In addition to the T-34 tank already held at the museum, the following will also be taken into state ownership as part of the museum’s assets: the red star and two plaques from the Red Army memorial column which stood in the park of Narva Castle; the metal wall sculpture removed from the ‘Three Bayonets’ memorial on the Narva-Jõesuu Highway; the red star and plaque removed from the collective grave of those killed in World War II situated between the Narva River and the Viktoria Bastion; and the anchor and memorial stone removed from the Meriküla Landing memorial which stood on Hiiemetsa Road in Narva-Jõesuu.
Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets, who proposed to the government that the war monuments be placed in state ownership, says they were removed from public spaces in Narva and Narva-Jõesuu in order to guarantee national security. “In the context of the war in Ukraine, these monuments were causing tension in society, so they were removed as quickly as possible in order to maintain public order,” he said. “At the same time, they are a part – however regrettable – of Estonia’s history and collective memory. For that reason, we have to find a place for them within a context that adequately explains the historical meaning of the monuments of a foreign power. The study and showcasing of Estonia’s military history and cultural heritage is the task of the Estonian War Museum, which is why placing these monuments and items – which have so far been stored with the police – in state ownership before transferring them to the museum to serve as exhibits is the logical next step.”
On the morning of 16 August the government took the decision to remove Soviet war monuments from public spaces in Narva. By that afternoon, six such monuments had been removed and the marking of the collective grave of those who died in World War II situated between the Narva River and the Viktoria Bastion had been rendered neutral.
The government had already taken a decision in principle to remove war monuments of Soviet occupying forces from public spaces around Estonia by the end of the year.
For more information, see https://riigikantselei.ee/monumendid.
