Although this old cemetery is seldom visited by anyone apart from the occasional animal enthusiast out to walk his dog, it's a fascinating place to stroll about for an hour or so. Most of the headstones are from the 19th century and tell tales of tsarist bureaucrats who will be dearly missed, but a small section is also dedicated to fallen communist soldiers crowned by a large gold-coloured monument depicting a soldier carrying a Soviet flag. One bizarre stone also immortalises roughly a dozen orphans who were supposedly drained of their blood by the Nazis. The orthodox church and chapel are also worth a quick peek.
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Comments
Martins Zaprauskis
15. 3. 2026
My intention was not to disrespect this monument, nor was it to present a different version of history. That the holocaust occurred in Latvia isn't up for debate. It happened. The Nazis occupied Latvia. Unfortunately, the Soviets often used propaganda for their own purposes and often placed the blame for their own crimes on the Nazis' shoulders. The recently publicised Katyn massacre is a perfect example. As I was unable to confirm the validity of this 'blood-draining' claim, I wrote the word 'supposedly'. The monument was after all created by the Soviets and, to my mind, could have been another example of communist propaganda. I would also argue that to modern ears, draining children of their blood sounds truly bizarre.Sincerely,Martins ZaprauskisEditorRiga In Your Pocket
xrizhanin
15. 3. 2026
Up to 150 children died at Salaspils camp alone with many from blood drained for the German Army. Your "bizzare .. supposedly drained" comment is disrespectful and revisionist. The Holocaust in Latvia was perpetuated by Germans with help of Latvians. 70,000 Latvian Jews perished in the Holocaust, the great majority by December 1941. Only a few hundred survived. I grew up by this cemetery and found this particular monument moving.