Estonia orders removal of a monument to the Soviet T-34 tank and controversy erupts in the country

The dismantling took place by virtue of the decision of the Estonian Government to withdraw from the public space before the end of the year the military monuments erected in the time of the USSR.

Estonian authorities dismantled a monument to the Soviet T-34 tank in the city of Narva on Tuesday and moved it to the Estonian War Museum in Viimsi, local media report. Likewise, the dismantling of other Soviet monuments also began.

The dismantling took place by virtue of the decision of the Estonian Government to withdraw from public space before the end of the year the military monuments erected during the time of the USSR. The specific timing and order of removal will depend on the readiness of local governments and logistical plans.

“It is in the interest of public order and internal security that these monuments should be moved before tensions around them escalate further,” said the country’s interior minister, Lauri Laanemets.

The decision provoked criticism from citizens, as well as from various officials and politicians. In particular, the mayor of Narva, Katri Raik, stated in an interview with ERR that she rules out standing as a candidate for the Estonian Parliament after the government decided to remove the T-34 monument.

“I will not stand for election. […] Right now I try to work only for the sake of Narva. And there is a lot of work to be done here, “said the councilor, who added that her decision in the current conditions is” final “.

“Now I can’t imagine sitting in the same room with the people who have made that decision [de desmantelar el tanque]”, he highlighted.

“I hope that the tank will return to Narva in the future, that it will take its place as an exhibition in the Narva museum,” said Alexei Evgráfov, an opposition councilor in the city council.

In this context, Maxim Ivánov, deputy of the Russian State Duma (Lower House of Parliament), stated that “if the T-34 ends up in a scrapyard, if it is sent to be melted down, it will be […] a spit in the face of the millions of participants in the Great Patriotic Wartheir families and loved ones.”

Closure of the border with Russia

At the same time, Estonia closed the border with Russia in the area of ​​the cities of Narva and Ivangorod, reported Delfi.

The Estonian Police and Border Guard Department told the outlet that traffic in Narva was restricted due to the moving of the monuments. “As we announced this morning, the temporary travel restriction also affects border crossings. Citizens wishing to cross the border on foot must use the Narva-2 border crossing in the Krenholm district,” the agency said.

However, several hours later, witnesses wrote on social networks that the border guards had resumed their work and were already allowing people to cross the border again.