Bronze night 10th year anniversary gains momentum

Ten years ago, on 26th of April, massive riots disrupted Tallinn, which is known afterwards as Bronze Night. A memorial of the Second World War, called Bronze Soldier, was removed from the centre of Tallinn to a nearby military cemetery. Propastop noticed how already in March it was evident, that Russian propaganda media tried to bring this topic up again.

On 24th of March Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release, stating that Estonian enforcement agencies are unwilling to solve the case of Dmitri Ganin, who got killed during the riots. Estonian news portal Delfi writes more of this topic.

On 29th of March Lenta.ru published a longer article about the events that took place ten years ago. It discusses the removal of Bronze Soldier through Kremlin-minded viewpoint.

On 3rd of April propaganda channel RT, Sputnik and many others published an article, where the head of the riots Dmitri Linter discusses his plans for the future. Linter has an idea to open a new memorial in Tallinn, this time for Estonians who fought against Fascism. As a good example, he sees Arnold Meri, first Estonian hero in the Soviet Union. After regained independence Arnold Meri was charged with genocide, for organising mass deportation in 1949, where locals were sent to Siberia.

Bronze soldier is a very convenient tool for Kremlin. It allows to emphasise its propaganda lies, as Estonia is being inhabited by Russophobic Fascists and who counterfeit history. Such memes serve Russia’s long-term goals in its information warfare: to create opposition between local ethnic groups and form a reputation of Estonia as a problematic partner both to Europe and NATO allies.

Photo: Bronze Soldier in Siselinna cemetery in 2010. Photo Liis Treimann / Postimees / Scanpix.27.04.2017