The identity of military heritage areas of the coast of Kurzeme

Abstract

The coastal landscape of Kurzeme in Latvia is connected with the USSR border and military objects, established in the Soviet Union period that nowadays on losing their function are still on the coast and influence the landscape both physically and visually. These objects can be evaluated in different ways – both different and unfamiliar elements for the coastal landscape, as well as the potential of new landscape development. The research of the factors affecting the coastal development is a key to success for future coastal planning and management, as it helps to identify negative and positive landscape transformation processes, as well as their reflection on the identity of the coastal landscape. In order to understand the role of the military heritage of the coast of Kurzeme in the overall identity of the coastal landscape of Kurzeme, a survey of military areas was carried out by analyzing the physical and visual accessibility of the landscape, identifying the type of the landscape, existing elements, their materials and colour gamma, the current usage and state in common, as well as the emotional side of the landscape – feelings, impressions, atmosphere (sense of place). The information obtained in the survey helped to compile a biography of each of the military area landscapes, also based on the cultural and historical research of each landscape. The comparison of different landscape biographies of the military heritage of the coast of Kurzeme gives a perspective of their inclusion in the common identity of the coastal landscape of Kurzeme and reveals the potential for the development of these landscapes.