Riots Over Removal of WWII Statue

Estonia-Russian tensions have been high over clashes about the fate of a Russian monument that Estonians say is a symbol of Soviet oppression.

Estonian officials came to a final decision on April 26, 2007, after the WWII monument to Soviet soldiers in Tallinn was sealed off. Estonians were shocked at Russia's "meddling" in the Baltic State's internal affairs. More an upheaval over Estonia's assertion of autonomy than a perceived slight, the situation escalated when the monument was finally removed.

Two nights of rioting ensued after the statue's removal and subsequent "disappearance." Estonian officials are not saying where the statue is being held, but assure Estonians and Russians that the monument will be moved to the Defence Forces Cemetary in unharmed condition. Riots left shops looted, over 150 people injured, at least one person dead, and hundreds under arrest.

Provacations made (accuses Estonians) or not made (weakly defends the Russians) are other facets to this seemingly juvenile, but deadly serious game. It is still easy to maintain that this Russian-Estonian disagreement is not about the monument, but about larger issues faced by the budding Baltic State and by the ethnic Russians living there. The Estonians want all memory of Soviet occupation erased; the ethnic Russians feel they are discriminated against . . . and given the heat being felt in either country, they probably are.

Estonians feel justified in removing the monument, but it is worth exploring whether or not they feel justified in discriminating against Russians. After years of Soviet oppression, the tables are now turned, and some people probably feel that any inequalities Russians experience while living in Estonia is exactly what they had coming to them. Russia, too, smarts over the blatant invalidation of the part they played during WWII in Estonia; Russians call this war the "Great Patriotic War" in which they fought against Nazi Germany and successfully defended their homeland from the encroachment of the enemy. According to some, Estonians should be grateful!

In the end, it all comes down to having something to fight about, albeit something that represents years of accumulated uneasiness over the status quo.