Latvia turns Soviet military past into tourist draw
VENTSPILS, Latvia — Bouncing along a dirt track in the middle of Latvia in the back of an old Soviet army truck, breathing a heady mixture of petrol fumes and dust,…
VENTSPILS, Latvia — Bouncing along a dirt track in the middle of Latvia in the back of an old Soviet army truck, breathing a heady mixture of petrol fumes and dust, might not be everyone's idea of fun.But Edgars Karklevalks says there is no shortage of people who find it a delightful way to spend a holiday.Over the roar of the engine, Karklevalks shouts: "Some of my guests find this a very familiar experience from their pasts, but there are also young people who know very little about what happened in Soviet times."Resplendent in an authentic Red Army uniform to match his immaculately maintained GAZ-66 truck, Karklevalks was a Soviet military driver in the 1980s -- and still has the badges to prove his best-in-battalion status.Following Latvian independence in 1991 after five decades of Soviet rule, he opened a guesthouse before hitting on the idea of combining that business with his enduring interest in military vehicles.Now he provides truck excursions through former Soviet tank training zones, and insists that after a hard day's driving a cold beer and barbecue taste much better.Karklevalks also has a ready answer for those who ask whether there is a danger of turning the Soviet Union's half century of occupation into nostalgia."Everything is history," he says.That sentiment is echoed by Asnate Ziemele of the Latvian Country Tourism Association, which has included Karkelvalks's tours in a new European Union-backed project which aims to make the most of Latvia's military heritage sites."Military tourism is positive from the point of view that whether or not the actual sites or events were positive or negative, they are all part of our common heritage," Ziemele tells AFP.A special heritage map listing 60 sites has been produced, but the idea is to build an online database of hundreds of locations to tap the military tourism market that could attract wealthy foreign visitors on Baltic cruises or city breaks."We think these sites have real potential, but locally people don't always see that. It would not r
last modification 2011-07-05 00:00:21
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