Paper: Ukrainians ask about Estonia's experiences with Bronze Soldier
Andriy Sadovyi, mayor of the Ukrainian city of Lviv, has sought information from Estonian Ambassador to Ukraine Gert Antsu regarding Estonia's experiences with handling Soviet monuments.
Currently up for debate in Lviv is what to do with a very large Soviet memorial involving a 30-meter-high pillar featuring life-size bas-reliefs of various Soviet soldiers, reported weekly investigative paper Eesti Ekspress (link in Estonian).
The memorial, which was completed in 1970 and won Ukrainian and Soviet art prizes, also includes bronze soldiers of a man carrying a sword and a woman.
According to Ukrainian law, symbols of totalitarian regimes are to be removed from public spaces. Sadovyi, however, believes that the monument could be placed in a museum instead, and that Estonia's experiences in this matter could be quite valuable.
Bronze Soldier relocated to military cemetery
In late April 2007, Estonian authorities removed the Soviet monument known as the Bronze Soldier from its previous location in Tõnismägi, Central Tallinn, and disinterred the remains of Soviet soldiers buried at the site for relocation together with the statue to the Defence Forces Cemetery of Tallinn.
The days of unrest sparked by the relocation became known as the Bronze Nights riots.
Editor: Aili Vahtla