| Irbene | |
|---|---|
| Ghost town | |
 Abandoned houses in Irbene in 2014 | |
  Irbene | |
| Coordinates: 57°33′53″N 21°51′46″E / 57.56472°N 21.86278°E / 57.56472; 21.86278 | |
| Country |  Latvia |
| Municipality | Ventspils Municipality |
| Parish | Ance parish |
| Established | 1971 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Irbene is a ghost town in Ance parish, northwestern Latvia. In 1971, the Soviet Union established a secret radar center "Звезда" ("Star" in Russian; later acquired by Ventspils Starptautiskais Radioastronomijas Centrs in 1990s) and built a settlement for military officers and their families, naming it Irbene because of nearby river Irbe. The town had a school, shop, sport and concert halls. However, the town was not marked on maps. Only the holders of a special permit were able to access Irbene. After the withdrawal of the Soviet Army in 1993 the town became abandoned.
References
- Rasmussen, Johannes (2010). Travel guide : traces of the Cold War period : the countries around the Baltic Sea. Copenhagen: Nordic Council of Ministers. ISBN 9789289321211.
- "Vaiduoklių miestas Irbene" (in Lithuanian). niekonaujo.lt. 2010-10-22. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
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