed by a return of the USSR. What is there to celebrate?  So it may take many years and the deaths of the last veterans to finally dictate the future of this holiday. It seems to reason it will also take a definitive answer to the war in Donbas as well. Perhaps the victory of 1945 will be superseded by a new victory and a united nation in the coming years.

But what is still important is for people to remember loved ones. That is why citizens still were leaving flowers by the tank monument in Victory Square. They also walked up the hill to lay more flowers and listen to the bands playing at the Eternal Glory Memorial. Everywhere you could see the remaining veterans, smartly dressed in uniform with chests full of medals. For those who were no longer alive, loved ones carried pictures. What astonished and heartened me the most was the respect shown both the living and the dead. Citizens would walk up to soldiers and ask to take a photo or went up to a widow to offer condolences. And I guess that was the message of the day in Zhytomyr. Remember and respect those who came before even though time and old ideals have passed. I think there is a lesson here for all countries dealing with their pasts.

 Living Memory

 Non-Forgotten Soldier

Tanks for the Memories

Pictures from the Past

Victory Column

You Don't Want to Go Behind Door Number One

Here is another post from my Wordpress blog. It's another important museum that is not talked about much (i.e. at all) here in Ukraine. Please follow link and read on.

https://rlopeacecorpsukraine.wordpress.com/2016/04/01/behind-the-doors-of-number-one/

What is Salaspils?

Follow the link for more pics and an interesting story.

https://rlopeacecorpsukraine.wordpress.com/

Memorial Run - Biķernieku Forest, outside of Riga, Latvia

Over the past few years I have made a conscious decision to expand my travel activities. Although not quite going to the extreme of cliff jumping or sky-diving, I have tried to move beyond simple tourist activities. A few years ago, I spent a week learning Spanish up in the mountains in Nicaragua. This summer I took a train from London to Whitstable and then proceeded to sail around the mouth of the River Thames. Apparently, these were only to whet my appetite. I spent the last four days in Riga, Latvia and decided to visit some of the lesser known sites in the city. On the third day I visited the Jewish Ghetto Museum (http://www.rgm.lv/?lang=en) and was quite moved by what I saw. After an hour plus viewing and reading the exhibits, I decided to spend my last day visiting two sites: Bikernieki Memorial (http://www.jews.lv/en/content/memorial-bikernieki-forest) and the Salaspils Internment Camp. While both required effort to find (or not find as you shall see), I am grateful I took the time to find these places. They were unforgettable. For today, I will discuss the memorial in the Bikernieki Forest. (http://us.wow.com/wiki/Bikernieki_Memorial)

The Bikernieki Forest is a mere three plus miles outside of the city. It is hard to imagine that the citizens did not notice thousands of people being forced marched out there between the years 1941-1944. This theme of not knowing, or pretending not to know, was evident even today. There are no signs and even the Internet sites proved inconclusive. I decided to run the whole distance and took my phone as a precaution. I found the appointed turn off and headed towards the forest. But when I got closer, things got confusing. Again, no signs, no indications, no nothing to help me along. I even began running into the forest, when I realized how massive it was. If I got lost, who knows where I would end up on this cold morning. So I stopped at a local store to ask for directions. In my shaky Russian I asked an older woman where to find the monument. In somewhat shaky Russian she gave me directions but seem a bit confused that I was asking. Was this willful ignorance or do the locals truly not know what happened here seventy-five years ago. With these directions in hand I ran back in the forest but was once again unsure where I was going. As I looked around I realized how easy this must have been for the Nazis to march these unsuspecting people out into the middle of a cold, quiet, empty forest. There was no one to see and no one to hear. Fortunately, I found another jogger who, in mixed English and Russian, pointed me in the right direction. And there, at the crest of a hill, I found something.


I'd like to say that I found the memorial found in the links above, but that was not the case. That official memorial was a bit down the road on the other side of the forest. What I did find was probably more moving. I stood atop of a hill above a small ravine. On all sides of the ravine there were wooden posts with the Star of David and the dates 1941-1944. A set of stairs descended into the ravine and then continued to the other side. In the ravine there were raised patches of earth, boxed in by wooden planks (kind of like a bit sandbox filled in and grassed over). In each of these raised patches stood solitary, tablet-like stones. Someone had laid plastic flowers on top of one. Other than that, there was nothing. The area was overgrown and somewhat strewn with trash (although much of the forest was like this). And that was it. Nothing else but the quiet. Once and a while someone would come by usually walking a dog. But nothing was said. No one else stopped to pay their respects. No one else looked solemnly at the ground. As the cold began to set in I decided it was time to go. I almost went looking for the official memorial but there was more to see that day.

A final note, the granite stones used in the official memorial come from...Zhytomyr, Ukraine where I am serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Full circle, it seems.

 The Road In

 Tall Trees, Silence

 Marker Atop Ravine

 Star of David, Ominous Dates

Raised Dirt with Stone Marker

Steps Down, Ravine, Steps Up

Stone Marker

Stone Marker

Final Reminder