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.[1] 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.[2]
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 | |
| Country |  Latvia |
| Municipality | Ventspils Municipality |
| Parish | Ance parish |
| Established | 1971 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |