Soviet Heritage(scape) in Sillamäe: Documenting the Potential in an Emerging Tourism Destination

Mildeberg, Saara; Vider, Jaanika

doi:10.3390/soc12050127

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 17 publications

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“…W konsekwencji aktywność turystyczna rozwijana w strefach powojskowych bywa określana mianem turystyki militarnejrozumianej jako zwiedzanie miejsc i obiektów o charakterze obronnym lub związanych z dziejami konfliktów zbrojnych, wojska, uzbrojenia, dowódców i żołnierzy [19, s. 41] -jak również, w określonych przypadkach, mianem tzw. turystyki mrocznej (dark tourism) 1 [24], czy «turystyki miejsc niechcianych» [34]. militarna przeszłość posowieckich baz wojskowych, których historia jest często skomplikowana i wielowymiarowa, wciąż determinuje ich obecny status, charakter i typ turystyki, który jest w nich rozwijany.…”

Section: Wprowadzenieunclassified

Former Soviet Military Bases in Poland and Latvia and the Development of Tourist Practices. Study of Selected Cases (Part 1)

Demski¹

2022

Nar. tvorčìst' etnol.

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The tourist practices those have been developed at the sites of selected former Soviet military bases in Poland (Borne Sulinowo, Kłomino, Pstrąże) and in Latvia (Skrunda‑1, Karosta in Liepāja, Daugavgrīva fortress) are considered in the submitted article. The catalogue of tourist practices presented in the text includes 1) the urban exploration movement, 2) creating new paths and exploring on foot, 3) establishing and visiting museums and quasi-museums, 4) reality shows those include elements of performance, 5) organising and participating in events – was intended to be open and selective. It only includes the type of practices based on using material military heritage and selected episodes from history to create unique products of tourism, such as the individual character of a site in the context of its past. The focus on tourist practices has been developed in different contexts – Polish and Latvian – illustrates how the post-Soviet material military heritage is used in each of these countries to serve new functions. It also sheds some light on whether (or how) tourist practices contribute to the ‘rehabilitation’ of bases and other post-military facilities in the eyes of the public, reveals the process of negotiating meaning within and in reference to these sites, and indicates how tourist practices affect the materiality of the place. The research has shown that diverse tourist practices are developed in de-militarized zones in both Poland and Latvia; specific patterns of tourist experience are formed there, which do not have anything in common with mass tourism. In any given case, it is the materiality of the post-military space that determines the type of tourist practices developing there. In the context of tourist practices, the material heritage of military bases is presented as something unusual and worth seeing. At the same time, however, military heritage is contemplated and experienced in a tranquil, safe environment, which makes the emerging images and experiences ‘sterilised’, and ultimately far removed from the dangers due to which these bases have been built. Thus, they are detached from their original functions and meanings. Nevertheless, the development of diverse tourist practices indicates that although the military heritage of former Soviet bases has its meaning in the present, it is still contested, ambivalent and inspiring slightly disturbing perceptions of both the past and the future.

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Section: Wprowadzenieunclassified

Former Soviet Military Bases in Poland and Latvia and the Development of Tourist Practices. Study of Selected Cases (Part 1)

Demski¹

2022

Nar. tvorčìst' etnol.

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Silent Protesters or Acceptors? The Reaction of the Russian-speakers to the Removal of the Soviet Monuments in Latvia and Estonia after Russia’s Full-scale Invasion of Ukraine*

Kuczyńska-Zonik

2024

POL

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For a long time the approach of the both two Baltic states to the Soviet heritage was formed by: (1) international and bilateral agreements which obliged states to protect monuments and memorial sites of the Soviet Army as well as (2) numerous Russian-speaking community for whom the Soviet statues constitute its cultural identity. The situation has significantly changed due to Russia’s aggressive policy against Ukraine, when the authorities made several attempts to remove the Soviet monuments. This brought some controversies and objections among the Russian-speaking communities in Latvia and Estonia. The paper focuses on the transformation of the national historical narrative toward the Soviet monuments and the processes of the adapting of the Russian-speaking community to the official memory discourse. More specifically, the aim is to explore the ways in which the Russian-speaking residents reacted to the removal of the Soviet monuments. The concept of resistance was applied in order to explore and synthesize the outcomes of the interviews carried out among Russian-speaking communities in Latvia and Estonia. It is argued here that the reconstruction of the public space by shifting the most visual symbol of the victory of the Red Army in the WWII has not induced hot feelings among the Russian-speaking society, and thus, it has not motivated community to take part in the open protest against the removal. Most of the minority representatives stayed passive and silent adapting to the new reality.

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Modernist Heritage versus Contested Legacy: The Case of “Radio City”

Tranavičiūtė

2023

Buildings

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The industrial legacy of the Soviet period in Lithuania has become an object of social tension. Even though the industrial heritage of the Soviet period is not directly related to the crimes of the occupying authorities, the conversion of industrial objects in the historical parts of cities or of buildings with symbolic significance is contentious among members of the public. For this reason, the conversion of industrial areas in Lithuania has become not only an economic challenge, but also a problem of adaptating to society’s needs, changing society’s attitude toward this type of heritage, and organically integrating that heritage into the city structure. The “Radio City” conversion project is being developed in the context of this social tension but has become an example of adaptation in harmony with the architectural heritage that occupies a dominant position on the block, which is located in one of the historically formed residential districts of Kaunas city.

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Soviet Heritage(scape) in Sillamäe: Documenting the Potential in an Emerging Tourism Destination

Cited by 5 publications

References 17 publications

Former Soviet Military Bases in Poland and Latvia and the Development of Tourist Practices. Study of Selected Cases (Part 1)

Former Soviet Military Bases in Poland and Latvia and the Development of Tourist Practices. Study of Selected Cases (Part 1)

Silent Protesters or Acceptors? The Reaction of the Russian-speakers to the Removal of the Soviet Monuments in Latvia and Estonia after Russia’s Full-scale Invasion of Ukraine*

Modernist Heritage versus Contested Legacy: The Case of “Radio City”

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