“Bronze Soldier” may still not rest in peace.
Another Estonian provocation disturbes the rest of the “Bronze Soldier” in Tallinn whereas his brother at arms resting in Berlin enjoys the tranquillity at Berlin’s “Treptower Park”.
Estonian authorities permitted “to lay a barbed wire wreath” to the World War II Bronze Soldier statue in central Tallinn, with police providing security for those taking part in the “ceremony.” The next provocation is to be expected on VE-Day (Victory Day Europe) as Estonian officials announced their plans to reserve the square around the monument on VE-Day to prevent WWII veterans who fought the Nazis from holding their traditional victory celebrations at the site.
In my previous entry on this topic, “Remove the Monuments ?” , I have pointed out my view on this affair and tried to highlight the general view in Germany on monuments and cemeteries commemorating the fallen soldiers of World War 2.
Comments to this entry, made by an Estonian national, speak for themselves and can be read in the comment section of this blog. Estonia’s behaviour in this “affair” can, in my humble opinion, be only seen as an act of national disgrace in the aspect of respecting the dead. Abusing memorials to feed exaggerated nationalism or “patriotism” reflects poor credit on Estonia, a “freshman” to the European Union who obviously has not entirely arrived in Europe yet. The question arises whether Estonia will ever arrive in Europe when continuing to display such a “Third World Style” behaviour.
There regularly are protests in national and international newspapers when some demented Nazis desecrate Jewish gravesites or Holocaust memorials. And these protests are legitimate and justified, one of the loudest voices in the chorus of the protestors is mine. So the Estonian nationalists are well advised to not expect me to remain silent when they openly suggest to desecrate a war memorial.
To make my point clear again, so hopefully even the last demented nationalist will finally understand it, my standpoint does not uniquely address this particular bronze soldier in Estonia. I am addressing every monument, cemetery, statue, whatsoever in entire Europe.
I am as much in opposition to the Estonian nationalists on the topic of the “Bronze Soldier” as I am in opposition to any demented member of France’s “Front Nationale”, who might suggest to turn the allied cemeteries in Normandy into a golf course, or any retarded German “Neo-Nazi” who gets his kicks off painting swastikas on gravestones.
The Estonian nationalists should recognize that the profanation of the “Bronze Soldier” is no minor offence. It’s not like spitting on the sidewalk, it’s more like spitting in the face of the dead and I find it difficult to believe that such a behaviour could possibly be a part of Estonia’s national character.
Altough I understand Your concerns about the Estonian nationalists, You might know that there are constant provocations from Russian side, which we, estonians percieve as spitting in our face. And I think that russian extremists outnumber right now their estonian counterparts. However their claims that estonians are fachist, that USSR never occupied Estonia and people deported and killed in estonia deserved it, raises many of us to the feet. So far Estonian police has mostly restricted the access of estonians to the monument in the critical moments. In fear to irritate russians too much, it has been selective to the point, where estonians started to ask - do we have the same rights for expression of our feelings in our own country as russians? In last incidents police sticked to the laws more accurately. There are no good solutions left, but the fools from both sides evidently do not stop, before the monument and the graves are removed to the cemetery. Or do you want our government constantly to supress and arrest these estonians, who generally lost a lot of their family members to express (altough in a somewhat dubious manner) their feelings? Shall we look more european or democratic then? I think that the politicians are aware of the risks of the removal, but this monument has become a voodoo doll and risking it to raise zombies is not pragmatic.
Justifying the own behaviour by saying “Hey look, they also do it” is not the appropriate approach. This only shows that one isn’t any inch better than the “offender” on the other side. Should you have read my lines thoroughly you will notice that I am against any extremism or nationalism on any side.
Basically you are suggesting to abolish basic human values and culture to “appease” the fools (as you call them yourself).
This would be exactly the same as if Germany would remove the memorial for the German resistance fighters in Berlin because she wants to “appease” the Neo-Nazi-Criminals who somehow see this memorial being offensive. One does not bow towards maniacs.
