The Forbidden City
Irbene was a highly classified Soviet military settlement in Latvia, established in 1971. For decades, it remained a "ghost" on official maps—non-existent to the public and accessible only by special military permits. It served as the housing hub for the engineers and scientists of the secret signal intelligence center "Zvezda" (The Star).
When the Russian military withdrew in 1993, the city was abandoned overnight. Today, it stands as a haunting time capsule of the Cold War, where decaying apartment blocks meet cutting-edge science.
Titan of Radio Astronomy
The crown jewel of Irbene is the RT-32, one of the largest radio telescopes in Northern Europe. With a massive 32-meter dish, it was originally used to intercept NATO satellite communications. Now, it has been repurposed for peace, operated by the Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center to study the depths of our galaxy.
