421:
direction of attackers without direct aim. Beizaks had apparently decided to leave the building and attempt to run to the first patrol for help because the telephone communications were down. He jumped out the window but was able to cover only 199 meters when he was shot by attackers. Since there was still resistance from the guardhouse, the attackers threw in firebombs and inside of the building caught fire. Hermīne Puriņa was shot 8 meters away from the house after escaping through a window. Her son Voldemārs was shot in the abdomen but managed to hide in the woodpile. The building's only defender Grīnvalds also left the burning building soon after. Throwing away his rifle, he jumped out the window and jumped in the Ludza river unscathed. There he was captured by Soviet border guards.
286:
254:
409:, was in the blind. Although visibility was near zero due to the thick fog, Cimoška also opened fire since he understood that the Soviet border guards were attacking. However, after the first shots, the attackers pinpointed the blind's location and tried to surround it. While firing, Cimoška retreated in the direction of the guard house where he heard acting commander of the patrol Valdis Grīnvalds defending the house with separate shots. Arriving at the house Cimoška stepped on one of the grenade packets and was torn to pieces. Later, when the burning building collapsed, his body was charred.
274:
57:
241:
384:
kidnapped. Several persons who were either kidnapped or left behind were wounded. Another attack occurred on Šmaiļi border post at 3:00, which resulted in the kidnapping of border guards and civilians, including inhabitants of near-by homes. Children as young as 1 year were taken. A third attack on Žuguri border post was called off when the NKVD realized that they were spotted.
332:
The incident in fact consisted of three separate nearly simultaneously launched attacks on
Latvian border posts by Soviet forces at the early dawn of June 15, 1940. Two border posts were actually attacked while another already ongoing attack was suspended. As a result, 3 border guards and 2 civilians
401:
who acted according to supplementary instructions and hailed at the attackers. One of the attackers shot a round from his automatic rifle at the patrol guard. After the first shots, the attackers realised that they had been discovered and changed their combat plans for destroying the guard post and
437:
In both Masļenki and Smaili, in total, 37 persons were kidnapped by attacking Soviet troops and brought away to USSR as hostages, of whom ten were border guards and the rest were civilians, including women and small children (as young as one and two years old). 36 of the kidnapped were returned by
374:
and
Latvian territory. At dawn on June 15, there were attacks on three border patrols of the Third Abrene Battalion. One of them - the 2nd patrol of the 1st Company showed resistance and eventually three border guards and two civilians were killed, patrol building burned and many others brought to
424:
On June 15, the government of Latvia started an investigation of the attacks and army units together with border guard were put on high alert. A general mobilization and resistance could be expected however due to the presence of the Soviet military bases in Latvia since fall 1939 such a move was
420:
who was off duty and resting, the wife of the guard and patrol commander
Fridrihs Puriņš (who was not there during the attack), Hermīne Puriņa, and her 14-years-old son Voldemārs. Grīnvalds was the only one who returned fire through a window, but visibility was poor and he could shoot only in the
396:
river, which demarcated the Soviet-Latvian border unnoticed. They surrounded the patrol on all sides. The neighboring house of guard Žanis Krieviņš and local farmer
Dmitrijs Maslovs were surrounded as well. The attackers most likely intended to capture the patrol post without firing shots because
383:
The
Soviets attacked two Latvian border outposts on June 15, 1940 and called off an additional planned attack. The most notorious attack was on Masļenki border post at 02:30, which resulted in death of 3 border guards and 2 civilians and facilities burnt down, as well as several persons being
428:
At Masļenki, three border guards (Jānis Macītis, Pēteris Cimoška, Kārlis
Beizaks) and two civilians (Hermīne Puriņa née. Kalniņa who was the wife of a border guard and Voldemārs Puriņš who was the 14-year-old son of a border guard) were killed by NKVD troops.
362:
Battalion - were stationed along the border. Each battalion was divided into 4 companies, 12 platoons, 36 patrols and 12 reserve patrols. Each patrol guarded a section of the border approximately 3,2 km long.
341:
Before the occupation in 1940, Latvia's border with the USSR was 352 km long. Already since 1920, various military structures had been formed for its protection. The most recent, dating from 1935, was the
402:
shooting all the border guards. Jānis Macītis, despite being seriously injured, tried to reach the guard house. However, not far from the guard house he stepped on a hand grenade which tore off his left foot.
528:
406:
413:
398:
417:
21:
451:
538:
121:
93:
74:
100:
189:
518:
107:
397:
hand grenade packets were placed all around guardhouse except at the front door. Attack was first uncovered by patrol guard
543:
478:(in Latvian and English) (2nd supplemented ed.). Riga, Latvia: Latvijas 50 gadu okupācijas muzeja fonds. p. 355.
89:
326:
162:
483:
140:
78:
114:
438:
Soviets on July 7, 1940, and the farmer
Dmitrijs Maslovs was executed in the spring of 1942, accused of
553:
533:
370:
on June 17, 1940, Soviet
Special Forces units carried out previously planned acts of provocation on
548:
523:
343:
67:
8:
278:
479:
476:
Masļenku traģēdija - Latvijas traģēdija : Tragedy of Masļenki - Latvia's tragedy
303:
359:
512:
351:
204:
191:
36:
23:
378:
311:
285:
259:
393:
439:
347:
333:
were killed; 37 were kidnapped and brought to the USSR as hostages.