There are quite a few Eastern Europen polititians, e.g. in Poland, who constantly feel the need to score points in their domestic problems by making puns towards Germany. This annoys quite a few people in Germany. Would Germany pursue the course you suggest, or maybe even advocate (?), the normalisation of e.g. Polish-German affairs would seize to exist. This is something the reasonable German government will not, and does not, permit.
I hope you do not suggest that the Estonian government is less reasonable than the German.
My advice to Estonia is to get over the quarrels she has with Russia. WW II is over. The Cold War is over. Realize this. You (the Estonians) are now members of the European Union. Act accordingly or rethink your position and take the idea of leaving the EU into consideration. It is as simple as this.
One final remark: Many Germans have lost family members well after WW II to criminal acts committed by Russian / Soviet soldiers. Not in times of war, long after Germany capitulated. Those Germans came over their loss and today German-Russian relations are better than ever. Those Germans did not forget but they forgave and are not on an everlasting crusade against Russia. I’ve seen the same wish and will to forgive on Russian side. When Germans and Russians can get over the past then Estonians can do so as well.
How does the removal of a war memorial monument to a military cemetery amount to its desecration?
Germany as model? I don’t see this. Yes, they have the Treptow monument, but they also have this:
‘While the handful of surviving Estonian suspects were not even remotely in any positions of responsibility, Martin Sandberger, the Nazi Security Police chief directly responsible for implementing the Final Solution in Estonia was released from prison already in 1958 and is still enjoying his pension years near Stuttgart.’
(Kasekamp 2003)
There were ngos in Germany who tried to raise funds for little pensions, handing over to the Holocaust victims in the Baltic States and elsewhere in the East. Our governemt refused to pass laws that could allow the individual payment. At that time many of the elder were passing away. It was a shame, few years ago.
Kaarel wrote: How does the removal of a war memorial monument to a military cemetery amount to its desecration?
The way the “reason” for this “removal” is advocated / communicated suggests that the monument is to be removed from public visibility and conciousness for (IMHO) flimsy reasons. This does very well, in my humble opinion, classifies as an act of desecration.
What are the exact reasons for the “removal”. Does it cause any danger where it is right now ? Will it collaps shortly and is there any risk it will harm anybody ?
Well, you could move the monument, or you could just live with the circus for years, spending valuable man power and tax payer dollars just to make sure that different groups of Estonian society don’t happen to meet, fight with each other, and become the latest red meat for the Russian foreign ministry propaganda machine.
OR, you could move it a cemetery and hope the situation improves.
Honestly, this isn’t worth the words. It’s a pop culture issue - like the Terri Schiavo case. It remains in the news because it continues to create news based on the most whimsical of events. Some Estonians laid a wreath of barbed wire to the men who carted their uncles off to die in Siberia! Young naive teenagers vow to protect the monument in honor of their dead grandfathers!
It’s a war monument. If someone moved a Napoleonic War monument or a monument to fallen Swedes from the Great Northern War, there would be no cries of blasphemy and no New York Times articles.
This is exercise for the truly bored. Next ->
Please note, that I was not justifying my own behaviour (I even have not been close to this woodoo doll lately) and not even the behavior of estonian radicals. I asked wether it is possible to stop them just saying - hey there, stop! They will continue as long as Russia is continuing its provocative behaviour, and their number is likely going to increase (including possibly “radical nationalists” who are in the payroll of FSB. The Cold War has been restarted and You know well, that not by estonians.. Curb the flower budget of Russian Embassy in Tallinn and payroll of Kremlin Internet Brigade - that would appease the the tension a bit. Since it is not within our reach, the only pragmatic solution is to rebury the bones with all honour, reverence and blessing from orthodox priests. Why are they compelled to have their eternal rest under the city pavement? Why do they have to tolerate this earthy mess? The whole world has its dead in blessed grounds of cemeteries. It is the proven way to avoid them waking up. Only criminals and those who committed suicide, were earlier kept away from the cemeteries. What kind of European morale are You professing?
