Skrunda 1

Located in Latvia the place is a ghost town, a former radar station from the soviet era that is located 3 miles north of Skrunda. The site had two Dnepr radars and at the time of the soviet collapse it had plans for a Daryal radar being constructed.

Latvia and the Russian Federation signed an agreement in 1994 to use the radar station for four years and then dismantle it. The deadline to dismantle it was 29^th February, 2000. Russia asked Latvia fr an extension as they wanted to finish the new Volga station under construction near Baranovichi in Belarus, Riga then rejected the requests. It was verified closed on 4^th September, 1998 by European inspection team.

5^th May 1995 and American demolition experts blew up at 19^th Storey Tower at Skrunda-1. It had housed a former Daryl radar system, it was one of the most advanced bistatic early-earning system in the world. Bistatic radar is the name given to a radar system that compromises of a transmitter and receiver that are separated by a comparable distance to the expected target distance. The radar system was part of the USSR’s continued attempt to monitor the skies for anything from the west, incoming bombs or nuclear missiles were the threat they perceived to be highest before the USSR collapsed. The demolition brought Latvian’s to the roads to watch it and the event was released, Latvian leaders, diplomats and other officials all took to champagne toasting. The event was sponsored by the USA who were the Soviet Union’s main nuclear rival. It cost 7 million USA dollars for the destruction and US firm Controlled Demolition Inc were hired.

1998 New Year also saw a statement from the presidents of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania urging Boris Yeltsin (Russian President) to complete the withdrawal of their troops as promised in 1994. Skrunda-1 was stripped of its assets and the last Russian troops left in 1998. 60 buildings were vacated, including apartment blocks, a school, barracks and officers club. The buildings were all empty and some have been demolished since.

The Latvian government decided to sell the area as a complete lot, 5^th February 2010 the 40-hectare town was sold at Auction in Riga. It was won by Russian firm Alekseevskaye-Serviss, it lasted only two hours and a bidder from Azerbaijan who pulled out, the winning bidder and runner up then both pulled out. It was then brought by Skrunda municipality in for 12,000 euros and half of the area has been given to the Latvian National Forces as a training ground.

February 2016 the municipality began to admit tourists for 4 Euro per individual but as of 21^st October, 2018 this was cancelled.

Https://iis-db.stanford.eu

Dnepr henhouse – wavelength 1.5-2 metre range.

Www.mfa.gov.lv – Latvia takes over the territory of the Skrunda Radar System, 24.03.2004

lsm.lv – ghost town used as a military training ground. 22^nd July 2015.

There is another ghost town called Irbene, Latvia, that had a secret radar centre, “Звезда» that was abandoned in 1993 after the soviet collapse.

By ScAvenger (Jānis Vilniņš) – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54312072

Hugeunot Cemetery

In St Augustine’s Florida was a protestant burial ground from 1821 to 1884. Prior to American occupation the Spanish city of St Augustine was mainly Catholic and the only cemetery, Tolomato Cemetery, was reserved for that religion only. A protestant burial ground was needed so the new one was opened.

It was opened just before an outbreak of yellow fever, which claimed a lot of lives. It has around 436 recorded burials for the period and though named the Huguenot Cemetery it does not likely have anyone of the sect buried there.

In 1882 Judge Stickney made a business trip to Washington D.C. and was not feeling too well. 5 days later he died, most likely from typhoid and a brain haemorrhage, his body was sent to St Augustine for burial, it amassed quite a crowd. He was then buried at the cemetery.

In 1903 his children then had his body exhumed to be reburied in D.C, George Wells was employed to carry out the task. He had quite the crowd around him as he opened the coffin lid. After 21 the judge was in excellent condition for a dead man. The crowd heard a noise, two drunks were singing and making a scene. They then sprang upon the dead man, Mr Wells managed to get order restored but in the fracas someone had stolen his gold teeth.

Rumour has it that Judge Stickney wanders the cemetery still trying to find either his teeth or the culprits.

Dragsholm Castle

Located in Zealand, Denmark there has been a building on the site for about 800 years. Today it is a hotel and restaurant facility. During the middle ages it went from a palace to a fortified castle and during the reformation it was passed to the crown. From 1536 to 1664 it was used as a prison, for the noble class and ecclesiastical powers then in 1694 Dragsholme Castle was rebuilt as its current baroque style. In 1932 the family line became extinct.

A famous ghost there is James Hepburn, 4^th Earl of Bothwell, he had married Anna Tronds, and then he said he was poor, once they settled, she would need to sell her possessions. Anna had a very unhappy time with him. In 1566 he married Jean Gordon but they divorced 7^th May 1567. 8 days later he married Mary, Queen of Scots.

In February 1567 he was one of the people accused of murdering Lord Darnley, the queens consort. He was acquitted of this and then went on to marry Mary. Mary was no longer on the throne not long after this and with the change in politics he made an attempt to flee to Denmark hoping to get support so she could get back on the throne. He was caught off the coast of Norway and was remanded in prison. Here Anna sued him for abandonment and the return of her dowry.

Bothwell would have got released as he handed Anna his ship, but King Frederick heard of Lord Darnley’s murder and he was instead sent to the notorious Dragsholme Castle. The appalling conditions let to his eventual insanity, a pillar that he was chained to is still there, a grove in the floor shows where he spent the last ten years of his life and then ultimately died.

Digital StillCamera

By Bococo - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19439571