New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Initiative category

Identify the award category for which this initiative is being submitted
Regaining a sense of belonging

Email user
kristine.lace@aluksne.lv

Basic information
Initiative title
Missile Base in Zeltini

Full initiative Title
Positioning of the Military Heritage at the Soviet Army Missile Base in Zeltini

Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.
The Soviet Army Missile Base territory in Zeltini parish, Aluksne Municipality is a public territory owned by Aluksne Municipality. The aim of the New European Bauhaus project (initiative) is to create a high-quality and safe tourism, entrepreneurship and nature research infrastructure and a complex management solution in the territory. Currently 20 ha of military heritage can be seen, partly used as a tourism object and partly for entrepreneurship.

What was the geographical scope of your intiative?
Local

Where was your intiative implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Latvia

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
Aluksne municipality

Does your initiative address mainly urban or rural issues?
Mainly rural

Does your initiative refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
Yes

Which fund(s)?
New European Bauhaus

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Does your initiative has a minimum level of maturity? The minimum level of maturity is exemplified by stakeholder/ initiative promoter commitment to implement the initiative in practice and a clear methodology /approach.
Yes

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As a representative of an organisation
Please provide the contact details for the project promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the project)
- Name of the organisation(s): Aluksne municipality
  Type of organisation: Public authority (European/national/regional/local)
  First name of representative: Kristine
  Last name of representative: Lace
  Gender: Female
  Nationality: Latvia
  Function: Project manager in Aluksne municipality
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Darza street 11
  Town: Aluksne
  Postal code: LV-4301
  Country: Latvia
  Direct Tel: +371 64 322 979
  E-mail: kristine.lace@aluksne.lv
  Website: https://aluksne.lv/
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.facebook.com/aluksnesnovads/
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): @aluksnesnovads
- URL: https://www.instagram.com/aluksnesnovads/
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): @aluksnesnovads
- URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfWaBtmTOuDYpcY9mrsAX1Q
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): @aluksnesnovads3209
- URL: https://twitter.com/aluksnesnovads
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): @aluksnesnovads
In case my initiative is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my initiative in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
New European Bauhaus or European Commission websites

Description of the initiative
Please provide a summary of your initiative
The initiative is currently in the development stage with a minimum level of readiness. Municipality has been received NEB technical assistance support from the call "Support to New European Bauhaus Local Initiatives" for the development of the knowledge base for creation a high-quality and safe tourism, entrepreneurship and nature research infrastructure and a complex management solution for the territory of the former Soviet Army Missile Base in Zeltini. To achieve this goal the initiative has three main action steps. Firstly, to develop the former Soviet Army Missile Base Territory Development Conceptual Plan including actions and tools on how to preserve the military heritage, create sustainable infrastructure for tourism services, create a business-friendly environment and revitalize degraded land to make it attractive to local people and visitors. At the same time, it is important to consider that army training takes place on the regular base in the residential area of the former Soviet Army Missile Base Territory. It is planned that the army training will be organised also in the future. Secondly, to develop the former Soviet Army Missile Base Territory Stakeholder Communication and Engagement Strategy. The current practice shows that tourists are interested in the Soviet military heritage. It is a part of history. With aim to not provoke unwanted hostile emotions of local people and tourists it´s needed to be very careful how to properly promote this territory as an object-without glorifying it but to present it as a testimony explaining the history of the Cold War, promoting public understanding of the processes in the history of Latvia. Lastly with NEB help, to develop the former Soviet Army Missile Base Territory Development Project Idea Delivery Roadmap. Municipality believe that documents prepared as a NEB project result and the knowledge gained from the experts will help the municipality to implement the planned activities into practice step by step.