When I vistited Germany recently I was treated badly by several skinheads. Should I have said: “Act accordingly or rethink your position and take the idea of leaving the EU into consideration. It is as simple as this.” ? Should I have addressed this plea to the whole German nation?
The reasons for the removal.
a) for the right-wing parties it gives a chance to get domestic political credentials (that is the main reason)
b) the tensions around the monument are extremely high until recently,people who gathered at the monument only brought there flowers and drank some vodka. although the latter is a minor public offense (I must say that I agree it sounds a little fascist), no sane person gets irritated of flowers and vodka. the situation changed when the red flags and Soviet army uniforms were brought into the picture (and a person was assaulted at the scene for holding Estonian national flag). If you agree that Soviet army did nasty things to Estonians, you probably understand that it offended very many people - something like wearing a Nazi uniform in Lyons. Or a Serbian one in Zagreb. Then our far-right acticists got their stupid noses out and situtation escalated. Due its location in the town centre, that monument became a regular spot for Estonian and Russian nationalist extremists to clash. And that do not look very nice for non-extremists.
I highly doubt if anybody here thought that it would be possible to remove the monument from public consciousness, so that is not the case. Dismantling it would be a really stupid idea, because people whose relatives fought in war must be able to commemorate the soldiers. The cemetery is also located in the central district of the town, but since the cemetery is obviously a more quiet place than a trolley stop, this location might help to decrease the tensions.
But maybe not. The situation is overly absurd - for 15 years, the Russian poupation did not feel any urge to go around waving red flags and talking about “liberation” and the Estonians did not even think about the statue, all those years. And suddenly - bang, we’re on the headlines. And the arguing goes over what? A piece of bronze. Thing is, we have much more important problems to tackle (and wich foreign press could write about) - the AIDS epidemy and population getting older, for instance.
So most of the sane Estonians are somwhere in the middle. If we let the statue stay, the bullocks between neo-Soviets and neo-Nazis goes on. If we move it - well, thing is, we don’t know what happens then. Maybe everything gets calm. But maybe worse. Skepticism against easy answers is definitley a part of Estonian nature. Mostly I keep wondering how did all this happen. In more paranoid moments, I think that the frontmen of Estonian and Russian street politicians are financed from the same source. Maybe they’re just stupid. For most people, the best solution would be that there would be a possibility to remember the war dead and keep the extremists from both sides out of sight - then there wouldn’t be anything to talk about. So I’m OK with the Bronze Man but not OK with red flags and discourse of liberation.
you’re probably going to delete my long rant so I’m rewriting the point.
a) the Russians will get insulted if the statue is removed. The Estonians might consider this weird, but the fact remains.
b) the Estonians will get insulted when they see Soviet symbols. The Russian might consider this weird, but the fact remains.
So, if both sides could accept both points, we could move on to more important subjects. Obviously I’m not impartial, but it seems to me that the second point is much harder to attain.
Rakamon wrote: When I vistited Germany recently I was treated badly by several skinheads. Should I have said: “Act accordingly or rethink your position and take the idea of leaving the EU into consideration. It is as simple as this.” ? Should I have addressed this plea to the whole German nation?
This is a nice try to give the conversation a spin, but it falls short. Although I regret your experience in Germany I have to point out that the decision to remove the monument (or not to move it) is to be made by the Estonian government, not by skinheads on the road. Skinheads on the road do not represent an entire nation, a government does very well. Should a government apply a skinhead like behaviour (no offense intended) then my point is that this government (and unfortunately the entire nation it represents) fails to meet the standards of the European Union. If it insists to act skinhead like it should very well rethink the membership in the EU.
Kaarel wrote: You’re probably going to delete my long rant so I’m rewriting the point. [...]
I only delete hate-speech, insults and offences. Not people’s oppinions posted in a civilized manner. Would you ever do anything forcing me to edit or to delete your comment ? If so, it would be you to be blamed, not me. I think you are too intelligent to do something reflecting so little credit upon yourself. I do appreciate your input. It helps me to understand your point. Thanks for commenting.
