Recommended: Neeka on the “riots” in Tallinn
The Estonian government has every right to do what it sees fit with any monument and any grave on Estonian land. There is little doubt that the Soviet regime, back in 1940-1941 and 1944-1953, did its best to virtually decapitate the Estonian nation — namely, to exterminate or exile the educated, the enterprising, the socially active, the rich, the successful, the militarily adroit. That is, Estonia went through the same sort of nationwide lobotomy as Russia did in the 1920s (and, generally speaking, 1917-1953).
It is no wonder that the PM of Estonia, Andrus Ansip, was a Communist apparatchik under Soviet rule. In the Bronze Soldier affair, the ex-Communist PM made every effort to provoke the anger of the Russo-Estonian community. It is worth noting that in the 16 years of Estonian independence, the ethnic Russian community has reacted quite sheepishly to the numerous petty humiliations and provocations by various Estonian nationalists of Communist extraction. Ansip’s remarks that the Soviet soldiers buried at the Bronze Soldiers’ feet were marauders and drunks must have become the last straw, whether he was technically right or not. In fact, we can only congratulate the Russo-Estonian community for behaving so civilly for such a long time; but sooner or later, the pent-up anger had to show. (I also suspect that the “riots” wouldn’t have happened without Moscow’s instigation, which is no wonder, Putin being the same Soviet type as Ansip. No doubt Moscow causes more harm than good to the Russians in Estonia with its yells of “fascism”, “boycott,” and “discrimination.”)
As I’ve said, Ansip is a Soviet-style provocateur, a sterling product of Soviet Estonia; the same can be said of the police who have shown remarkable brutality in the suppression of the so-called riots — which means, in arresting, beating up, and variously abusing peaceable protesters and passers-by. In fact, we have seen the same OMON in action in Tallinn as in Moscow. I have looked at the faces of the unfortunate people lying on the ground in handcuffs (some spent hours cuffed behind their back) — those people look like regular Northern or Central Europeans, not the bloated Russian drunks Estonian papers seldom neglect to mention. Perhaps it is far-fetched, but I’m beginning to get the impression that, as far as inter-ethnic economic competition exists in Estonia, the Russians are not going to yield, and that prospect frightens some Estonians so much that they would do anything to portray Estonia’s Russians in the same light as France’s Muslims.
I find your post interesting, as it contains facts & opinions I haven’t seen elsewhere. But it’s also a bit confusing, as it’s difficult to figure out exactly what you think about this issue.
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We have visited his blog-web and find it interesting, congratulations
There visits ours, the irreverent and iconoclast of the world,
is in Catalunya – Spain
Http: // telamamaria.blogspot.com
Thank you very much for the visit
Excellent post.
Personally I’d say that riots occurred with Moscow ‘exploitation’ rather than ‘instigation’.
Passions in Russia were always going to be inflamed. Still today in Russia, you can’t have a wedding without stopping off at the local war grave to place the bouquets.
I don’t think digging up the grave bothered Kremlin Inc. at all, but it hit a lot of ordinary Russians below the belt.
copydude: I wouldn’t say that “you can’t have a wedding without stopping off at the local war grave to place the bouquets:” none of my friends would do that, for instance. Lots of people still do it, though, I agree. (I’ve been told that in Kaliningrad/Koenigsberg, newlyweds place flowers on Kant’s grave… I even vaguely remember seeing that myself. It’s quite amusing, given Kant’s thoughts on marriage.) Lots of Russians were probably disgusted to see the boots of the Bronze Soldier on TV after the statue was sawed off and taken away under cloud of night — while memorials to the Estonian SS are intact. (I’m not saying here that those SS fighters did nothing but kill Jews and other undesirables; some of them defended their native land, but SS bears rather unpleasant connotations regardless.) The Kremlin, as usual, is both pouring oil on the flame and riding the wave of visceral protest.