TALLINN. Feb 9 (Interfax) - The Estonian government met on Thursday and decided to assign 1.42 million euros to the country's Defense Ministry for Soviet monuments' removal from public space.
"To date, 64 monuments have been removed, about 150 have yet to be dismantled. The work to dismantle [them] and install some neutral grave markers is continuing during the winter but reburials are not being carried out," the Estonian government's press service told Interfax.
On August 4, the Estonian government established a special working group tasked with mapping and assessing each monument from the point of view of its historical, cultural and artistic value. The activity, as well as the names of people compiling the lists, were classified as the government said these people "are confronted by forces interested in influencing members of the working group."
The working group has mapped a total of 322 monuments, of which it recommended 244 for removal or replacement. The group suggested installing "neutral markers" with a sign saying "World War II Victims" in place of the dismantled monuments. It has been recommended that any monuments recognized as valuable by the commission be moved to museums or cemeteries. Soviet soldiers' remains should be reburied at local graveyards, the working group said.
In particular, upon the commission's recommendation and in implementing the government's August 16 decision, the predominantly Russian speaking city of Narva and its immediate neighborhood saw six monuments with Soviet military symbols, including a T-34 Tank monument that used to stand where Nazi troops' defenses were broken through in 1944, dismantled and moved away, against the opinion of Narva residents and public city authorities.