The rightwing extremists in Estonia vowed to blow the monument up, Herbert, not move it a museum. If they succeeded (or succeed) who will be at fault then.
Is it Stalin’s fault, for being such a marvelous butcher?
Is it the locak Russians’ fault, for brazenly wearing the uniforms of an occupation regime?
Or is it the Estonian state’s fault, for not being all knowing and all powerful?
The current Estonian state is 89 years old, but those in government have only been so for 16 years. Those that kept the state legally functional from 1940 to 1991 were old men when government stopped operating in exile.
The Republic of Estonia inherited a host of problems from its predecessor, the Estonian SSR. The Estonian state did not control immigration policy in 1940 to 1991. The Estonian state did not control economic policy in 1940 to 1991. The Estonian state did not control any policies in Estonia for 50 years!
And they’re just supposed to magically pick up all the pieces in less than two decades? Considering it took 50 years to “do” all of this stuff to Estonia, perhaps it would take a half century more to “undo” it?
Altough I do not symphatize wholly with the present and coming government, I would not label their behaviour skinhead-like. Estonians are basically Rehepapp’s (that means pragmatic, even too much). They think - better horrible end than the endless horror.
To claim that Estonian authorities permitted people to lay a barbed wire wreath and even provided security to these people is an outright lie. In fact the Estonian police provided a ring of defence around the monument and suppressed these Estonian nationalists with tear gas. See http://www.kommersant.com/p-10384/Estonia_Soviet_Monument/
Martin wrote: To claim that Estonian authorities permitted people to lay a barbed wire wreath and even provided security to these people is an outright lie.[...]
Well Martin, RIA Novosti has a slightly different opinion on this. You may to want to read this : “Russia warns Estonia against tensions over Soviet-era memorials”
NB: Please read my comment policy page on the top of my blog. The basic rule of reasonable debate is to “discuss the message, not the messenger”. Therefore I removed the weird suggestions and accusations in your comment. Please moderate yourself before posting.
Russian media (especially in this matter) is predominantly fullfilling the orders of Kremlin and is not more trustworthy than Soviet time Pravda.
Yes, Estonian authorities’ permitted to lay a barbed wire wreath to the statue, with police providing security for those taking part in the “ceremony.” Since the radicals were suppressed many times earlier, they simply claimed that it is not legal to deny them an access to the statue.
On the other hand, tear gas was used against the russians who fought police that tried to remove a banner. Attacking police is everywhere regarded as a serious misconduct.
And further - if the bronze statue (and the bones laying uder it) is used as a chess figure in Moscow’s game of regaining control over neighbouring country, should we be let the bad things happen only because of the respect for the dead?
well, Russian media seems to have slightly different opinion on almost everything from Politkovskaya and Litvinenko to Khodrokovsky. For instance, I’ve read from Russian newspapers that there are SS marches going on in Estonia and that non-citizens are not allowed to work nor study here. Both statements are simply incorrect, but if people hear something repeated for long enough, they’ll take it as a fact. You are personally in a more favorable position since you probably also read Western media.
Kaarel wrote: You are personally in a more favorable position since you probably also read Western media.
Yes, fortunately I have a rather good control of 5 foreign languages and therefore am able to read the news published in various countries in the original, not having to rely on translations or the coverage in the German language media only.
I’d say this article is receiving comments and suggestions because it is felt that this is “one of ours”, that is somebody European, who has different opinion. There’s a danger, in my view that continuing as it is - like branding the bearers of different opinions as “nationalists” faces the danger of being perceived as repeating Russian propaganda. Such case will not receive my attention, or, I bet attention at all.
So, let reiterate that:
“Estonia’s behaviour in this “affair” can, in my humble opinion, be only seen as an act of national disgrace in the aspect of respecting the dead”.