56:
367:
322:
392:
At 2:30 am June 15, 1940, 25 NKVD commandos managed to cross the
371:
355:
318:
273:
246:
412:
At the guard house were the acting commander of the patrol
314:
290:
379:
Soviet attacks on
Latvian border guards on June 15, 1940
325:
at the then
Latvian–Soviet border on the eve of the
81:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
502:, Daugavas Vanagu Mēnešraksts, no. 2 (1979), p.16
510:
452:Soviet OMON assaults on Lithuanian border posts
366:Shortly before the occupation of Latvia by the
529:Military history of Latvia during World War II
469:
467:
473:
141:Learn how and when to remove this message
464:
511:
387:
539:Military history of the Soviet Union
79:adding citations to reliable sources
50:
317:troops on 15 June 1940 against the
163:Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940
13:
474:Feldmanis, Andrejs Edvīns (2002).
14:
565:
185:Masļenki, Augšpils Parish, Latvia
321:border posts in the district of
284:
272:
252:
239:
55:
519:Occupation of the Baltic states
66:needs additional citations for
492:
375:the Soviet Union as hostages.
1:
457:
432:
336:
176:June 15th, 1940; 83 years ago
16:1940 Soviet attack on Latvia
7:
544:Borders of the Soviet Union
445:
327:Soviet occupation of Latvia
10:
570:
90:"Masļenki border incident"
265:
232:
168:
160:
155:
425:practically impossible.
300:Masļenki border incident
156:Masļenki border incident
308:Masļenku robežincidents
307:
37:56.96778°N 28.07194°E
344:Border Guard Brigade
279:Border Guard Brigade
75:improve this article
500:Iebrukums Masļenkos
310:) was an attack by
205:56.9678°N 28.0719°E
201: /
33: /
388:Attack at Masļenki
42:56.96778; 28.07194
346:, of which three
296:
295:
228:
227:
224:Soviet occupation
151:
150:
143:
125:
561:
554:Border incidents
534:June 1940 events
503:
496:
490:
489:
471:
414:Valdis Grīnvalds
289:
288:
277:
276:
258:
256:
255:
245:
243:
242:
216:
215:
213:
212:
211:
210:56.9678; 28.0719
206:
202:
199:
198:
197:
194:
170:
169:
153:
152:
146:
139:
135:
132:
126:
124:
83:
59:
51:
48:
47:
45:
44:
43:
38:
34:
31:
30:
29:
26:
569:
568:
564:
563:
562:
560:
559:
558:
509:
508:
507:
506:
497:
493:
486:
472:
465:
460:
448:
435:
407:Pēteris Cimoška
405:Another guard,
390:
381:
339:
283:
271:
253:
251:
240:
238:
209:
207:
203:
200:
195:
192:
190:
188:
187:
186:
147:
136:
130:
127:
84:
82:
72:
60:
41:
39:
35:
32:
27:
24:
22:
20:
19:
17:
12:
11:
5:
567:
557:
556:
551:
549:Military raids
546:
541:
536:
531:
526:
524:1940 in Latvia
521:
505:
504:
491:
484:
462:
461:
459:
456:
455:
454:
447:
444:
434:
431:
418:Kārlis Beizaks
389:
386:
380:
377:
338:
335:
294:
293:
281:
268:
267:
266:Units involved
263:
262:
249:
235:
234:
230:
229:
226:
225:
222:
218:
217:
184:
182:
178:
177:
174:
166:
165:
158:
157:
149:
148:
63:
61:
54:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
566:
555:
552:
550:
547:
545:
542:
540:
537:
535:
532:
530:
527:
525:
522:
520:
517:
516:
514:
501:
498:V.Grīnvalds,
495:
487:
485:9984-9332-9-6
481:
477:
470:
468:
463:
453:
450:
449:
443:
441:
430:
426:
422:
419:
415:
410:
408:
403:
400:
399:Jānis Macītis
395:
385:
376:
373:
369:
364:
361:
357:
353:
349:
345:
334:
330:
328:
324:
320:
316:
313:
309:
305:
301:
292:
287:
282:
280:
275:
270:
269:
264:
261:
250:
248:
237:
236:
231:
223:
220:
219:
214:
183:
180:
179:
175:
172:
171:
167:
164:
159:
154:
145:
142:
134:
131:November 2019
123:
120:
116:
113:
109:
106:
102:
99:
95:
92: –
91:
87:
86:Find sources:
80:
76:
70:
69:
64:This article
62:
58:
53:
52:
49:
46:
499:
494:
475:
436:
427:
423:
416:, the guard
411:
404:
391:
382:
365:
358:and the 3rd
340:
331:
299:
297:
260:Soviet Union
233:Belligerents
137:
128:
118:
111:
104:
97:
85:
73:Please help
68:verification
65:
18:
208: /
40: /
513:Categories
458:References
433:Kidnappees
354:, the 2nd
350:- the 1st
348:battalions
337:Background
196:28°04′19″E
193:56°58′04″N
101:newspapers
28:28°04′19″E
25:56°58′04″N
440:espionage
446:See also
372:Estonian
368:Red Army
181:Location
161:Part of
319:Latvian
304:Latvian
115:scholar
482:
360:Abrene
356:Zilupe
323:Abrene
312:Soviet
257:
247:Latvia
244:
221:Result
117:
110:
103:
96:
88:
394:Ludza
352:Dagda
122:JSTOR
108:books
480:ISBN
315:NKVD
298:The
291:NKVD
173:Date
94:news
77:by
515::
466:^
442:.
329:.
306::
488:.
302:(
144:)
138:(
133:)
129:(
119:·
112:·
105:·
98:·
71:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
