This week there is news in Estonia to remove the much maligned and controveral Bronze Soldier by parliment... And there is opposition, naturally from the Baltic-Russians in Estonia, but also from the Russian governement, who calls for an economic blockade.
So the question is:
Does Estonia have the right to remove the symbols of Soviet occupation?
4 comments:
Do they have the right?
Of course they do. Estonia is a sovereign country, and they have the right to keep or destroy any symbols they wish.
Were it up to me, I'd keep it, as I believe in the preservation of a country's heritage, both positive and negative. But, whether the Estonians wish to do so, is entirely up to them.
- Chris
Thanks for your comment Chris. BTW, I removed the duplicate comment.
My question is more rhetorical in nature, and is meant to bring to light several of the complications of the issue and life in Estonia. As you mention, heritage & history should be preserved, as it is an important part of who Estonia is today - good and bad. Also, factor in the large Baltic Russian population and their precarious place in a 21st century Estonia - Do have a say? Should they? Many Estonians are still haunted by the memories of Soviet times, of murdering so many of the Estonian forefathers, whose vision played a large part of where the country is today, in a healthy, economic rich society. The future is so bright because of their contributions, their sacrifices...
This Bronze Statue continues to bring all these issues and divisions to the forefront for Estonia, and is repeated with other symbols in the other former Soviet countries, many times over.
To me though, it is a very human issue - of coming to grips with one's past - of reconciling the ghosts of childhood, because you have to, in order to walk freely on this earth. And this something we can all relate to.
Well, it really comes down to what's important to the majority of Estonians.
Perhaps two recent examples in other countries can give some perspective .. in Cambodia, almost all evidence of the Khmer Rouge regime has been eradicated, however the memories of those killed in the infamous killing fields have been preserved in a number of museums, and historical sites.
In Germany, there was very little evidence of Naziism until recently, when exhibits were opened in some museums to document that era.
Ultimately, the history of a society is up to that society as to how it should be documented .. for the most part, most countries seem to be reasonably honest in preserving their history .. both good and bad. There are the exceptions, of course .. I would imagine there is little if any evidence of the Tianamen Square killings in China, and then there's North Korea, which is a whole other crazy ball of wax.
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