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.
Multi-functional

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Nature-based

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Military

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Education

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
Culture

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
Focus areas for initiative are sustainable architecture, spatial planning and sustainable land use, sustainable infrastructure for better accesibility and green infrastructure and nature-based solutions. The former Soviet Army Missile Base territory in Zeltini is surrounded by forests, it contrasts with the military environment and vitality of nature. The area is very large-starting with the first checkpoint, the residential area and the war zone. There is no former rocket base in Latvia that can be considered an open-air museum. Depending on the speed, visiting the area can take about 2 hours. It’s growing as nature tourism and as a military heritage tourism but with a wider range of visitors increasing probability that natural ecosystems may be disrupted by human activities. Municipality wants to improve the former Soviet Army Missile Base territory in Zeltini as high-quality, safe and environmentally friendly tourism and nature exploration infrastructure, for example to create specific sections and routes of trails that would allow visitors to reconnect with nature and discover new routes. With the help of NEB team and multi-disciplinary experts municipality currently working on the development of the plan how to create recreational infrastructure (with environmentally friendly materials) such as picnic areas with canopies, etc., to ensure that visitors have meaningful leisure time in nature and in the fresh air which is an important contribution as to physical and as to mental health. A well-maintained public space would reduce chaotic movement, unplanned formation of trails around objects and environmental pollution. An orderly public space would also create suitable conditions for sustainable entrepreneurship and opportunities for local people to develop their business ideas by offering services and goods based on local resources.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The focus areas for initiative are converting the former Soviet Army Missile Base territory in Zeltini into a multifunkcional space (i.e. tourism, business, recreation, education, etc.) and paying specific attention to the historical sensitivity of the Base territory in Zeltini (i.e. place identity and collective memory in the past and nowadays, historical heritage, etc.). The aim of the Base territory is to ensure the availability of military (as well as industrial) heritage, pass it on to future generations and gain commercial benefits. The diversity of landscapes in the Base territory is a unique value - a cultural-historical landscape and a degraded landscape interact. The historical value of the environment is created and highlighted by buildings. Without a sustainable development plan the area is at risk of being overgrown with forests and creating an even more degraded environment. As the Soviet military heritage has recently become a particularly "awkward" tourism offer, a well-thought-out communication materials strategy and identity (brand) development is needed, for example a logo and one design uniforms (winter / summer). It is a very important action which is in the development stage with aim not to provoke unwanted hostile emotions of local people and tourists. It is necessary to develop well-thought-out visual elements that would promote public understanding of the processes in the history of Latvia (as a testimony explaining the territory of the Cold War) at the same time treat it with special carefulness how to properly promote this territory as an object - without glorifying it. In order to make the public space safe and exploratory but at the same time as visually appealing as possible, it is necessary to place in one style and design information stands and indications signs (with environmentally friendly materials) about specific sightseeing objects, activities permitted in the territory, etc.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
The former Soviet Army Missile Base in Zeltini is accessible to any member of society, regardless of age, gender, physical and emotional health, type of disability and ethnicity. With the arrangement of public infrastructure – with the planning of infrastructure improvement works as well as the aesthetic solutions of the territory it will be thought about the possibilities of different communities to come together as well as to facilitate and make their movement through the territory easier. In recent years the municipality has been paying increasing attention to provide the widest possible accessibility for people with disabilities in the public places, thus ensuring the availability of the specific service / assistance / information to every member of the public. During the implementation of projects, if necessary, the municipality consults with experts of nongovernmental organizations representing the interests of persons with disabilities and the former Soviet Army Missile Base territory in Zeltini is not exception. With the help of NEB Technical assistance programme municipality can to learn more how increasing accessibility by applying Design for All principles, removing accessibility barriers with paying specific attention to the historical sensitivity of the Base territory.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative
