Russian Bronze Statue in Estonia
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Jan 25, 2007, TBT staff
On Wednesday, the upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, passed a resolution asking Estonia to halt its plans to remove a Soviet-Era Red Army monument in Tallinn. “The Federation Council is highly concerned over the adoption of the law on the protection of war graves in Estonia,” the Russian news agency Interfax quoted the document as saying.
This was a major accomplishment for Estonia's new government. The general population was up in arms over the annual tradition of flowering the monument. Dressed in former USSR military uniforms and parading in the general area with Russian flags, as if the Russians still think of themselves as Estonia's liberators. Pretty bold using the name liberator to an army which, after driving the Germans out, stayed on to loot, rape and commit grave crimes against Estonians.
These Russians are actually Estonian citizens (according to their passports that is), who most of the time enjoy their lifestyle in Estonia. Must be that, cause they don't seem to want to return to the Motherland :eek: )
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The leader of the Nashi (Russian) movement, Vasily Yakemenko, told the media present that if the bronze statue of a Soviet soldier in Tallinn is removed, then Nashi activists will start going to Estonia and take turns standing guard on the monument's former site garbed in military uniform.
While the Russian Federation Council claimed that tearing the statue down would create more divisions in society, the Estonian Prime Minister defended the decision and said just the opposite.
“What respect are we talking about if crowds keep treading on the grave, hold rallies, drink vodka or wait for a trolleybus there? This goes against Estonians' idea of the place of eternal rest of the dead,” he said.
The prime minister added that the bronze statue of a Soviet soldier at Tonismagi in Tallinn has become a monument which is dividing the nation instead of uniting and consolidating it.
Statue of un-known soldier is part of this narrative building.
Hey Kaur !
Did you know that your Cousel ID is actually an Estonian Male's first name ?
In April of this year I will celebrate my 12th year of living and working in Estonia. Not some US Embassy employee hiding behind the "magic forcefield" of the Embassy walls, but right there with everybody. 5 years in the Ministry of Defense and in April, 5 years with the Rescue Services Special Demining Center and Northern Bomb Group.
That said, I can tell you that you will never convince Estonians that anything good will come out of this.
Yes, I am well aware of Estonia's history and Russia's use of "labor Migrants" to offset those Estonians sent to Siberia. I worked right along side of a man at the MOD, now in his early 80s. He was one of those sent to siberia. He cannot for a second explain what happened without breaking into emotional tears and has to sit down.
That's but one of how many ?
This is why I concur with sending that bronze thing back home. The Russian government may need to rethink the situation, before the Estonian public does the dirty deed themselves. Cheap economic threats by the Russians won't work, they depend on Estonia and the trade from Russia is less than 10 percent, thus nothing more than words and indeed a cheap threat.
Lastly, regarding the inability to learn Estonian after 50 years, is just Bravo Sierra. I learned Estonian in 13 weeks in Arlington. I have taken and passed the Estonian Living and Working Permit exam 7 times.
Regards, Stan
Olen Nõus (errr, I agree)
Tervist Kaur !
Ei tea miks, aga ma ju arvansingi, et olete Eestlane :cool:
A slightly refreshing approach. I am often used as a perfect example of integration. But then, I take my life and job seriously and my collegues at work expect me to pull my own weight, even if it means in another language and culture.
Regards, Stan
The Bronze Soldier Soap Opera
http://www.citypaper.ee/paper/articles/1511/
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On a television near you.
This week, Estonia’s parliament deliberates a draft law which would allow penal measures to be applied when symbols of the Soviet Union, Communist Party, and Hitler-era Germany are used knowingly to disturb public order. The Russians, obviously, are not pleased, since the law would seem to enable the immediate removal of The Bronze Soldier monument.
This otta be good ! It will also be a problem; Estonia's 3 chapters of skinheads will have to do something with all those tattoos (from head-to-toe), clothing embellished with "ESTLAND" (Former German military embroidered sleeve emblems from the "era" in question and SS (Super Stock of course).
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According to the Russian newspaper, Kommersant, Russian President Vladimir Putin, when meeting the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, remarked: “Aah, Estonia! Estonia wants to win a seat in the front row and gain some sort of advantages on that basis.” Putin reminded Merkel of the German government’s decision to remove the monument of the liberator from Berlin’s Treptow Park, a decision which was not carried out.
Does this mean we have to wait for Germany to go (move bronze) first ?
Regards, Stan
A reasonable Russian PM !
Jan 30, 2007, By TBT staff
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17224/
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Russian foreign minister opposes sanctions against Estonia
TALLINN - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he is against imposing sanctions against Estonia in response to plans to relocate the Soviet Bronze Soldier monument.
