PLOKSTINE MISSILE BASE // ROCKET BASE LITHUANIA // COLD WAR MUSEUM
COLD WAR MUSEUM
The former underground missile base is newly opened after the reconstruction and hosts the Cold War Museum (reconstruction funds were allocated from the European Structural Funds). Tourists can visit the underground and the missile silos labyrinth and get knowledge of the Cold War period, propaganda strategies, consequences of the nuclear explosions and the life in the military base.
PLOKSTINE MISSILE BASE
At the time when the United States started building underground military bases, it was decided that the Soviet Union had to maintain its military advantage. For that reason in September 1960 in the village of Plokščiai the Soviets started rapid construction of an underground military base, one of the first in the S. U. The shore of the Plateliai Lake and the Plokštinė forests were perfectly suitable for the construction of the military base. The chosen location for the base was located160 m above sea level, the soil was easy to excavate and the local population was small. The local inhabitants were poor farmers who were paid 4.5 thousand rubles to move their farms. Further, from this location all of the Europe could be covered by the missiles, which could reach Turkey and southern European countries.
Ten thousand soldiers, mostly Estonians, constructed the base. The missile silos were dug out with shovels which took approximately 6-8 months. Simultaneously, in the centre of the four silos they excavated a large hole for the support structures – electrical and radio stations, control rooms and recreation areas for the soldiers who would be on duty. All of these underground facilities were waterproof and covered with earth. They were constructed in the way that under normal conditions the personnel could survive in the silos for 15 days or 3 hours in extreme conditions with the silos hermetically sealed. A 2.5 km water trench was dug to the Plateliai lake, and a water pump station was constructed. The earth which had been excavated was used to lay the foundation for the new road to Plokštinė. Earlier travellers had to get to the base by going through Jogaudai. On December 31, 1962 the construction was completed; at 10 p. m. – just before the New Year – the “rocketeers” accepted their military duties.
Four R12 nuclear missiles, 23 meters high, including the 4 meters warhead, were installed in the silos. The rockets were fuelled with a mixture of kerosene and nitric acid. They were intended to last 10-15 years; in Plokštinė they were changed once in 16 years. The rocket launching facilities were guarded by 6 security systems including barbed wire, alarms, 1700 volt electric wires, etc. The rockets were aimed at different western countries: Norway, Great Britain, Spain, West Germany and Turkey. Every 3-4 years the targeted countries were changed.
Eight missile warheads were stored in the ammunition depot in Plokštinė. Extra rocket carries were stored in the ammunition depot specially build in the nearby Šateikiai. Šateikiai also had eight surface missiles which had been deployed the year before those in Plokštinė.
Aukstaitija National Park. Lithuania
Aukstaitija National Park. Lithuania 2001
Aukštaitija National Park is a national park in north-eastern Lithuania, about 100 km north of Vilnius. Established in 1974, it is the oldest of the five national parks in Lithuania. At first it was named Lithuanian SSR National Park to emphasize that it was the first such park in the republic. In 1991 four other parks were established and were named after ethnographic regions of Lithuania. The park was renamed after Aukštaitija.
The park covers 405.7 km². Ignalina district municipality controls about 50% of the area. Utena and Švenčionys district municipalities control 25%. Strictly protected areas occupy 2.1%. One can enter this territory only accompanied by a park employee. More than 70 percent of its area is covered by woods. 80 percent of woods are pine stands, some reaching 200 years old.
Aukstaitija National Park. Lithuania
European Destination of Excellence 2008. 10 Counties of Lithuania. EN.
Soviet Nuclear Missile Base - Cold War Museum - Lithuania
Plokštinė underground ballistic missile with thermonuclear cartridge base (Lithuanian: Plokštinės raketų bazė) was a missile base of the Soviet Union (1960 - 1989). It was built near Plokščiai village, 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of Plungė, in sparsely populated Plokštinė forest near Plateliai Lake, Samogitia, Lithuanian SSR. This is the first nuclear missile base of the Soviet Union, an underground R-12 Dvina ballistic medium-range missile base. In 2012, the Cold War Museum was opened at the site.
Roadtrip: Lithuania. Summer 2013
A nice summer road-trip to Palanga in Lithuania. Also featuring places like Nida, Šventoji, Kryžių kalnas and of course the famous sunset at the Palanga beach.
Pasvalys
Pasvalys, Pasvalio rajonas, Panevėžio apskritis
*** DJI Spark Drone *** Lithuania - Aukštaitija National Park - Kretuono Lake
Lietuva - Aukštaitijos nacionalinis parkas - Kretuono Ezeras - saulėlydis
Lithuania - Aukštaitija National Park - Kretuono Lake - Sunset
Litwa - Park Narodowy Aukštaitija - Jezioro Kretuono - Zachód słońca
Music: Dexter_Britain_-_05_-_Seeing_The_Future (freemusicarchive.org)
Roadtrip Lithuania E2: Kernave & Kaunas. (AIESEC in ISM)
Finally we are on the bus! Join our adventure on this amazing bus and travel with us all around this beatiful country.
RoadTripLt.com
Facebook.com/RoadTripLt
Instagram.com/roadtriplithuania
facebook.com/AIESEC.in.ISM
We thank for:
Vasaros Terasa (for hosting our opening event)
Bands: Alive Way and Elle G
expedition.lt (for providing us with camping equipment)
Kerniaus baras (in Kernavė)
Visuomenės Harmonizavimo Parkas (for great accomodation, spa, food and tours)
Forto Dvaras
Diving in Asveja, Lithuania
Lake Asveja in Lithuania. Length - 29km, width - 880m, maximum depth - 50,2m, average depth - 14,7m.
Indianapolis Lithuanian School Trip to Chicago - 2013
Indianapolis Lithuanian School Trip to Chicago