In 2016, work has been done on the concept of territorial development but it is incomplete to allow the territory to be developed on this basis. Document assesses the historical overview of the former Soviet Army Missile Base territory in Zeltini and current situation (location of the tourism object, existing functions and activities, area and ownership, existing infrastructure, roads and squares, characteristics of the vertical planning of the territory, existing and new constructions, current landscape). With the help of NEB team and experts municipality work to developing a meaningful, extensive and ready for further development work documents. The Base territory development as one of the goals and project ideas is included in the Investment plan of Aluksne municipality Development program 2022-2027. The project idea “Preservation of military heritage, increase of tourism potential and provision of sustainable tourism services” iniciative includes tasks for the Base territory - development of identity (brand) for, creation and installation of navigation system and information stands, creation of new tourism services and creation of tourism entrepreneurship environment, establishment of recreational infrastructure. The development program is a medium-term territorial development planning document created by the municipality which determines the set of priorities and measures, responsible implementers and possible financial resources (including EU funds) for the implementation of the municipality's long-term goals. In the development of the both above-mentioned documents there have been citizen surveys and various public discussions with local residents. Due to the large number of military heritage sites in Latvia various mutual exchange meetings and seminars are organized between the maintainers of the sites. There is a history repository in Zeltini where local residents have shared materials and subjects from Soviet time, as well as their various memories.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.
Core team which participating in the design and implementation of the initiative were engaged from municipality side:
1. Aluksne municipality Planning and Development Department;
2. Administration of Aluksne County Parish association;
3. Zeltini culture house and the guide of the Base territory;
4. Aluksne Tourism information center;
The core team takes cares of development activities and is the main communication point between the different stakeholders. In addition to the core team in the design and implementation of the initiative are invited local people, entrepreneurs, local associations, museums, historians, schools, etc. The core team is responsible for the involvement of stakeholders, it evaluates which field specialists would still be needed to develop ideas for the former Soviet Army Missile Base territory in Zeltini.
The municipality public relationship specialist is responsible about all kinds of news and current activities that affect any municipal issue, incl. all about the Base territory.
Starting NEB supported project there is more publicity about the former Soviet Army Missile Base in Zeltini and municipality feel a lot of interest from various organizations in Latvia, i.e. university, Latvian Union of Architects, other municipalities.
There is political support from the deputies of Aluksne Council for participating at NEB initiatives, an official decision has been taken on 26.05.2022. about the implementation of the technical assistance programme project.
The initiative has an indirect impact on the well-being of society and groups at risk of social exclusion - territorial development solutions are planned for all citizen groups, paying attention also to the creation of a favorable economic environment in the assisted territory. Therefore, if necessary, associations of seniors, the disabled and politically repressed people are also addressed to get involved in the development of territorial solutions.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
The main disciplines and knowledges in the design and implementation of initiative:
1. Aluksne municipality Planning and Development Department (head, project manager and entrepreneurship support specialist). The function of the department is to promote balanced and sustainable development of the Aluksne region and rational use of resources in accordance with the planning documents, to manage the implementation of territorial development planning processes, to coordinate projects.
2. Administration of Aluksne County Parish association (head and, if necessary, other employees of the administration). Association is the manager of the territory and takes care of its maintenance and improvement, as well as provision of cleaning and sanitation of the Base territory.
3. The head of the Zeltini culture house and the guide of the Base territory is a person who leads excursions for those who want to feel the space of history with their own eyes.
4. Aluksne Tourism information center (manager, vice manager) ensures the development of tourism in Aluksne region and promotes the tourism offers of the region as well as participates in creating of tourism development documents and plans.
The core team is responsible for the involvement of stakeholders. Example, if in the activities necessary to find out the memories of the territory and the evidence of that time, local residents are addressed and emphasized. Museum employees and professional historians are invited to participate in activities that require a professional view of historical evidence. Regarding the development of business in the territory special emphasis is placed on those entrepreneurs who already work there, then addressing potential future entrepreneurs as well. The core team is the one that keeps track so that specialists from all fields work as a team and don't overwhelm each other.

