Center Party opposes planned monument to former chairman in Tallinn

The initiative by a non-profit organization bearing Edgar Savisaar's name to erect a monument to the former Tallinn mayor on Harjumägi has not been coordinated with his family or the Center Party, and the party does not support the initiative.
The Center Party considers the commemoration of Edgar Savisaar's legacy to be very important; however, the party is not connected to the activities of the nonprofit organization Edgar Savisaare MTÜ and does not support its initiative. "We urge everyone considering support for the advertised idea to approach it cautiously and carefully evaluate their decision," the party stated.
The Center Party emphasized that preserving Savisaar's legacy should be done transparently, through official channels and in a way that respects his memory within a broader societal context.
"We agree that Edgar Savisaar deserves a monument and one will certainly be established in Tallinn's urban space in the future, but we do not support the monument being erected in this manner."
ERR News reported in mid-January that a nonprofit organization bearing Edgar Savisaar's name was collecting donations to fund a monument in memory of the former mayor of Tallinn. The city of Tallinn was unaware of these plans.
According to an initial concept, the bronze monument would depict Edgar Savisaar leaning against the medieval Town Hall tower, a symbol of Tallinn, to express "residents' deep gratitude for transforming the city into an open, friendly urban space that considers the needs of its inhabitants." The artistic realization of the monument's final design will be determined through a competition, stated an advertisement published in Õhtuleht.
The nonprofit organization collecting donations estimated the cost of the monument at €29,000.
According to the commercial register, the board members of Edgar Savisaare MTÜ include businessman Juri Saharov and Vitali Ladõnski. As of mid-January, Enno Tamm, who served as head of the Põhja-Tallinn and Pirita city districts in the early 2000s and later as head of Tallinn City Transport (TLT) in the 2010s, was also listed as a member. However, Tamm is no longer associated with the organization.
Saharov told ERR that he does not plan to collaborate with the city.
The Tallinn city government told ERR at the time that they were unaware of any plans for a monument to Savisaar. They added that erecting a monument independently would not be feasible, as the proposed location falls under strict heritage protection regulations.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Marcus Turovski