The Bronze Soldier of Tallinn is a Soviet World War II memorial in Tallinn, Estonia. In 2007, it was relocated by the government. Disagreements over the relocation escalated into protests and eventually rioting, in what became known as the Bronze Night.
Political reactions — President Toomas Hendrik Ilves appealed for calm and described the rioters as criminals due to the damage they had caused: "All this had nothing to do with the inviolability of graves or keeping alive the memory of men fallen in World War II"... "He said that the common denominator of last night's criminals was not their nationality, but their desire to riot, vandalize and plunder".Estonia Removes Soviet War Memorial by Jari Tanner, in the Washington Post, April 27, 2007. Retrieved: 2007-04-27
– Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said in a televised address, in Estonian and Russian, that he was forced to remove the statue after the first riots on Thursday night. He said the statue was under police guard and was safe. It and any remains would be moved to a military cemetery. "We must not let the sowers of hatred become the ones to split the nation or to plant prejudice", he said. "All nationalities were respected" ... "but violence was not". The memory of dead soldiers was not served when "a picture of a drunk shoplifter is being shown all over the world."Estonia calm after Red Army site riots, Russia angry Reuters, April 28, 2007. Retrieved: 2007-04-28
– Mayor Edgar Savisaar of the City of Tallinn has expressed concern that removal of the monument might have constituted a breach of city property rights and have violated the Constitution of Estonia.Postimees: Savisaar: otsust Tõnismäe monumendi teisaldamiseks ei ole As of May 10, no known legal claims to the effect have been made by the City of Tallinn against the Ministry of Defence, or the Government of the Republic of Estonia, neither through courts of law nor through the Justice Chancellor.
– Belittling the World War II heroes' feats and desecrating monuments erected in their memory leads to discord and mistrust between countries and peoples, Russian president Vladimir Putin has said on Victory Day. "Those who try to belittle that priceless experience and desecrate monuments to war heroes today insult their own nations as well and sow discord and new mistrust between countries and peoples", Putin said at a parade on Red Square marking the 62nd anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in 1945.Putin criticizes attempts to belittle WWII heroes Interfax May 9, 2007
– The Federation Council, on April 27, approved a statement concerning the monument, which urges the Russian authorities to take the "toughest possible measures" against Estonia: The dismantling of the monument on the eve of Victory Day on May 9 is "just one aspect of the policy, disastrous for Estonians, being conducted by provincial zealots of Nazism,"... "These admirers of Nazism forget that politicians come and go, while the peoples in neighboring countries are neighbors for eternity. The dismantling of the monument and the mockery of the remains of the fallen soldiers is just more evidence of the vengeful policy toward Russians living in Estonia and toward Russia".Россия категорически не приемлет варварское отношение эстонских властей к памяти тех, кто спас Европу от фашизма - заявление сенаторов Interfax, April 27, 2007. Retrieved: 2007-04-27
Council of Europe: On April 27, the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) René van der Linden expressed his regrets on the decision of the Estonian authorities to remove the Bronze Soldier memorial as this act is widening the rift between the country's citizens of Estonian and Russian origin. "I understand that the monument is controversial as it symbolises, although in different ways, painful moments of Estonia and Russia's past. Precisely because of this, the soldiers that this memorial commemorates should have been left to rest in peace rather than being used as a political tool." The President expressed his disappointment that Estonia had not heeded the appeals for a common understanding over the issue of the Bronze Soldier that he made earlier this year to the Estonian and Russian delegations to PACE. Press release - 268(2007)
Council of Europe: On May 5, the Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis called on all sides involved to use the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of the victory against the Nazis to bring an end to the dispute about the moving of the Monument to fallen Soviet soldiers in Tallinn. Davis expressed his understanding for the reasons why the Estonian authorities have decided to move the remains of these soldiers, but also reservations about the way it has been done. He called on politicians and public in Estonia to draw conclusions from these events and accept that on such delicate and potentially divisive matters, even the best intentioned initiatives may backfire if they are not prepared, discussed and implemented with appropriate sensitivity. Davis called on the Russian authorities to be more respectful and less emotional in the way they express their opinions on such a sensitive issue. In conclusion, he welcomed the decision to commemorate the Monument at its new location on the occasion of the ceremonies marking the end of World War II. He underlined that this choice of date places the symbol of the Bronze Soldier in its proper context – the liberation of Europe and provides an ideal opportunity to end this dispute. Press release - 289(2007)
– First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said that adequate measures, primarily, economic ones, should be taken against Estonia: "In particular, Russia must speed up the construction of modern ports on Russian territory on the Baltic Sea, in the towns of Ust-Luga, Primorsk and Vysotsk. Thereby, we will handle our own cargo flow and not allow other countries, including Estonia, to benefit from its transit. I have already ordered and instructed the Minister of Transport accordingly."Russia should respond to Estonia by building ports on Baltic coast Interfax, April 26, 2007. Retrieved: 2007-04-28
– Although the EU has not issued an official statement, foreign policy chief Javier Solana has voiced support for Estonia and denounced violence in the wake of a night of unrest in Tallinn: "Solana phoned President Toomas Hendrik Ilves today and said the EU understands and supports Estonia", the president's adviser Toomas Sildam said.World political leaders give mixed reaction to monument’s removal Baltic New Service, April 27, 2007. Retrieved: 2007-04-28
– On May 3, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia issued a statement:
"The future of Europe is also based on full commitment to shared and best pages of European history, whereas the victory over Nazism and fascism more than half a century ago undoubtedly ranks among those pages deserving lasting admiration among all in Europe and in the world."
