Tartu City Council renames two streets in Uus-Ihaste
Two streets named after Estonian artists who joined the NKVD's destruction battalions during World War II will be changed after Tartu City Council made a final decision on Thursday.
The streets in Uus-Ihaste are named after painters Andrus Johani (1906-1941) and Kaarel Liimand (1906-1941).
The pair were members of Tartu's Pallas Art School but later voluntarily joined the Soviet Union's NKVD destruction battalions which committed crimes against humanity, said Tartu City Council's Aune Rumm.
A council majority agreed with local residents that Andrus Johani tänav could become Muusa tänav and Kaarel Liimandi tänav will be renamed Maali tänav.
Street names in the Uus-Ihaste district celebrate the heritage of Pallas Art School, which was established in Tartu in 1919 and destroyed during World War II in 1944, and have art-related themes.
Estonia's Place Names Act prohibits public places from being named after people who acted against the state.
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Editor: Helen Wright
