Dear Friends,

During the recent years the so-called Bronze Soldier has been a topic of
considerable interest in Estonia. It is a memorial statue that the
Soviet ideology called a memorial of "deliverers", but for Estonians it
has signified the Soviet occupation and destruction of our independence.
Several times in the previous years the Russian-speaking people have
gathered around it to fly red Soviet flags and offensive and hostile
placards towards Estonian government and people.

After a long discussion Estonian government has decided to conduct
excavations in order to establish whether there are victims of the II
World War buried under the statue; and if there are, they could be
re-buried to a military cemetery (currently there is a bus-station just
next to the statue – already from the Soviet time – and obviously it is
not a proper place for the graves). Abetted by the Russian provocations,
about a thousand Russian speaking youth (mostly teenagers and young
adults) gathered yesterday to protest against these excavations and the
possible re-burial of the corpses (along with the relocation of the
bronze statue that would then be their grave monument on the cemetary).
These people defied orders from the Police to leave, and when forced to
leave the excavation site, vandalised the whole night in central
Tallinn, breaking windows, turning around cars, putting shops to fire
(stealing the goods beforehand) and yelling racist slogans against
Estonians and our country (and hailing "Russia! Russia!"). Many people
(including police officers) have been hurt. One 20-year old Russian was
stabbed to death, assumingly by his own fellow-nationals.

Seeing the rapid developments, our government decided to quickly remove
the statue from its place to calm down the situation in our capital.
This decision was immediately carried out. Also, as a counter-measure,
selling of alcohol is prohibited until 3rd of May.

But the revolt has not ended yet. This evening the young Russians are
again on the streets. Unfortunately a number of young Estonians have
also given in to the provocations and have come to the streets.
Therefore we ask you to pray for peace in our country, as well as for
those young people, that have been persuaded to carry out these acts of
unknown consequences.

Since the Russian official news agencies are bombarding the media with
clearly false information about the events and their background, please
inform your congregation about the real situation here and about our
history.

Estonians do not approve of offences towards the dead, but neither can
we accept public praising of those that took our independence and now
are trying to re-write the history. Republic of Estonia was annexed by
the Soviet Union first in 1940 and then after the German occupation in
1944. During more than 50 years of occupation, about 10% of our nation
died violently as victims of this totalitarian regime. It is impossible
to count the unborn children.

Estonian men that fought against occupants from Spring to Autumn 1944
did not fight for the Nazi Germany, but for the freedom of our country.
In September 1944, the Soviet troops did not enter Tallinn occupied by
the Germans but to the capital of an independent country that had
re-established its independence after the German forces had left. The
Soviet Union re-occupied a free nation! Historians have proved that
thanks to the Estonian resistance – tough, eventualy breached – Finland
was able to maintain its independence, and tens of thousands of refugees
were able to leave safely.

This is a very hard time for us. We are truly grateful for your prayers
and support.

In Christ Jesus,
Jaan Nuga
Palamuse

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