Of course, it can, but it is not and we are reading and seeing in the mainstream Western media overviews and opinions, which suggest quite opposite. These can hardly be attributed to the Estonian nationalists. Even though every advise is welcomed and should be noted, very few command moral or otherwise authority to suggest recommendations to the Estonians based on merely them having taking some time of thinking on the issue. Unless it is the Pope preaching to the Faithful, we need arguments. I, frankly see none here.
Heribert,
Much of the Russian media is “informed” by the Russian Foreign Ministry. RIA Novosti is a state-funded news service. It was founded as a Stalinist propaganda agency in 1941. You can go read its history yourself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novosti
As a long-time Estonia watcher, I haven’t read one positive article about Estonia in two years of reading Pravda, Kommersant, RIA Novosti, ITAR-TASS, and the like. Not one positive article. There are no articles about positive economic growth, the success of the IT sector. If it’s about Estonia, it’s to be shown in a negative light.
I mean if the state funds media and informs the media, and all the information in that media about certain former occupied countries is negative - is that not propaganda? If it isn’t - then what is?
Compare coverage of Estonia in the Russian press (always negative) versus the Western press (mostly positive, sometimes critical - see recent editorial in The Economist “Estonia Needs a Smarter Government”).
I read RIA Novosti to find out what the Russian Foreign Ministry is trying to accomplish via its state-informed or funded channels - be they civilian groups like Night Watch, or government funded PR networks - like Novosti or TASS.
Because the ‘Bronze Soldier’ controversy fits so well with this pre-existing propaganda war, it is covered on a daily basis by Russian state-informed media. Because Russian media is also provided in English, it trickles down into English language debates.
If the Estonians had as large an army of state-sponsored PR agencies, their voice would indeed be much stronger than Russia’s. The issue would be flipped. Instead, all you get are quotes from the Estonian prime minister as selected by Russian state-sponsored media.
The Estonians publish limited information in English on the foreign ministry website. http://www.vm.ee
Well Martin, RIA Novosti has a slightly different opinion on this. You may to want to read this : “Russia warns Estonia against tensions over Soviet-era memorials”
Well, in reflecting the viewpoint of RIA Novosti, while ignoring the viewpoint of Kommersant, indicates that the article is not balanced.
NB: Please read my comment policy page on the top of my blog. The basic rule of reasonable debate is to “discuss the message, not the messenger”. Therefore I removed the weird suggestions and accusations in your comment. Please moderate yourself before posting.
Fair enough, I apologise.
However my criticism that the article is a strawman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man) still stands, since it falsely attributes a position (the continued Estonian provocations) upon the Estonian government, utilising an unbalanced news source, then refuting this wrongly attributed position by asking the question: “The question arises whether Estonia will ever arrive in Europe when continuing to display such a “Third World Style” behaviour.”
http://www.vm.ee/eng/kat_200/8225.html
Note: “Serial K” is identical with “Kareel”, obviously intending to flood this blog with comments. This is what I consider “campaigning” and “spamming”. Some “comments” by “Serial K” were deleted. This one is published because it links to the Estonian Ministry of Forign Affairs’s website and I think the words of URMAS PAET, Estonia’s Foreign Minister, should be read. I kindly ask “Serial K” / “Kareel” to rethink his / her attitude and to return to a reasonable behaviour.
“Estonia’s behaviour in this “affair” can, in my humble opinion, be only seen as an act of national disgrace in the aspect of respecting the dead. Abusing memorials to feed exaggerated nationalism or “patriotism” reflects poor credit on Estonia, a “freshman” to the European Union who obviously has not entirely arrived in Europe yet. The question arises whether Estonia will ever arrive in Europe when continuing to display such a “Third World Style” behaviour.”
Heribert, I live in Estonia, but I’m an American, and have no ethnic connections to either side. I simply don’t have a dog in the fight.
But I find your comment above simplistic at best, and smacking of some kind of smug moral superiority at worst.
Reminds me of the mentality of Herr Chirac, that told the countries of E. Europe that they had “missed a good opportunity to shut up.” I guess Estonians need to listen more closely to their betters, eh?
