Leading the Post-Mortem Fight against Communism

Recently, Curzon began a controversial discussion on the evils of fascism, communism and colonialism. Indeed, some have questioned why Europe is chock full of WWII memorials or why a city like Boston has a big holocaust memorial. What about the many other genocides and ethnic cleansings? Taking the 20th century, we can find at least a dozen including not just what’s happening in Dar Fur but all over the world especially in the Middle East when the Ottoman empire broke up. Some have said that one reason is the lack of media in earlier times. Without cameras, photos, the media and internet, it’s hard to get outraged in the same way concentration camp pictures make people.

Communism, one the great evils of history is gone and thankfully so. Yet, this recently deceased monster hasn’t received the condemnation and outrage of fascism. However, this is changing. One country at the forefront of this is little Estonia which Chirol has been lucky enough to visit three times.

Similar to Germany, Estonia has quickly moved to condemn Russia and communism and to publicly acknowledge and commemorate the many evils perpetrated. A trip to Tallinn, the Estonian capital, reveals plaques all over the city noting professors, intellectuals and others who were abducted and murdered by the Soviets. Now, a law is in the works which would “relocate” monuments ” to regimes that have occupied the country” which is secret code for throwing Soviet statues out. But not only Russia is upset. Estonia’s 25% Russian minority is up in arms too. Thus far, the law has survived two readings in parliament and is set for a final one in two days.

Although many a Lenin statue fell after the breakup of the USSR, the current case is somewhat different as it mostly pertains to a WWII monument to Russian soldiers who “liberated” Estonia from German occupation. Forgetting that Estonia willingly fought with the Germans against the Russians and that the Russians slaughtered, deported and occupied for the next 50 years. As the Estonians say, liberators leave, occupiers stay.

Estonia is the posterboy for not only post-Soviet success but giving Russia the finger. It is even advising other republics wishing to emulate its astonishing success such as Georgia which now has a democratically elected government. The following are pictures from two of my visits to Estonia.

The most hideous Soviet monument of all time on the outskirts of Tallinn.

A monument that seems to be to Russian sailors. Not 100% sure, but it bears the Russian eagle.

Chirol in the KGB museum in Tartu. It was nothing more than a tiny basement in a nondescript downtown building used to torture political prisoners.

The Gulag archipelago so to say, far outdoing Nazi camps in number and number killed.

SIDENOTE: In other cool post-Soviet statue news, Vilnius, Lithuania has a giant statue to Frank Zappa.