One of the bunkers of Lieutenant Roberts Rubenis' battalion has been restored near Usma. To experience the real taste of battles, you can go with Andrejs Ķeizars to the restored camp of the 2nd company of the Rubenis battalion in the forest near Lake Ilziķi, near the former Ilziķi houses. Together with his story and a sip of a medicinal drink, the dramatic events of the autumn come to life. He offers two routes. The shortest is a trip to the bunker, the longest - a trip along the Rubenis battalion's battle routes, i.e. in the direction of Renda. The second is definitely more beautiful in autumn.
Meanwhile, in Ugāle, in "Silmači", the Rubenis Battalion Memorial Museum has been opened.
Historical facts
From November 1944 to December 14, 9, fierce battles took place in the Ugāle, Usma, Renda and Zlēki parishes between parts of the German 16th Army, SD and SS units (under the command of Police General Friedrich Jekeln) and a separate battalion of the Kureli unit, commanded by Lieutenant Roberts Rubenis. The Rubenis were a well-armed and organized military unit - over 600 men, who were aware that they were outside the two hostile occupying powers as a national force. The battle they fought was the most extensive and longest in the entire history of the Latvian national resistance movement.