The overwhleming majority of Estonian SS were simple combat soldiers defending their country in the only way available to them. The pro-Soviet revisionists use the examples of a few criminals in a transparent attempt to smear the reputations of thousands of fine men.

The root of the problem is in the failure of Estonia’s government to create conditions in which both ethnic groups (Estonian and Russian) would be treated equally.

Perhaps if russian-speaking population had the same standard of living as the rest of the country there would be no riots? Perhaps if the government embrased it’s russian population and not alienated it (literally) – a 50 year old fact or fiction would not have become the spark that ignites the fire.

How many of them were given Stalin or Lenin medals for their work?

Your link to “a set of pogrom pictures by Flickr user neoroma” doesn’t work. Any chance of a fix?

I think you are the one who is confused. “Night Watch” refers to the group of protesters who organized to “defend” the monument from the Estonian authorities. Nashi is part of that group, and I’ve seen no information to suggest they don’t control it; as far as I know, these same folks are the ones who provoked the violence. It’s a pity the Russian sources (or any sources, for that matter) don’t tell us more about Nashi’s involvement, and how the Kremlin pulls their strings.

Just try to imagine Americans provoking an incident like this in Moscow!

This has happened never before in Estonia, small peaceful country in Northern Europe, member of NATO and EU since 2004.

A Bronze Soldier, the statue in Soviet Red Army uniform standing until last Friday on small green square in centre of capital Tallinn, was for Estonians the symbol of harsh Soviet occupations from 1940 – 1941 and 1944 to 1991. Ten’s of thousand people were deported without court decision to Siberia or killed in Soviet state-terror during that regime as a part of ethnic cleansing.

But part of the Russian community, migrated here within same Soviet occupation in search of better and European-style life, is following cold-war time Soviet history concept. For them these events and statue meant memorial of “liberation” of Baltic States Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as whole Europe in WW II.

Nazi equals Soviet

The problem is that Baltic States, but also Poland have suffered both from Nazi-Germany and Soviet occupations in WW II. And defeating the Nazi-Germany did not mean that Baltic countries were liberated, but that German occupation was changed by other, Soviet occupation, which in some cases was even worse.

Therefore Bronze Soldier was a symbol of Soviet empire and simply could not been tolerated any longer in centre of capital of EU and NATO member country. Especially because within last years it was increasingly used by Putin propaganda-machine as a Russian symbol to generate tension in Estonia between whole society and less integrated smaller part of Russian community.

So it was inevitable to relocate it from Tallinn city centre, leaving still chance for those, who have different opinions, chance to visit the statue on military cemetery in Tallinn, where also the remains of dozen Soviet soldiers will be reburied.

Heavy violent propaganda and co-ordination from Russia

Government planned to relocate the statue last week in peaceful manner with holy memorial ceremony. But about thousand people, demanding not to touch the monument at all as it was symbol of Russian power, started to attack police and throw the stones. This confrontation coordinated by Russian embassy in Tallinn and turned on heavily by numerous Russian TV-channels frequent and unbalanced emotional reports, widespread quickly and turned into street violence, vandalism and shop raiding, never taken place in Tallinn before. Almost everybody and everything, not being Russian origin, was labeled to be “fascist”. Also, the windows of Estonian National Opera and main square located St. John’s Church were stoned.

Shouting: “Russia! Russia!” the shop raiders were stealing the alcohol, premium brand clothes (Hugo Boss, Giorgio Armani, Gucci shops were raided). About hundred shops were raided and stoned, dozens of cars beaten. As a result, almost 1000 people were arrested in three days, amongst them number of experienced criminals with long track record.
Considering the situation, the Bronze Soldier statue was relocated on Friday morning and is standing now on Defense Forces cemetery where it’s accessible to everyone.
But this has not stopped the propaganda war from Moscow.

Massive hostile media campaign from Russia against Estonia has now reached advanced stage, accusing Estonia in re-evaluation of WW II results, of course not speaking a single word about Soviet-run mass crimes, killings and deportations in Baltic States during Soviet occupation. Also, shop robbers are shown in Russian TV as “fighters for our memory and against fascism” and Estonian government and police are accused by Russian TV as “state repressive organs, humiliating rights of Russians”. It’s No. 1 news topic in all Russian TV channels already for three days.

