Russia Denounces Estonian Move To Ban Soviet Symbols

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty ^ | December 1, 2006 | (AFP, ITAR-TASS, Reuters)

[M. Espinola]

With Putin pushing Russia toward his version neo-Soviet totalitarianism, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is needed more then ever.

[Lurker]

You mean the Estonians don't have fond memories of the Hammer and Sickle?

Maybe next Putin will demand that the Estonians put up warm, fuzzy pictures of the Stolypin cars on their way to those fabulous Gulag vacation spots.

L

[Jimmy Valentine]

Good for Estonia. The Russians are not the favorite visitors to the Balts; Lithuanians and Latvians can't stand them either.

[Joe Boucher]

How about the Poles and Checks as well as others.
Won't be seeing too many russians invited over for Christmas dinners there either.

[Jimmy Valentine]

True. Interesting story; I went down to the Ukrainian Consulate a year ago to apply for a tourist visa. In my best Russian I said "Good day, here is my passport and visa".

The very pretty young lady behind the counter looked at me and said "I do not speak Russian; we can speak either English or Ukrainian."

Of course she knew Russian perfectly well, but there you are.

[Joe Boucher]

They'd better watch out or VLad the mist man might have his agents spray the whole of the former soviet union.

[Brilliant]

It's none of their business.

[MARKUSPRIME]

F*ck russia. I and the rest of the civilized world are getting sick of these backward arses. They truely do belong with communist china,and Iran. Misery loves company.

[b2stealth]

Where is GaryKGBan?

He was just saying yesterday how much Putin hates Communism..

[tom h]

"Good for Estonia. The Russians are not the favorite visitors to the Balts; Lithuanians and Latvians can't stand them either."

The Estonians I've met during the years have been some of the most outspoken, determined, and dedicated conservatives and capitalists in the universe. Living under the Soviet yoke, and having to pretend to believe the lie of socialism and Marxism, makes one really appreciate freedom.

[Michael81Dus]

Wrong, the Soviet Union is well and alive:

[Michael81Dus]

You mean Czechs??

[skepsel]

You mean they don't have fond memories of the murder, deportation, enslavement and imprisonment of 25-50% of their families during the Soviet era and the subsequent colonization and russification. Jeez, go figure...

[skepsel]

Same here, got to talking with a young Estonian couple at my local sausage store last week (2 weeks ago?, anyways...) they were buying some traditional Estonian version of blutwurst.
They were entreprenuers taking a vacation here in Ft. Lauderdale.
They had nothing good to say about Putin or Russia.
Russians living in Estonia with Estonian citizenship worried them, the unwillingness to assimilate, nostalgia for the Red era and a nationalistic government just next door are all part of the problem. The wife compared it to the Israeli predicament, except that thankfully most of the Russians are older and not a demograhic time bomb and aren't showing up at the bus stop with bomb belts.

[Joe Boucher]

Yep.

[dfwgator]

Never speak Russian if you go to Poland.

[Tailgunner Joe]

[M. Espinola]

Great graphic!

Kremlin Set to Rig Next Year Vote — Former PM Kasyanov

Russian former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov urges independent parties to boycott the 2007 parliamentary elections.
source

[M. Espinola]

"You mean the Estonians don't have fond memories of the Hammer and Sickle?"

Not too many long for the Bolshevik fun and family rallies :)

[M. Espinola]

Throughout Moscow's old Red empire Russians are most likely the least welcomed of all visitors.

Estonia under Khrushchev.