"Our reaction must be robust and firm, and be aimed at mobilizing public opinion and the political position of European countries in the first place, in order to not permit this kind of blasphemous attitude toward the memory of those who fought against fascism," Interfax news agency quoted the Russian minister as saying.
"However, I would not resort to reacting with sanctions. We are not dependent on Estonia to any such degree as to fear sanctions. Simply we need to put our actions into correlation with the position of those constructive, sensible forces that exist in Estonia," Lavrov said.
This sounds somewhat strange for us here at ground zero, being they had just threatened sanctions and now a reversal ?
Regards, Stan
Russian official slams Estonia
www.baltictimes.com
Feb 07, 2007 By TBT staff
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MOSCOW - Sergei Ivanov, Russia’s deputy prime minister and minister of defense, on Wednesday repeated his criticism of the possibility that Estonia would relocate the Bronze Soldier monument.
“We called things by their right names. I, for instance, called it state vandalism,” Ivanov was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying after a meeting by the State Duma (Russia’s lower chamber of parliament).
Ivanov argued that political posturing ahead of certain internal political events, a vague reference to the upcoming national elections in March, lay behind Estonian authorities’ decision.
Putin: Return buried soldiers to Russia
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for the remains of fallen Soviet fighters buried under Tallinn’s Bronze Soldier monument to be returned to Russian soil. “If it comes to the demolition of the monument and the reburial of our soldiers’ sacred remains, we are ready to propose to the present Estonian leadership to rebury them in the territory of the Russian Federation,” Putin told the Interfax news agency.
Putin’s comments are a tad premature. The Estonian government is still divided on the issue (The Center Party votes to keep the Bronze thing, while the opposition parties and Reformists (lead coalition partner) want it gone. Parliament passed laws permitting the relocation, but no decision to act on those laws has been made.
Hmmm, who cleans the bird droppings ?
Putin would later point out:
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“In many states of Europe, the monuments to Soviet soldiers are not simply standing, they are even, I’m ashamed to say, looked after better than we do it in Russia,” Putin said.
A Step At A Time - The Victory Symbol
Mari-Ann Kelam comments on the recent and current controversy surrounding the removal of the Soviet war monument in the Estonian capital, Tallinn:
Sunday, 18 February 2007
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So often the media emphasis is on what Estonia is or is not doing with the Soviet victory symbol. The focus should be on Russia and its behaviour in this situation. With its vacillating the current Estonian coalition government (Reform, Center and People’s parties) has not handled the problem at all well. But when you really think about it, why should a huge country like Russia raise such a protest, threaten a small neighboring sovereign nation to retain one Soviet statue, a reminder of 50 years of occupation?
Absurd on the face of it, but this shows clearly how today’s Russia is still very much living in and glorifying its Soviet past. Putin’s Cold War style speech in Munich just confirms the situation.
A gang of bandits, Nazis, was expelled by another gang - Soviet troops.
Analyst: Soldier fails to sway election
Looks like he's staying in Estonia :mad:
Feb 21, 2007
By Joel Alas
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17358/
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TALLINN - Toomas Hendrik Ilves was forced to make his first major decision as president when he last week vetoed a bill that would have forced the removal of the Bronze Soldier monument. The decision was considered inevitable – the bill that sought the statue’s removal was deemed unconstitutional. Its passage through parliament was read only as a populist play ahead of an increasingly divisive election.
If they are in power, we could see bulldozers moving in
Reformists pull off surprise victory, consider dumping Centrists
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17446/
Mar 07, 2007
By Joel Alas
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The result may finalize one of the most contentious issues in Estonia – the Bronze Soldier monument. The election was seen on one level as a referendum on the Bronze Soldier. While Reform and IRL were outspoken in their desire to see the Soviet statue removed, the Center Party was adamant that it should stay.
Pettai said if Reform and IRL form a government, the fate of the soldier was sealed.
“They were clearly keen on removing it. If they are in power, we could see bulldozers moving in,” Pettai said.
Preparations for the relocation of the monument
It may truely be on its way home following a Russia vs Estonia football match.
Sadly, Estonia lost 2 nill :(
Estonian prime minister says relocation of Soldier Liberator monument to begin soon :D
http://shaan.typepad.com/shaanou/200...an_prime_.html
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TALLINN - Preparations for the relocation of the monument to the Soldier-Liberator in Tallinn are under way in Estonia, Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said on Thursday.
"The commission for military burials has made its proposals, preparations are under way," Ansip said.
He noted that the parties to be included in his future coalition government have not discussed the issue. "This is not a subject for coalition talks," he said.