Condemning the unilateral action by Estonian authorities on the eve of 9 May as contrary to this commitment, it states: "The highest respect for such monuments in today's Germany is noteworthy. We in Serbia shall forever place flowers on the graves of the Red Army soldiers fallen in the battles for the liberation of Serbia and Belgrade from Nazi occupiers. We shall do so also on 9 May this year."
– On May 2, EU demanded Russia to implement the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and secure proper protection for the Estonian embassy in Moscow. EuroCommission spokesperson Christiana Homan said:
We share the concern about the growing tension around Estonia's embassy, and demand that Russian authorities implement their obligations within the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,
– On May 9 (Europe Day), the Estonia-Russia relations were discussed at the European Parliament. Several members of the Parliament expressed their support for Estonia. E.g. Brian Crowley said
I would like to join my colleagues in firstly giving our solidarity and support to the Estonian Government and to the Estonian people and, secondly, in denouncing the bully-boy tactics of the Russian Government in what they have attempted to create - the uncertainty and instability, not only within Estonia but in all the Baltic States.
In many ways what we are witnessing is a new form of totalitarianism or authoritarianism by utilisation of mobs in Moscow to attack an Embassy, by utilising the power or strength of energy to try to make people kneel to the influence of the Russian Government and, most importantly of all, by a continuing desire to keep imposing symbols of domination and of subjugation in areas that have gained their independence from totalitarian regimes. Finally, may I say, a most ardent call should go out to the citizens of Estonia to show them that now that they are part of the European Union, they will not be abandoned as they were abandoned previously.
On 10 May the EU parliament adopted by a great majority a formal resolution criticizing Russia's human rights record. Estonia's question centered the debate with MEPs representing various political groups showing strong support for Estonia. Joseph Daul, leader of the biggest European party EPP-DE claimed that the EU is united with regard to the issue: "today, we are all Estonians"
– On April 27, Belarusian MFA Press Secretary Andrei Popov in his Comments on the Events in Estonia said that "Belarus is the country that lost every third of its citizens during the Second World War. Any outrage upon the memory of the victims of that war causes us the sentiments of deep indignation and regret. ... We believe that today it is obvious to everybody that the irresponsible actions of the authorities were the major cause for such dramatic events. We regret that the Estonian leadership has failed to have enough political wisdom not to fight the dead. ... We are also outraged with the unjustified and brutal use of force by the Estonian police towards peaceful demonstrators that led to escalated violence and unrest in the Estonian capital."
NATO – NATO statement on Estonia:
NATO is deeply concerned by threats to the physical safety of Estonian diplomatic staff, including the Ambassador, in Moscow, as well as intimidation at the Estonian Embassy. These actions are unacceptable, and must be stopped immediately; tensions over the Soviet war memorial and graves in Estonia must be resolved diplomatically between the two countries. NATO urges the Russian authorities to implement their obligations under the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.
– UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on Russia and Estonia to resolve their dispute over the removal of a Soviet war memorial from the Estonian capital: The Secretary-General regrets the violence and the loss of life in Tallinn, Estonia. He appeals to all concerned to deal with the issues at hand in a spirit of respect and conciliation.
– The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs "strongly condemns acts of vandalism in Tallinn which took place over night between 26 and 27 April" according to their press release: "In a democratic country, any group of society which disagrees with government decisions is free to express its own opinion, however, it must not violate the law. Acts of vandalism which pose a threat to the life and health of people and damage and destroy property have nothing in common with the democratic forms of protest."Latvia condemns acts of vandalism in Tallinn. Press release, April 27, 2007. Retrieved: 2007-04-27
– President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus announced that Lithuania is concerned and watching over the events in Tallinn and that it fully supports the positions of the Estonian government.