Tallinn police remove replicas of Soviet memorials
Published: 09 May, 2009, 21:33
Edited: 11 September, 2009, 09:45
TAGS: Anniversary, Conflict
Estonian police have removed a memorial plaque from the centre of the capital, Tallinn. It bore the name of Capt. Ivan Sysoyev, a Soviet officer killed in the battles for Tallinn in September 1944.
On Saturday morning, the plaque appeared on Tonismagi Hill, a site previously occupied by a Soviet war memorial that was removed two years ago.
Authorities say it was put there without permission.
Police registered the plaque as a “find”. Also, they promise not to begin a criminal investigation and give the slab back to its owner.
In another development, police seized a plastic replica of the Bronze Soldier that previously stood in central Tallinn but was removed from the military cemetery outside Estonia's capital in 2007.
The relocation back then sparked mass riots that were violently suppressed by authorities. One person died in the unrest.
Those defending the Bronze Soldier saw it as a tribute to soldiers who liberated Estonia from the Nazis during World War Two.
However, many Estonians saw it as a symbol of Soviet occupation.
09.05.2009, 20:54
2 comments
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09.05.2009, 22:10
17 comments
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There were no battles for Tallinn in 1944. The Germans evacuated most of their military by September 18, the Soviets arrived on September 22. The soldiers originally buried on Tõnismägi died elsewhere, and in some cases were exhumed and reburied on Tõnismägi. It's a powerful myth that resembles what happened in Berlin, so it is familiar to many, but it's still a myth.
Here are some comments on the article to help set it in an accurate context: (1) On May 9 there were large and entirely peaceful commemorative gatherings by predominantly Russian people at Soviet war memorials in the Estonian cities of Narva and Tartu, as well as in other centres. These passed without any incident whatsoever. (2) There are many Soviet war memorials in Estonia (I have personally seen a particularly impressive one on the island of Saaremaa) which are completely undisturbed and unmolested by anyone. (3) The reason that the Bronze Soldier memorial in Tallinn was re-located two years ago was not because it was a Soviet war memorial, but because it was used as a focal point of Russian agitators flying not even Russian but Soviet flags, and thereby conveying the message that the Republic of Estonia should not exist. Because of the offense which this offered and the divisions it produced to society, the matter was solved by re-locating the statue and re-dedicating it as a monument to all people of all nationalities that died in warfare in Estonia. (4) Because the placing of an unauthorised replica of the statue back in its old location could re-ignite these societal divisions, it was quickly and entirely peacefully removed by authorities. (5) RT points out that the Russian riots of two years ago (scarcely “mass riots”, since only an extremely small portion of Tallinn’s Russian population participated, limited almost entirely to drunken youths) were “violently suppressed by authorities” at the time. Perhaps RT could provide balancing examples of riots in Russia that were suppressed by authorities other than violently? It is the nature of rioters that one cannot discuss philosophy with them. However, there were no serious injuries caused by authorities, and the only death to occur was that of a Russian rioter by stabbing, caused by another rioter or rioters. Incidentally, the dead youth was found with looted goods in his pockets that had been taken from a nearby smashed shop window. Which, while not a reason for him to die, was likewise not a symbol of Russian patriotism. (6) Estonians experienced no liberation in 1945, when totalitarian Soviet invaders pushed out the totalitarian Nazi invaders. However, Estonians do not begrudge Russians to remember their fallen as long as they don’t join their commemoration with gestures to the effect that free Estonia should not even exist. That would be mirroring the stance of the Red Army too closely.
i was born in Estonia and have some estonians friends, but russians or people other nationality were not in the same level of the life most estonians were in better positions... when i was in high school, i was feeling more this differents... when i was a kid, i remeber too, i dont want tell you all stories... thanks for your time