Estonia dismantling Soviet monuments in pro-russian city of Narva

In the Estonian city of Narva, the authorities started dismantling the tank monument in the morning

ERR reports.

As noted in the publication, the government of Estonia decided to remove not only the tank but also the rest of the Soviet monuments in Narva and the city of Narva-Jõesuu.

The police introduced a curfew near the monuments to ensure security,.

Therefore, the road to them is closed for traffic and pedestrians. The police stand at the borders and check documents.

Local journalists report a calm situation on the ground and the absence of civilians.

According to the head of the Narva police department, Indrek Püvi, the police restricted the movement of people near the Narva tank and nearby monuments.

"We are creating a perimeter around the three military monuments of the Soviet Union on the Narva-Narva-Jõesuu road for their safe movement. This means that it is forbidden to be in the area.

And cars are forbidden to pass or park. The prohibited zone is clearly marked with road signs.

There are police officers there who will tell people how to get around it if necessary," Püvi explained.

On Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Minister of the Interior Lauri Läenemets, Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu, and Director General of the Department of Police and Border Protection Elmar Vaher held an extraordinary press conference regarding the dismantling of the monuments.

After all, dismantling turned out to be a sensitive issue.

Kallas noted that after the start of the war on the territory of Ukraine, Soviet military monuments in the public space of Estonia ceased to be just a local problem.

"None of us wants an aggressive and militarily hostile neighbor to inflame tensions in our country.

According to the Constitution, the principal value of the Estonian state is internal peace.

One of the main tasks of the state is the protection of the internal and external world. We will not allow russia to use the past to destroy Estonia's inner peace," she said.

"Given how quickly tensions and confusion surrounding the memorials in Narva are growing, we must act quickly to ensure public order and internal security.

That is why we in the government have decided to remove the war monuments from their current places, to prevent them from further inflaming hatred in society and tearing up old wounds.

A neutral grave marker will be installed on the mass grave of those who died in the Second World War in Narva. It will continue to be a worthy place for commemorating the fallen," Kaja Kallas added.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the need to focus on a shared future.

Reference

The Soviet tank is one of the most famous symbols of the Soviet occupation of Estonia.

It is located in the city of Narva, the vast majority of whose residents (more than 80%) are ethnic russians, and about 36% have russian citizenship.

The mayor of Narva, Katri Raik, spoke out against the transfer of the Soviet tank monument, calling it part of the identity of the local russian-speaking population.

Amid discussions about dismantling the monument, local residents began to stand in line near it so that it would not be moved.