Hardly a week goes by without a threat or accusation aimed at Estonia from prominent Russian politicians and/or government officials. They find fault with Estonia’s treatment of ethnic Russians, with Estonians’ reference to the Soviet era as an occupation and with Estonia’s opposition to Russian influence in its former occupied territories.
On November 10th 2006 the Estonian parliament had its first reading of a bill allowing the relocation from central Tallinn of a Soviet monument dedicated to fallen Red Army soldiers who “liberated” Estonia in 1944. For Estonians the memorial compounds the falsification of history. For them the Nazi occupation was replaced by the occupying communist regime. The latter lasted more than ten times longer and resulted in vastly greater number of victims.
The pending legislation was bait for Russian liberal-democrat Vladimir Zhirinovsky, assistant speaker of the Russian Duma, who proposed breaking diplomatic relations and initiating a Russian economic blockade of Estonia. “Let’s remember that we liberated them from a fascist intervention,” he said.
At the same time Vladimir Putin’s party, United Russia, the dominant political force in the Duma, is threatening to sever parliamentary relations with the Estonian parliament over the issue. The party stated: “If Estonia doesn’t respond to mild overtures, that the Duma is expected to adopt on Wednesday, then we’re ready to implement resolute methods such as the freezing of relations with the Estonian parliament.”
While Zhirinovsky’s hollow posturings have often been meant for domestic political consumption, Jevgeni Kristafovits, president of a Russian student’s union in Estonia recently claimed that Russian demonstrations at the monument have been at the active instigation of Russian clandestine services. “After the failure of dozens of special operations in Estonia, the most painful being the inability of Russian chauvinist political parties to make headway during parliamentary and Tallinn municipal elections, the clandestine services have finally gained some success by manipulating the “Tõnismäe card” (the location of the monument). They were able to mobilize about 100 Russian radicals, including youth (for a June demonstration). … It’s known that the Kremlin’s favourite scheme in its propaganda war against Estonia is to accuse us of spreading fascist sentiments,” Kristafovits stated.
The monument has become a central Tallinn focal point for periodic gatherings of those idealizing the Soviet past. In spite of numerous petitions demanding the removal or relocation of the monument, successive municipal and federal governments have refused to deal with an obviously nagging problem citing lack of enabling legislation, denying responsibility and dreading the reaction of the Russian minority.
Estonia’s economics minister and head of the Centre Party, Edgar Savisaar, currying favour with Russian voters, is publicly opposed to the monument’s removal or relocation. In past elections, Savisaar and his Centre Party have received more votes from the Russian electorate than local Russian parties combined.
The existence of the monument is a lingering vexing problem providing ample opportunities for Moscow’s propagandists. A satisfactory solution will not derive from community consensus. It’ll take political fortitude and determination.
(A future article will deal with the conditions of Russians in Estonia.)
Severance of parliamentary relations or economic blockade — more déja vu? (21)
Archived Articles | 17 Nov 2006 | Estonian Central Council in CanadaEWR
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I think Maxim did the right thing leaving this site, because his dissenters always gave him more than he ever deserved! He only wished to contribute in his own meek and mild way, but the conservatism of many Canadian-Estonians made it impossible to see past their own ideas. As the community continues to show a steady decline in the number of people wishing to be active and contribute something worthwhile, it certainly won't be these same critics who will be asking serious questions as the whether they may have done something to repel people from remaining "in the fold", so to speak. Their own egotism will be the last thing to die as they dig their heels in more decisively to demolish any notion of dissent surrounding them!
I haven't read every comment ever posted here so perhaps I have missed something. If Maxim has ever said that he supports the soviet regime then please show me where he has done so. If anyone can do that then I will withdraw my support of him. If however none of you can find such a comment by him, well I guess that will speak for itself.
I agree completely. Course we'll now both be accused of being Maxim LOL. The trend seems to be that Maxim offers his thoughts, others respond with mindless hatred and abuse without offering any actual thoughts of their own. Perhaps on a good day they might find a spelling mistake or something that he made and make a big deal out of that but otherwise their abusive comments have been completely void of content. I for one have appreciated Maxim's comments. Unfortunately he seems to have been chased away by the mindless haters. Oh well, what can you do. Anyhow, if you're out there Maxim, thanks for your thoughts. You always had something to say and I respected you for that even if I didn't always agree with you.
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