Estonia extends note on Tõnismägi remains to Moscow

On Monday, the 7th of May, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia extended a note to the Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Mr. Nikolai Uspenski, informing him that the remains found at Tõnismägi most probably belong to Soviet soldiers.

The research data from the Bureau of Forensic Medicine of Estonia confirms that twelve adult individuals were buried at Tõnismägi. From external observations, nine of the individuals can be confirmed as being male. Upon receipt of the DNA results, final confirmation and details will be forwarded, the Foreign Ministry told Delfi.

When compared, the positions of the remains and grave markers correspond to the burial positions shown in photographs dating to the original interment. Therefore, we can confidently assume that the recently exhumed remains found at Tõnismägi belong to the twelve individuals buried there in 1945, according to a certificate commissioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and compiled in 2006, which also provides fourteen probable names for the individuals.

The reburial ceremony for these twelve individuals is scheduled to take place in the second half of June at the Estonian Defence Forces cemetery on 14 Filtri Road. In preparation for the ceremony, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested the Russian Embassy to inform the Estonian authorities by the 7th of June if close relatives of the deceased would like to participate. The travel expenses of two close relatives of each of the deceased will be covered by the Estonian nation.

Estonia is committed to identifying the remains, which can be achieved by comparing the DNA of the remains with those of close biological relatives. To this end, Estonia is seeking Russia’s aid in providing the DNA profile of two close relatives for each of the exhumed individuals. Estonia will reimburse the expenses of collating and analysing these DNA profiles.