The Estonian government has decided to remove Soviet monuments from public space.

This was reported by the Estonian public television and radio company ERR.

Up to 400 monuments of the Soviet era remain in the country.

"The main thing has been decided - communist monuments must be removed from public space, and we will do it as soon as possible," said Prime Minister

Kaya Kalas

.

She noted that the monuments are located all over the country and belong to local authorities, which themselves must determine the terms of dismantling.



Kalas stopped separately at the monument to the T-34 tank in the city of Narva, bordering Russia, where local residents opposed its removal.

The day before, about a hundred people gathered near the monument to protect it from demolition.

At the same time, there were no official announcements about the dismantling of the tank, and the mayor of the city,

Katri Raik

, called it a "provocation from social networks."

The Prime Minister noted that the tank belongs to Narva, but the responsibility for its movement should be taken by the Estonian government, as the monument "has a symbolic value", and its removal may cause public tension.



The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic,

Urmas Reynsalu

, said that in order to dismantle the tank as soon as possible, an extraordinary session of the Parliament should be convened, which would allow the tank to be removed within a month.

In April 2007, mass unrest took place in Estonia in connection with the transfer of the monument to the Liberator (Bronze Soldier) from the center of Tallinn to the Military Cemetery.

On the first night of clashes, 57 people were injured, including 13 policemen.

One person died in hospital from stab wounds sustained during the riots.

About 300 people were taken to the police, a third of whom are ethnic Estonians.



These actions of the Estonian government caused a negative assessment in the leadership and society of Russia.

Pro-government activists in Russia picketed the Estonian embassy, ​​boycotted Estonian goods, urged not to go to Estonia.



After the riots, the leaders of "Night Watch"

Dmitry Linter

and

Maxim Reva were arrested

, as well as the commissar of the pro-Russian movement "Nashi" in Estonia - 18-year-old

Mark Sirik

.

All three were charged with organizing protest actions.

In 2009, they were acquitted by the county and then the district court.