That might not be what you intended, but that’s what your comment reflects to me.
But to the monument: politics aside, it needs to go. It’s a public hazard in one of the most trafficked areas of town. On the good days, it has to have a 24-hour police presence. On the bad days, the entire park, just a few hundred yards from the parliament building and a few feet from the national library, has to be surrounded by barricades.
It should have been taken out in 1991 with all the other Lenins and such, but it wasn’t, because it was under the purview of the local government. In the last couple of years, it’s been nothing but trouble.
BTW, there is no evidence there are bodies there. Just stories. They’re going to excavate to find out in the next few weeks. There are even stories that any soliders buried at that spot where executed for desertion. I guess they’ll find out once they see which side the bullets traveled.
If there are any dead soldiers in the part, it’s pretty well agreed they are buried under the trolleybus stop in the park and not under the monument itself. Now THAT’S disrespecting the dead …
But it’s a magnet for troublemakers off all stripes. Once it’s moved off to the cemetery, it will be ignored like the monolithic Soviet grave marker in Pirita, just outside of town (which actually IS comparable in architectural scale and function to Treptower). I’ve visited it three or four times (it’s on a hill overlooking the Baltic Sea - beautiful view). But I’ve always been alone.
Scott wrote: That might not be what you intended, but that’s what your comment reflects to me.
No, it was not intended that way and I think one has to apply quite a lot of immagination and creativity to read it that way.
Anyway, I do not agree with Mr. Chirac. Actually, I do not understand why you needed to give your comment a spin by calling him “Herr Chirac”. The title “Herr” is German, Mr. Chirac is obviously French. He speeks for France (at best), not for Germany. Ok, I will not apply any immagination and creativity when reading your comment.
Next, the impression I am beginning to gain regarding the “discussion” in Estonia is the following. Some, and I am not saying all, folks in Estonia seem to feel a particular hate for Russia. Well, let them do so, it’s their choice. But now, being a member of EU and NATO, these folks suddenly feel strong and “backed” by those organisations, are now seeing the opportunity to get their case with Russia “settled”.
This is exactly like my youngest son calling for his older brother, to back him and to protect him, so he can comfortably get the case, which he has with that “bully” in Kindergarden (having teased him for quite some time), settled. But my oldest son is quite clever, he tells his baby brother that he will protect him against any unprovoked assault from the “bully” but will not serve as a “protective force” enabling him to become a bully himself.
Well, one could say that this is my very personal opinion only. But more and more people I talk to, all over Europe, are beginning to get fed up with that stupid quarrel about a six feet tall bronze sculpture and are beginning to gain the very same impression. Particularly with the Estonian side in this quarrel.
The incoming spam from Estonia here on my blog underlines this.
People being obviously unable to comment reasonably and without personal offenses and insults to a blog are obviously also unable to solve domestic problems. If they address Russia the very same way they address me, then I am very well able to understand Russia’s point of view regarding Estonia and am more inclined to side Russia in this debate than Estonia.
To solve the problem around that bronze soldier Estonia should act reasonably, should neither bow towards fascists nor towards communists (foreign or domestic), should apply the rule of law and, if needed, bang some heads together. Estonia should let the “bronze soldier” where it is (and where it obviously didn’t bother anybody before Estonia joined EU and NATO) and should finally get over this nonsense.
Would these “incidents” happen in Treptower Park, seeing Neo-Bolsheviks abusing the “bronze soldier” there for their provocations, and Neo-Nazis doing the very same thing a day later, the German authorities would lock up both sides and try them.
Germany would not creep away from such a “conflict” by (re)moving the monument and minting the motto “no monument - no conflict”. Just like I am not running away from the weirdo’s spamming my blog (and having Estonian IP’s).
