INFORMATION CONCERNING THE PAGASTA (DISTRICT) OF NITAURE, LATVIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000400270008-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 17, 2013
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: April 5, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Affrsyied for Release_ 2 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400270008-9
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR (Latvia)
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
Information Concerning the Pagasta (District)
of Nitaure, Latvia
DATE
ACQUIRED BY SOU
DOE OF INFORMATION
THIS DOCUMCNT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTIN4 TNI NATIONAL CCCCCCC
01 001 UNITKO CCCCCCC wirmim /me MEANING Of TITS{ 10. sterloms /03
ANO SOO, Of OHS U.S. CODE ISSION OR SRNS.
Lo/lom OF ITS CONTINTS TO OR RICSIPY NY AN UNAUTHORISED PINION IS
fRONI CCCCC NY LAW. YNI CCCCC DuCTION or THIS room is PROXISITtO.
SOURC
DATE DISTR.5APe 1954
50X1
? NO. OF PAGES 3
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
50X1
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THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATIOts5IOX1
Security Measures and Controls
1. The pagasta (district) of Nitaure, Latvia 5/ ? 04 'North-25? 14' Basil
takes its name from the small settlement of Nitaure which is actually
the administrative center. The pagasta was about seven km wide and 15 km long
ffee.Enclosure (A)7 Being an inland area of no importance, there were
few restrictioni placed upon the Latvian people during the first Soviet
occupation (1940-1941); the inhabitants were permitted to travel freely.
There were no military installations nor sensitive industries in the
pagasta and therefore, there were no areas forbidden to the people. Neither
were there any check points. In April or May of 1941 the Soviets began
to issue special Latvian-Soviet passports to replace the old passports
of the republic, However, these were only given to the residents of the
larger cities and communities. They did not get around to issuing them
to the people in the rural areas; the passports of these rural people
were merely stamped, In June of 1941 the Soviets began to issue a special
type of passport to certain people who were to be deported. These people
were, in effect, standing by for deportation when the Germans invaded the
country. Because of the rapid Soviet retreat, they were unable to carry
out their deportation plans for these people. I do not know of the ex-
istence of any of these passports in the US. There were no special doc-
uments or identification cards issued in the Nitaure area.
Data on the Surrounding Area
2. The terrain of Nitaure is primarily rolling. To the north, north-west
there are small hills and valleys, the hills rising about 120 meters.
The administrative center, Nitaure, is built on a small knoll which rises
about 50 meters or so. Throughout the entire area ,:here were numerous
trees, primarily pine and white birch. To the north, north-west there
were fairly heavy, wooded areas. Then, too, each farm had a wooded
plot. There were thickets scattered throughout the area. Being primarily
farmland, there were many plots of high grass that would be cut in
the fall for hay. The pasture areas were usually of short grass with
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CONFIDECIAI
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400270008-9
Declassified in Part-Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400270008-9
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tall trees scattered throughout. Hazel nut bushes, blueberries, straw-
berries, raspberries and thorn apples grew in abundance.
,Latv-k...M3114.
3. There was no industry in the pagasta; all of the land was taken up in
small farms. The ,ground .has very few .rocks and. is easily cultivated:.
Each farm had fruit trees of apple, pears, cherries, plums rrid some
other serail fruits. Wheat, rye, potatoes, beets, turnips, and most
types of small garden vegetables were the common crops. The growing
season is from about the end of April to the middle of September. Each
fa2-m wa.s fairly self-supporting, having cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens,
turkeys and horses. Most of the farmers made their own cloth from wool
from sheep grown on their farm. There being no railroad at Nitaure, farm
produce for market was taken by wagon to Ligatne for rail shipment to
the lager citiest.
