For Latvia, the political changes occurring in the early 1990s meant, first and foremost, regaining of its sovereignty, however they also caused a range of social and economical issues that did require an increased problem-solving ability on the part of the governmental agencies. At some point, the following problem area became particularly acute: what to do with the vast abandoned areas and in many cases also vandalised buildings formerly used by the gigantic industries of the old bolshevik system and for the housing needs of the Red Army servicemen, their relatives and even entire garrisons? In Andrejsala, there remained a number of industrial buildings that chiefly were part of the Riga port's supporting infrastructure; the Karosta district in Liepāja, in its turn, consisted of a former militarised zone with seriously dilapidated houses and other facilities.

Andrejsala and Karosta are similar with regard to the ways that these territories can be reused and revitalised or – which would not be an overstatement – experience a form of renaissance: some of the territory and facilities are released to the community of arts and culture, which helps to engender a particular, even unique type of urban development. Realising the similarities, we decided to tell you a bit more about Karosta in Liepāja.

Karosta's nascent culture

For several years already, Karosta is the home of a rather active cultural society called K@2. It works on alternative solutions for improving the overall situation in Karosta by organising events related to arts, culture and schooling in order to promote social and ethnic integration and cultivate the spirit of cooperation. The development of K@2 foresees an increasingly greater role in the informational and cultural exchange on a local, national and international scale, which means that it has been responsible for the organisation of many an interesting event in Karosta. Last year, K@2’s contribution to growth, support and enrichment of the local cultural environment was honoured also by the Ministry of Culture, which picked it for the Annual Award in Culture Trīs brāļi in the category of ‘Cultural contribution to national growth’. 

A group of people from the Andrejsala-based SIA Jaunrīgas attīstības uzņēmums visited Karosta and were introduced to approximately one hectare of neat-looking land and buildings, which have been tidied up and whose interior often shows traces of recent history. According to the representatives of K@2, the organisation has plans for improving the buildings even further.  

Each of the buildings has acquired a distinctive character, based on the type of events organised in them. For example, at Atmodas bulvāris 6a, there is Kinoosta – a small movie theatre which hosts multimedia seminars and screenings of Latvian and foreign film. Also there is Mākslinieku rezidence, perhaps similar to Singalong of Andrejsala and offering residence opportunities for foreign and local artists who wish to spend some time in Karosta while working on their projects and possibly interacting with the locals within the scope of their artistic activities. The culture and information centre building of K@2 is another location where lodging and meals are offered. Divu admirāļu nams (House of Two Admirals) accommodates the K@2’s media lab, which acts as an information hub for those interested in the new media activities in Latvia and elsewhere in Europe or, even more specifically, seeking information about upcoming festivals and creative workshops. K@2 has something to offer also for younger kids: Bērnu istaba (Nursery) has been redecorated and equipped specially for children; it operates daily but you have to inquire about the specific hours. Karosta is also known for its gallery of secular art K. Māksla?, Dzejnieku namiņš (Poets' Hut), classes of Latvian, dance school K@2breakers, a hostel for up to 40 visitors, a café and a bike hire facility.

History of Karosta

It was in the late 1800s and early 1900s when the territory of Karosta became urbanised in its own specific way. Liepāja at that time was known as an ice-free port belonging to tsarist Russia and used by the commercial fleet. This, as well as Liepāja's location near the empire's external border, determined the choice of turning Karosta into a support base for the Russian Baltic Fleet.

In 1890, there began construction of a sizeable fortress and military quarters north of the city. The start of the development was officially heralded under orders of tsar of Russia Aleksandr III. Later his son tsar Nikolay II, in order to honour the father's memory, ordered the new naval base to be called "Port of Emperor Aleksandr III". During the first period of Latvian independence the area acquired the name of Karosta, sometimes also spelt Kaŗaosta or Kaŗa osta, which translates as 'military port'.

Port of Aleksandr III was a separate little town with its own infrastructure: an electric power plant, water mains, a church, several schools and a pigeon post for military communications. It had even a post office titled "Port Imperatora Aleksandra III". Notably, sending of a postcard from here to Liepāja was applied the intercity rate of 3 kopecks, that is, three times more costly than within a city.

After establishing of the independent Latvian state, in the early 1920s the chief industrial business of Liepāja was located in Karosta and bore the name of "Kara ostas darbnīcas" (literally: 'workshops of the military port'; abbreviation: KOD). The works contained a mechanical factory and a shipyard, noted for its 600-feet-long docks, the largest there were on the Baltic coast, plus a smaller floating dock. In 1935, the KOD began manufacturing aeroplanes KOD-1 and KOD-2 intended for use by the defence forces and aeroclubs. In the early 1930s, the KOD acquired the insolvent Steel-Wire Factory (at the time, the second largest business in Liepāja).

After the 2nd World War Karosta was taken over by the soviet navy, which finally abandoned the area in the summer of 1994; then, for the first time in its history, Karosta became a civil territory open to the general public. The territory is 19 square kilometres (4,700 acres) in size and is now inhabited by about 7,500 people, which is much less than the earlier planned population of 20,000.

