Karosta
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Karosta (from Latvian Kara Osta, War Port) is an area north of Liepaja in western Latvia, on the Baltic sea.
Karosta () was constructed as a naval base for the Russian Tsar, and later served as a base for the Soviet Navy. It has most recently come under NATO occupancy.
The base is of tactical importance due to its central location in the Baltic Sea and the fact that it does not ice over in winter. Built on the bare coast it consists of a large man-made harbour including a large breakwater and inland submarine warren.
The army headquarters include czar-era mansions used by admirals, a palace for the czar (reportedly only used once), an impressive Russian Orthodox cathedral, as well as underground bunkers and abandoned storehouses. Soviet-era buildings include many rows of block housing. At its height Karosta was home to over 20,000 people.
When the Russian army left Latvia in 1994 after Latvian independence, Karosta became largely uninhabited and most structures fell to ruin. The area is troubled by high unemployment, street crime and drug problems. Some remaining residents are considered neither Latvian nor Russian and hold "alien passports", a situation romanticised by cyberpunk author William Gibson.
Karosta military prison has now been converted into a hostel (open May - September) and it is possible to spend the night in the guardhouse processed as a prisoner would have been.