How much of a mature democracy is Estonia if she’s unable (or unwilling ?) to solve the “problem monument” (which merely is the symptome, not the cause) by (re)moving it. By (re)moving the monument Estonia only indicates that she lacks the democratic and legal means (or will ?) to solve the problem. She is actually running away from the problem. The lesson to learn is: “One does not give in when provoked by provocateurs, one does not look for the easiest way out of a conflict.”
and what about the fact that throughout Tallin, there is hardly anything written in Cyrillic, even though Russians make up about half of the population? I saw two signs: one was that of a shoe-repair shop, but it was very easy to miss, at it was rather hidden over a small basement door, and the other was a poster for a Russian band that was to come for a concert.
As far as I know, it is not allowed to have any public signs in Cyrillic, and to this day, there are thousands and thousands of people who are ethnic Russians who are still not given Estonian citizenship — even though they have lived in Estonia all their lives.
One of the dirty secrets of Estonia’s EU membership — it shouldn’t have qualified, since THIS was one of the problems it was supposed to have resolved PRIOR to membership — but it didn’t.
Regarding the Estonian economic boom: there were so many signs in Tallin mentioning how this and that was supported with EU funding…
I respect Estonians for their dogged resistance against the Soviets, and I sympathize with the fact that they were treated extremely harshly by the Soviets. But — it’s time to move on into the 21st century.
On the subject of Estonia, this is an excellent blog post on the Estonian partisans who fought the Soviets following WWII.
In fact, aside from a few posts on American politics, this now defunked blog has some of the best content of any Russian-themed blog.
Thanks for the link Tim. (I corrected the link and deleted the other comment.)
I corrected the link and deleted the other comment.
Super-efficient administration from a German? Who’d have thought it.
82 million other Germans ?
…dirty secrets of Estonia? Hm, many institutions were monitoring and sometimes directing the law making process in Estonia.
There are many links in the internet describing the observations of various insitutions, like Max van der Stoel who did the monitoring for the OSCE. Birkenbach in a paper for The OSCE:’
Thus, it is noteworthy that the OSCE not only acted upon the Estonian Government, but also upon the
representatives of the Russian-speakers and finally upon the individual members of the community itself.
In particular it tried to defuse tensions arising from administrative problems and misperceptions’. Among others the Councel of Europe was also involved.
Viele Köche verderben den Brei ?
Dear Jens-Olaf, it is nice and kind of you to defend Estonia. But there is no way one cannot notice that Estonia has not lived up entirely to the obligations arising when becoming a EU memberstate. The “Bronze Soldier” is not the best but the presently most obvious example (and proof) that e.g. Burkina Faso is more suitable for EU Membership than Estonia.
Hi Giustino,
greetings from a regular reader of your blog. 2 questions:
1. You say you’ve never read a positive article about Estonia in the Russian press. Yet if I recall correctly, you don’t even read Russian! Doesn’t this rather cramp your critique?
2. As long as we’re talking about Russian articles (even those in English), would you regard this article as being at least balanced in re Rus/Baltic relations?
Thanks.
http://www.russiaprofile.org/page.php?pageid=International&articleid=The_Baltic_Precipice_1173967320
Jens,
please note that nothing you have said has addressed any of the very few points I have made. Most importantly, you do not even hint that the problems i pointed out may have been resolved.
I know all about the different monitoring bodies and involvements by the EU — Estonia got in without meeting a number of basic requirements.
[...] to Blog Posts: English Russia The Bronze Soldier Soviet grave marker removed A Step At A Time “Bronze Soldier” may still not rest in peace. *оссийская Федерация WhirledView: Ending the Soviet Union Links to Pictures: Мастер Судеб и Часов - [...]
heya!
as far as I have investigated (as a hobby or smth
), the problem seems to more or less of misunderstanding due to provocation from Russia:
From web-based newsletters I have read, that Russians have used the monument to supress Estonian freedom by waving Soviet “red-flags” and screeming out anti-Estonian slogans.
To this Estonians responded with their national flags and from that began the problem over the monument.
I don`t think, that Russia is responsible for the problems and lootings there, but they have provoced it severely!
God luck to Estonians and welcome to the EU from Sweden!