Cattle at Piiri Missile Base
The pasture of the local cows was close to the missile base.
Local cattle pastures were situated near to the missile base.
One time the herd entered the base, where the men were preoccupied with building the hangar for the nuclear warhead missiles and had left the wire fence open. The soldier posted there let the local women in to get their cattle back, but not the man who had come along with them. Having recovered their cattle, the women took their leave, only for the alarm to be rung, with the soldier threatening to arrest them all. After these threats were made the women were allowed to go, but the cattle had to vacate the premises via the front gate: the soldiers weren’t having them wandering around the missiles again.
Rita Valge interview with Rinsi village resident in 2015.
Related objects
Piiri Missile Base
This former missile base is situated on state forest land in Piiri on the island of Muhu.
It was completed in 1963. To neighbouring village Liiva the missile base for S-125 system was established at the end of 1960s.
The air defence missile division was designed to defend the western border of the Soviet Union. The division comprised around 16 officers and 60 conscripts. The base had an electric generator, a bunker, a command centre and hangars for S-75 missiles. There was also a separate hangar, presumably for a 3 nuclear warhead missile (probably an OTR-21 Tochka) missiles.
The missile hangars, the garages, the bunkers and the ruins of the command centre and a pillbox with firing holes are what remain of the base today.
