Estonia To Dismantle 6 More Soviet War Monuments For Security Reasons - Prime Minister

HELSINKI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th August, 2022) Estonia will dismantle, in addition to the T-34 tank monument the city of Narva, six other Soviet monuments for "internal security" reasons, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, the Estonian government announced its decision to transfer the T-34 tank monument from the borderline city of Narva, a majority Russian-speaking Estonian city, to the Estonian War Museum.

"The tank is only one of several Soviet monuments, seven monuments will be affected," Kallas said during a briefing.

The prime minister also said that the T-34 tank monument is being moved from Narva due to "internal security" concerns.

"Given how quickly tensions and confusion are building around the memorials in Narva, we must act quickly to ensure public order and internal security. That's why the government decided this morning to dismantle the tank and other war memorials so that they can't provoke more hatred in society and stir up old wounds," the official said.

According to Kallas, Soviet monuments serve as Russian propaganda aimed at dividing the Estonian society.

On August 4, the prime minister urged the removal of all Soviet monuments from Estonian public spaces. There are 148 Soviet war memorials in Estonia.