The fact, that statue of Bronze Soldier has been removed and erected already in new place (Defense Forces Cemetery) where everyone can visit it, has not changed the attitude.

Hysteric reactions from Russia

Russian Parliament has demanded to place the statue back to where it was before, also that Estonian Government has to step down. Needless to say, this is clear interference to Estonian internal affairs by all means.

The Russian state accusations by now (Tuesday, Wednesday) have become absolutely hysterical and expressing complete lies. The member of Russian Parliament, Gosduma, Mr. Kovaljev accused after seeing the monument yesterday on its new location, that “statue has been sawed and holy memory disgraced”. According to workers, giving an interview in Estonian TV, nothing such has happened as statue was relocated in one unit and as soon as possible.

Also, massive scam and internet attacks against Estonian state authorities’ websites and media channels IT-systems have been started from Russia. “It’s identified now that in some cases IP-addresses are related directly to Kremlin-run organizations and structures related presidential authorities of Russia,” said Urmas Paet, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, yesterday on press conference. Also, it’s proven that many people confronting police forces before events went violent, were paid by Embassy-run organizers a 80 EEK (app. EUR 5) per hour.

Estonian embassy in Moscow is on under heavy 24h protest waves, psycho terror and attacks of Kremlin-supported youth organization “Nashi”, getting minimal formal defense from Russian Militia. Estonian ambassador Mrs. Marina Kaljurand was attacked physically today (Wed, May 2) while trying to give a press conference. “Nashi” even declared that demolition of Estonian embassy in Moscow will start on June 12!

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Vice Chairman of Russian Parliament said yesterday: “Russia should organize major military campaign next to border with Estonia. And some troops may be mistakenly happen to be in Estonia and demolishing many cultural and historic sites. After which we will apologize, of course.”

It’s important to note that despite all of this, most of the people in Estonia are still calm and there are no cases of violence from Estonian community. The importance of situation is illustrated by fact that almost 2000 people by now in Estonia have applied to become a member of Police Support Organization to protect the country from internal conflicts, coordinated from abroad.

Soviet monuments not relocated, but demolished in Russia

As a curiosity, Russian overreaction is hypocritical because on very same time, WW II monuments for Russian soldiers are demolished (not replaced) in Russia itself. It has happened in Moscow satellite city Himki a few weeks ago, also in Stavropoulos in southern region on last autumn.

So all in all – it’s symbolic war against Europe and another clear evidence of former KGB agent Putin tactics to show the world that Russia has not changed and need to show a power.

We hope that all people reading this information will make their move on their home countries by demanding Russia stopping interfering immediately to Estonian /EU internal affairs. Also passing this info to as many people and media channels as you can, because Russian (population 150m people) TV propaganda is exceeding Estonian (1,3m people) explanations.

Here is a rather good video of the looters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1mcL4bG9sk

Please notice that, unlike the videos shown on russian state TV, this video is not made of small 10sec snippets. This is the real deal, uncut.

You don’t know practically anything about the history of Baltic states.
De facto, Baltic states were occupied by Soviet Union in 1939, then conquered and occupied by Nazi Germany. In 1944. Nazis retreated and Estonian independent government took the power, but just for few days, until Red Army returned and OCCUPIED, not liberated Estonia.

In WWII Estonian people had not much to choose. It was hard to avoid war and most of the men were enrolled to army against their will. Was it Nazis or Soviet army, didn’t really matter to them – both were equally disgusting.
Soviet army had occupied Estonia and already murdered tens thousands of Estonian people in 1940-1941 and that was the reason why many Estonian men wanted to join German army. It wasn’t ideology or Hitler – they didn’t fancy that. It was a chance to fight against soviet murderers that killed and deported their faimilies.
The crimes Soviet Army did in Baltic states were WAY MORE TERRIBLE than everything that nazis ever did in Estonia. So there’s no wonder that some Estonians chose to fight against Red Army.

The Lihula monument you mentioned was erected to those man, who did fight against occupation army. They didn’t have a possibility to choose – there was no Estonian army at this time. They didn’t want to choose any sides between soviets and nazis. But they chose that seemed less evil of two evil forces.