The Duma delegates brought flowers to the Bronze Soldier

This morning, the delegates of the Russian State Duma took flowers, mainly pink Dianthuses, to the Bronze Soldier on Filtri tee. Their assistants felt out the soldier as if trying to make certain its authenticity.

The Duma delegates wanted to be absolutely convinced that the statue had never been cut to pieces. According to the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the statue was originally put together of several parts.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence Mr Lauri Almann met with the Russian State Duma delegation at the Ministry of Defence today. At the meeting the Secretary General gave an overview of the archaeological excavations at Tõnismägi and further plans concerning the cemetery of the Estonian Defence Forces. Mr Almann expressed his regret over Russia’s refusal to send an expert to the excavations at Tõnismägi.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence Mr Lauri Almann: “Both the reburial of war victims and relocation of the gravestone from a public area in the city centre to a more suitable environment at a cemetery are in complete compliance with international law, legislation of the Republic of Estonia, public morality and Christian values.”

The Russian State Duma delegation was also informed about the findings of archaeological excavations and reassured that all available information has been made public.

The Secretary General thanked the delegates for lying wreathes at the foot of the Bronze Soldier and honouring the memory of the victims of WWII. Estonia also invited the Russian delegates to the celebration ceremony of the end of WWII on 8 May.

The delegation of the Ministry of Defence confirmed that the re-erection of the monument at the cemetery of the Defence Forces will be completed in June, followed by a reburial service in keeping with Christian traditions.

The Estonian delegation also expressed its concern about Estonia’s embassy in Moscow and appealed for the help of the Russian delegates in resolving the problem swiftly and in compliance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The bronze memorial was relocated to the Cemetery of the Defence Forces on Filtri tee yesterday.

The former location of the memorial, Tõnismäe, turned into a centre of public rioting and marauding in the end of the last week, when the territory was surrounded with a fence to start the archeological excavations.

Early in Friday morning, the Government issued the regulation for relocating the memorial from Tõnismäe on the grounds of ensuring public order.

So far, nine war graves have been found — some of them were located under the pavement and bus-stop. The official reopening of the monument is planned to take place on May 8th to celebrate the victory of the allied forces over the Axis Forces.