The painted letters “Z” have been removed from the Biķernieki memorial Photo: Jānis Škapars/TVNET A vandal with the symbols of the aggressor state has covered the gate of the Biķernieki memorial in Riga, a resident reports on the microblogging site “Twitter”. Employees of the “Riga Monuments Agency” promptly cleaned up the mess.
The picture published by Krista Šukevičas shows that several “Z” letters glorifying Russia, the aggressor country, have been drawn on the Biķernieki memorial.
Simply without words – right now! Biķernieki forest memorial site. @Valsts_policija @RigasDome pic.twitter.com/AmH2p866wc
— Krists Šukevičs (@kSukevics) February 22, 2023 The Riga City Council has been informed about the incident and passed the information on to the “Riga Monuments Agency”.
Photo: Painted “Z” letters removed from Biķernieki Memorial
“Apollo.lv” contacted the “Riga Monuments Agency” and the Riga City Council.
Daina Pērkone, head of the public monuments department, informed that specialists went to the object to assess the situation and possible solution.
Photo: TVNET Riga City Council representative Mārtiņš Vilemsons states that it was possible to quickly clean up the mess.
Video: Employees of the “Riga Monuments Authority” clean the Biķernieki Memorial
“Also, the State Police informs that an administrative violation process has been started at the Riga Teikas station for the use of symbols glorifying military aggression and war crimes in a public place, where the incident and its circumstances will be evaluated,” says Vilemsons.
“The agency’s technical team acted promptly and has already removed the letters “Z” from the entrance gate of the memorial,” says Gunārs Nāgels, director of the “Riga Monuments Agency”.
It has already been reported that also last summer, the police started criminal proceedings for the desecration of the Holocaust Memorial in Riga, Biķernieki Forest. At that time, social media showed that the letters “SS” were painted on one of the fragments of the memorial.
During the Second World War, about 46,000 people were killed and buried in mass graves in Biķernieki Forest.
“Apollo.lv” already reported that in November last year some detractors in Daugavpils desecrated the monument dedicated to 500 Polish soldiers who fought in 1919-1920. died in the battles for the freedom of Latvia, according to the media “Chayka.lv” and the records of eyewitnesses on social networks.
Director of Stanislav Brokas Daugavpils Music High School, Aivars Brokas, published a picture from the scene. The monument is covered with white paint, rude words in Russian are written on it.
According to the information “visitdaugavpils.lv”, the cemetery of soldiers of the 1st Legion Brigade Regiment of the Polish Army in Slobudka near Satiksmes Street was the largest cemetery of Polish soldiers in Latvia, where 500 were buried during the Latvian Freedom Struggle in 1919-1920. those who fell in the year. In Polish history, these events are known as “Operation Winter”.
It was a joint offensive operation of the Polish and Latvian armies, led by General Edvards Ridz-Smiglijs. In the course of the operation, Daugavpils was captured, but in the following months the bigots were driven from all over Latgale.
In 1955, the city authorities made a decision to build a sand and gravel quarry on the territory of the cemetery. Sand and gravel together with human bones were used to build the Daugavpils-Lithuanian border road through Demeni. The cemetery was completely liquidated in 1970. Later, a garbage dump was established at this location. After regaining Latvia’s independence in 1992, a memorial site was opened in place of the destroyed cemetery.
In connection with the incident, the State Police has initiated criminal proceedings for criminal offenses against property.