Landmarks of Karosta

Karosta has lately increased its appeal among visitors: now part of Liepāja and formerly the largest single militarised zone in the Baltic states, it has a lot to offer to those on sightseeing tours. The only military diving school in the Baltics is located here and provides theoretical instruction and practical training for divers and combat engineers.

Tuvējie forti

Tālie forti

Tālie forti ('the outer forts') are another part of the Karosta citadel and appear fairly similar to the coastal defence battery found in Tuvējie forti; the difference is that Tālie forti have for the most part been spared from explosives and erosion by seawater. This place also marks the joining node between the land fortifications and the coastal defence batteries. Within the land fortifications, there still exist underground galleries (casemates) that were built to connect all of the units. Observant visitors may be able to notice stalactites that are more widely known as natural parts of caves in the Alps and the Tatra mountains.

Northern pier

The piers and breakwaters were built at the same time as the Karosta canal, that is, in 1901. Construction of the Northern pier took more than two years, and it is nearly 2 kilometres long. The Northern pier boasts a gorgeous vista of the Liepāja port and is a favourite promenade among the locals.

Riding arena

From what was once a picturesque redbrick building, only walls remain there today; unfortunately we have no knowledge of photographs showing Manēža in its full former glory. Only in the mind's eye we can behold the ample building with its great – in both senses of the word – windows and the roof that used to be shingled in glass. The indoor riding arena was used both for horse shows and for physical exercise by marines.

Officers' Club

The building of Officer's Club represents the Russian art nouveau architecture. The palace-like structure was designed by architect Sergey Gelenzovskiy from Saint Petersburg. The Club was meant for the social activities of the naval elite – the gentry and aristocrats belonging to the court. Architecturally, the U-shaped edifice takes after the out-of-town palaces that were built in Saint Petersburg. From the very beginning, the visitors found the eclectic baroque-inspired elegance, the spacious and well-lit ambience, the refined furnishings and the harmony between the palace's internal layout and the surrounding grounds truly spectacular.

The Officers' Club was formally unveiled in 1907, and tsar Nikolay II also is said to have attended the opening ceremony, although he did so unofficially. The Club initially served as a socialising and partying place for the top brass of the navy; later on it was used for the daily needs of the Russian navy.

The façade looks towards the sea, while the southern side incorporates a vast terrace with columns and a balcony. The exterior is ornate with plaster-made elements in the shape of various weapons. The interior and exterior finishing includes grey granite as well as marble brought in from Finland and Estonia. The building is topped by a large hemispherical dome, which is also the roof of the main hall. There is a park surrounding the palace with several smaller buildings.

The Officers' Club building is currently managed by the Training Centre of the Latvian Naval Forces. It also houses the Navy Museum.

Kalpaks bridge

Named after Colonel Kalpaks and sometimes known simply as the Karosta bridge, this is a landmark of civil engineering: the only remaining swing bridge in Latvia. There are two rotative parts in this bridge that, in mere five minutes, could turn by 90 degrees in order to create a passage for ships.  

The Kalpaks bridge was unveiled in 1906 and operated flawlessly... until an unfortunate accident in 2005 when it was decimated by a ship travelling along the Karosta canal. Reconstruction is underway, and the road route to Karosta will become operational again.

Karosta prison

This historic site has become rather popular in a matter of just a few years. In 2002, Karostas glābšanas biedrība (Society for Saving Karosta, also known as KGB) began organising various activities such as excursions, an espionage game called Escape from the USSR and, in the actual premises of the prison, an authentic enactment show Behind Bars. Those who are fond of certain claustrophobic and extreme experiences are invited to spend a night in an iron bed or even a plank-bed, locked up in a real prison cell and be fed with genuine prison food.

The prison was erected around 1900 and remained in use until 1997 serving as an incarceration facility for the military. Since its inception, it has been a manifestly depressing place for breaking the inmates emotionally and depriving them of any will to rebel. Every kind of political system that was or is in existence in Latvia found use of the Karosta prison: in the early 1900s, tsarists incarcerated revolutionaries as well as marines and petty officers of the Russian navy; later on, deserters from Wehrmacht, "enemies of the people" of the Stalin era and, finally, soldiers of the Latvian army were among the prison’s inmates.

Maritime Cathedral

The Maritime Cathedral (Jūras katedrāle), being one of the largest Orthodox Christian churches in the whole of Latvia, is also among the chief landmarks of Karosta. The building was designed by architects Sergey Gelenzovskiy and Vassiliy Kosyakov from St. Petersburg. Viewed from any angle, it appears as an astonishingly monumental edifice with the saturated structures of its façades and volumes. It is based on a unique architectural concept: the building doesn't have any columns, and the large mass of its five domes is entirely supported by four arching vaults.

The church was consecrated in 1903 to honour the patron saint of sailors, St. Nikolay the Wonderworker. The ceremony was attended by the Emperor of Russia with his family and a group of important statesmen.

The cathedral suffered grave vandalism during the reign of soviets: it had to serve as a gym and a cinema; the beautiful interior was simply taken to pieces. In 1991, it was returned to the property of the religious community and is experiencing a revival.

Water tower

The Karosta water tower was constructed in 1905 to supply water to the entire area. The water was piped in from special boreholes and pumped into the basin located within the tower. From there, the local housing was supplied with water. The pumps that were installed in the water tower from the very beginning have survived to date.