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative
After the World War II the Baltic States were occupied by the Soviet Union and became its external western border. Thousands of soldiers were brought there making the region one of the most militarized in the world. The Soviet army Missile base in Zeltini is the most impressive nuclear missile base in Latvia and important evidence of the Cold War. It was one of the most secret objects in the entire USSR. Most of 12 former USSR missile bases in Latvia are abandoned but the Base territory as a unified object is well preserved to this day.
Currently 20 ha of military heritage can be seen, the south-western part of which is a tourism object. No significant improvement works have been carried out so far as a result it’s increasingly creating a degraded environment over time which evokes negative memories of local people about the Soviet time which they don’t want to preserve. Part of the territory used for entrepreneurship therefore it’s necessary to systematically separate the territory into zones so that business and tourism can cooperate and find compromises without reducing the heritage and economic significance of the object.
The territory is very multifunctional therefore the municipality wants to emphasize it especially and to create development plan of the former Soviet Army Missile Base territory in Zeltini including methodologies and tools how can preserve the military heritage, create sustainable infrastructure for tourism services, create a business-friendly environment and revitalize degraded land to make it attractive to local people. Since the area combines both historical and natural values, there is a great potential to use it for educational purposes for students in different sectors (history, sport, art, etc.).

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
From the municipality's point of view the solutions, training and experience of initative will be able to be used and adapted in other places in Latvia and as well in Europe. Soviet military heritage sites are located throughout the former USSR - they are similar types of Soviet army Missile bases, as well as military equipment sites, trails, bunkers, battlefields, military cities, etc. Thus it will be possible to expand or adapt the initiative solutions to other equivalent objects. Solutions, training and experience of initative can be scaled up by creating multi informative base by expanding territory or offering to new businesses relevant to missile base tourism. With implementing the project (initiative) the municipality expects that it will activate the possibilities of using the territory, integrate creativity and new values. Everything found in nature is excellent material for learning different senses. The former Soviet Army Missile Base in Zeltini in its natural form is already a good basis for its use as a place of learning and education. As the architect Christophe Girot said: "Nature is always culture". Developing the Territory development plan, implementing it and revitalizing degraded land to making it attractive to local people, it will be a place for innovative pedagogical methods involving the local community. Place itself is a comprehensive phenomenon of corporeal, sensory and scenic intelligence. By giving the municipality its contribution to the development and arrangement of the place it will contribute to the creation of new multidisciplinary curricula. Any of the curricula, whether its history, sport, art, biology, etc., will be able to be repeated and adapted in any other place, city, country.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your initiative.
The municipality works on the arrangement of the territory and its transformation in such a way that it is safe, in harmony with the local historical heritage and traditions, local features of the lifestyle, etc., it can make a significant contribution to regaining a sense of belonging and made future ambitions for the communities at the local and regional level. It will be possible to organize various events (concerts, fairs), to organize educational excursions, with special emphasis on students, developing a new multidisciplinary curricula. With various activities, the aim of the municipality is to organize the environment so that it is attractive first of all to local residents, so that it encourage citizens to form communities. Of course, attract tourists and entrepreneurs to transfer local knowledge abroad. Creating the former Soviet Army Missile Base in Zeltini as multi-functional space includes integration of different functions in time and space and integration of the NEB values, composing it with military heritage. The main challenges associated with the implementation of the project (initiative) and to which attention is drawn are identification and implementation of the more appropriate tailored solutions, actions and tools for the municipality to preserve/compose with the military heritage of the former Soviet Army Missile Base territory in Zeltini Parish, create sustainable infrastructure for tourism services, create a business - friendly environement and revitalize degraded land to make it attractive to local people, as well challenge is place identity and collective memory, i.e. formation of social and cultural context of the former Soviet Army Missile Base territory in Zeltini. Municipality wants to increase an aesthetic value of this area to support the positive changes in the sensorial and emotional experience of local residents and visitors towards. Position the Base territory as a unique place that transforms and a place in which to transform.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions
The area of the Aluksne county is geographically unified and has a favourable spatial configuration. Its separate parts do not degrade other administrative areas and are not delimited by hard-to-overcome natural barriers. An existing road network provides good internal unity and accessibility. The project idea came to be as part of the strategic long-term vision of the Municipality of Aluksne for sustainable development, i.e. to be (1) environmentally friendly, (2) with the rich cultural heritage, (3) strategically important for tourists and investors, (4) with the diverse small and medium entrepreneurship, (5) with the high quality of living environment. Municipality has defined the following strategic tasks for tourism development related with the project idea: (1) cooperation with neighbouring countries and neighbouring municipalities in the area of tourism development, (2) development of entrepreneurship and tourism service infrastructure in the context of increasing the quality of landscape, (3) development of cycling infrastructure, (4) promotion of the tourism clusters development.
An orderly public space would create suitable conditions for sustainable entrepreneurship and opportunities for local people to develop their business ideas by offering services and goods based on local resources. With the help of the Technical assistance programme, municipality would like to learn more how to transform the former Soviet Army Missile Base territory in Zeltini Parish more sustainably, addressing several place-based related environmental aspects, for example sustainable land use of the initiative territory, sustainable infrastructure for the better accessibility of the initiative territory, green infrastructure and nature-based solutions for the development of the initiative territory, protection of the forest ecosystem in the area of the former Soviet Army Missile Base territory, etc.