11-. The main roads from Nitaure are, (a) to north-west to Ligatne where it
connects with the Riga highway, the principal highway in all Latvia;
(b) south and. west to Malpils; (c) south to Zaubc ad Madliena and east
to Skujene. The road to Ligatne was paved with asphalt, the only hard-
top road out Nitaure. The other main roads were of sand and gravel
with all secondary roads of dirt. All were about 18 ,feet in width, round-
ed. '?in' the middle, to provide drainage, and ''with shoUlders-of about two feet
sloping off into ditches on either side. The danger :spots were marked
With ntatal signs about two feet 'Square indicating the "type of danger 'with
4 ?caviteA dross road ..etc,; they had no printing on them::: The roa-ds were
1d,iitified by route numbers, howeVer, at 'cross vied's' there
wooden ?Signs ,showing the 'direction to the various towns. Then, too,
when leaving the pagasta there would be a wooden sign indicating the pa-
gasta into whieh. One weS; entering. During the heavy winter snows, travel
was difficult and horses and. sleighs were used ,almost exclusively,
dept for /!i. motor bus which 'traveled to Riga and. in betWeeri paints..
the summertime there was a lot .of yellow dust which robe from the yellow
a use. on t?.3.),a ?r4ds. In the spring and wet Weather the se6bn4ty dirt
ifitit'werg.?-A'reit'Aiiadly except where they had been .graveled'. There was not
too much traffic on the roads in the:Ilitaure area:. There -Were 'hb more
than.teri motor vehicles, incliiding;pabienger oars an44trUckier., All 'other
travel was by horse and Wagon. The Nitaure-Ligatne road. was the mast
traveled. route.lbedane of the railroad aePot at Ligatne: During 'harvest
time there Was, a great deal of local wagon' traffic on all road.s'." "
t
5. I have outlinedetiskrhap the pagasta of Nitaure available on loan from 'CIA Man Li-
brary7. .Ascan ve Been there: was, no apecfal na ttern. The administrative centers
Of eabh pagasta were about seven to ten km apart. The boundaries of the pagastas
were not officially marked. with markers except by the: farmers' living
o such boundaries; they would then place Stone markers- on their ferm.S-
showing the 'pagasta it which they Were located. c' Then, too,ati I have
Mentioned there were road signs showing the boundaries.' The admin-
istrative center of, Nitaure was quite small. Here` were located. the:'
Rilstiano Orthodox Church,. the Lutheran Church, the Post office (:' and tele.-
phOrie...and telegraph, center) the sehool bowie, barber shops; apothecary,
dairy, flour mill, lumber mill, coop store and. the secretary of the dis-
tri,gt......pther than the, people connected with these offices and organi-
zationelhere wire very fe?' other residents. I have drawn the attached
sketch ee Enclosure (A).7 from memory to show the layout of a typical administra-
tive center.
6. About five lou to the west, north west Of the Nitaure .pagasta there be-
gin' a sVampy area,which i's considered the best 'hiding place in all Latvia.
It was, formerly an Old lake and stretches to the west fOr .about 60 km.
There are numerous small, pine covered islets in the Eiwalopy area as well
as high bushes which of excellent concealment both on the ground and.
from the air. Various .types of edible .berries can be 'found. in the area,
mostly. cranberries. Then, too, there ate ,fifah and stiall genie suCh
CONZIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part-Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400270008-9
Declassified in Part- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/17: CIA-RDP82-00047R000400270008-9
CONFIDENTIAL
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rabbits and. some wild -birds. During both the Soviet and later. the German
bccUpatipnavisany people bid .succellefully in this rsempy area.
Locate'd in the ?wit Office at .Nitaure were the telephone and telegraph.
?centrals. The wires were strung mainly along the roads leading to Ligatne
? and to Me.lpils and Zaube. The first electricity was brought to Nitaure
about 19142'from Ma.dliene. Which in turn got it from the main Latvian power
station at Kegums. Previously, a farmer nezaed. Ziemels had. a small wind-
mill driven. power plant. on his farm which provided electricity for him-
self and two Or three neighbors. This was the only electricity in, the
area prior' to 1942. There were no air fields in the page,sta. . The -0113:
airplane that ever landed. in the area was a samll German observation
plane that made a forced. landing near Ligetne. - I recall that it, had. a
great deal of difficulty in taking off because of insufficient space.
However, there were some cleared fields that were fairly level where I
believe small, airplanes could land. and. take off; these areas, would, be in
the '