Irbene | |
|---|---|
Ghost town | |
 Abandoned houses in Irbene in 2014 | |
Location within Latvia | |
| Coordinates: 57°33′53″N 21°51′46″E / 57.56472°N 21.86278°E | |
| Country |  Latvia |
| Municipality | Ventspils Municipality |
| Parish | Ance parish |
| Established | 1971 |
| Population (2019) | |
• Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Irbene is a ghost town (legally - village) in Ance Parish, Ventspils Municipality in northwestern Latvia. In 1971, the Soviet Union established the secret radar center Zvezda (Russian: Звезда, lit. 'Star') and built a settlement for military officers and their families, naming it Irbene because of nearby river Irbe.
The town had a school, shop, sport and concert halls. However, the town was not marked on maps.[1] Only the holders of a special permit were able to access Irbene.
After the withdrawal of the Soviet Army in 1993 the town became abandoned.[2]
Zvezda was later acquired by the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre in 1990s and is still in operation.
References
- ^ Rasmussen, Johannes (2010). Travel guide : traces of the Cold War period : the countries around the Baltic Sea. Copenhagen: Nordic Council of Ministers. ISBN 9789289321211.
- ^ "Vaiduoklių miestas Irbene" (in Lithuanian). niekonaujo.lt. 2010-10-22. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
| Authority control databases: National |
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