Please detail the scope of progress in the implementation of the initiative. This can include already demonstrated results/outputs related to the chosen Prizes category, and the already achieved benefits from the initiative for direct and indirect beneficiaries. This can also include a development plan of the initiative, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application, and including envisaged results and benefits from the initiative
The municipality has had the idea of an initiative for several years - preliminary work has been carried out (analysis of the existing situation and survey of the territory), historical materials have been collected, as an important project for the municipality it is included in the Aluksne Municipality Development program 2022-2027. The municipality held meetings with its specialists, as well as during the development of the Development program discussions were held with residents about different development issues of the former Soviet Army Missile Base in Zeltini. It became clear that in order to develop a high-quality complex development document for the territory one's own efforts will not be enough and an external service will have to be involved. In the spring of 2022, when the NEB call "Support to New European Bauhaus Local Initiatives" was opened, it was absolutely clear that the municipality would write a project application specifically for this territory. Since the project was approved work on the Territory Positioning Project Idea Delivery Roadmap with the experts has been started. Since autumn 2022 several online meetings have taken place to understand our needs in depth and prepare a Technical assistance programme. Together with the experts the main focus areas of the technical expertise have been put forward. In January of this year experts had come for an on-site visit to get to know with the territory on the spot. During the visit the experts together with the municipality project group gathered opinions and ideas about the activities of communication and the involvement of stakeholders during the implementation of the project, identified the most important needs for the development of the territory and the existing advantages as well as discussed how to integrate into the project the NEB core values– sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion. The visit was one part of the Technical assistance programme which will last until June.

Please provide documents that demonstrate the maturity level of the initiative and commitment to implement the initiative in practice (e.g.: evaluation report, final or mid-term initiative report, certification, publications, building permit, grant agreement, letter of support, partnership agreement, etc.)
PDF
PDF
- pdf-1-12355.pdf
- pdf-1-12355_0.pdf
If relevant, please describe how your initiative contributes to developing new competences, especially in the context of the European competence framework on sustainability.
As already mentioned above, the territory is suitable for the implementation of various curriculas - there is opportunity to organize both formal and non-informal education programmes. Linking the goals of our initiative, as it mentioned above, municipality with the help of the Technical assistance programme would like to learn more how to transform the former Soviet Army Missile Base territory in Zeltini Parish more sustainably, addressing several place-based related environmental aspects, for example sustainable land use of the initiative territory, sustainable infrastructure for the better accessibility of the initiative territory, green infrastructure and nature-based solutions for the development of the initiative territory, protection of the forest ecosystem in the area of the former Soviet Army Missile Base territory, etc. By developing a territory development plan, which the local government would subsequently implement, with the help of actively involve different stakeholders - students and staff, local authorities, youth organisations and the research and innovation community, etc., it will be an opportunity to create supportive learning environments for sustainability that span all activities and operations by an educational institution and enable teaching and learning that is hands-on, interdisciplinary and relevant to local contexts.
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below.
- More photos.docx
By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed initiative has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the initiative and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their initiatives, initiative, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted initiative, initiative is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes