Maslenki
Encyclopedia
The Maslenki incident, was an attack by Soviet
NKVD
troops on 15 June 1940 against the Latvia
n border posts in district of Abrene
at the then USSR/Latvian Republic border on the eve of Soviet occupation of Latvia
.
The incident, though mainly known by the name of "Maslenki" ("Masļenki" in Latvian
) border post, in fact consisted of three separate nearly simultaneously launched attacks on Latvian border posts by Soviet forces at the early dawn of June 15, 1940. Two border posts were actually attacked and another commenced attack was canceled. As a result 3 border guards and 2 civilians (incl. one child) were killed, 37 were kidnapped and brought to USSR as hostages.
(Here and further on references to the book of Andrejs Edvīns Feldmanis)
List of Soviet attacks on Latvian border guards on 15 June 1940:
Killed by NKVD troops in Maslenki:
In both Maslenki and Smaili in total 37 persons were kidnapped by attacking Soviet troops and brought away to USSR as hostages. 10 of those were border guards, the rest were civilians, including women and small children (as young as 1 and 2 years old). 36 of the kidnapped were returned by Soviets on 7 July 1940.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
troops on 15 June 1940 against the Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n border posts in district of Abrene
Pytalovo
Pytalovo is a town and the administrative center of Pytalovsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia. Population: Pytalovo was part of independent Latvia as Abrene until Latvia was occupied and annexed by the Soviet Union...
at the then USSR/Latvian Republic border on the eve of Soviet occupation of Latvia
Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940
The Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 refers, according to the European Court of Human Rights, the Government of Latvia, the State Department of the United States of America, and the European Union, to the military occupation of the Republic of Latvia by the Soviet Union ostensibly under the...
.
The incident, though mainly known by the name of "Maslenki" ("Masļenki" in Latvian
Latvian language
Latvian is the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.4 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad. The Latvian language has a relatively large number of non-native speakers, atypical for a small language...
) border post, in fact consisted of three separate nearly simultaneously launched attacks on Latvian border posts by Soviet forces at the early dawn of June 15, 1940. Two border posts were actually attacked and another commenced attack was canceled. As a result 3 border guards and 2 civilians (incl. one child) were killed, 37 were kidnapped and brought to USSR as hostages.
(Here and further on references to the book of Andrejs Edvīns Feldmanis)
List of Soviet attacks on Latvian border guards on 15 June 1940:
- The most notorious attack on Maslenki border post at 02:30, which resulted in death of 3 border guards and 2 civilians and facilities burnt down, as well as several persons being kidnapped. Several persons who were either kidnapped or left behind were wounded.
- Another attack on border post Smaili (Šmaiļi) at 3:00, which resulted in kidnapping of border guards and civilians, including inhabitants of near-by homes. Children as young as 1 year were kidnapped.
- Third attack on border post Zuguri (Žuguri) was called off when NKVD attackers realized, that they were noticed.
Killed by NKVD troops in Maslenki:
- Border guards:
- Jānis Macītis (killed by gunfire and by a planted grenade which tore off his left foot)
- Pēteris Cimoška (torn to pieces by a planted cluster of grenades)
- Kārlis Beizaks (killed by gunfire and grenades)
- Civilians:
- Hermīne Puriņa (née. Kalniņa) (wife of a border guard, killed by gunfire)
- Voldemārs Puriņš (14 years old son of a border guard, lethally wounded by gunfire, died on the next day in hospital in RezekneRezekneIn the 19th century, the population of Rēzekne was 2/3 Jewish. As a result of the Pale of Settlement many Jews settled in Latgalia and were confined to the cities. The remainder of the population included Poles, Germans, Russians, and an extreme minority of native Latgalians...
)
In both Maslenki and Smaili in total 37 persons were kidnapped by attacking Soviet troops and brought away to USSR as hostages. 10 of those were border guards, the rest were civilians, including women and small children (as young as 1 and 2 years old). 36 of the kidnapped were returned by Soviets on 7 July 1940.