I say keep the monuments as a reminder: “Never Again.”
Amazing the Soviets keep bitching about this.
East Germany wasn’t dead but a day or two and Lenin and his ilk came tumbling down.
I can’t imagine what it would be like for Poles, Estonians, etc., to wake-up and drive to work everyday seeing monuments to your ex-slavemasters everywhere.
If Poland decides to dig up the remains of the dead Russian soldiers, Russia should ask them to be returned and then in turn dig up and return all of the Katyn graves.
I have two stories considering that topic... first is from my home town.
Near my flat there is a military academy. In front of the buliding there was standing an immobilized T-34 tank. Writing underneath said that it is a symbol of Polish-Soviet friendship. It was standing there since 1970’s or something.
Suddenly on the night of 16-17 september 1993 the tank disappeared. One day it was there, and the other it just disappeared, bang!!! and few tons of steel vanish!!!
17 th september 1993 is a historical date, that day last Russian troops left Poland, also on 17th of september 1939 Poland has been backstabbed by Soviet Union.
The second one is simple:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1782850/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1703643/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1704132/posts
Those poor Ivans deserve to rest in peace, in their homeland. That they fell as invaders, bringing with them, deportations, torture, rape. murder, and in the case of the Baltics redistribution of property to Russians aka ethnic cleansing is an historical fact. Monuments to this monstrous crime should offend anyone claiming to be civilized. Berlin, thanks to the tremendous gifts of American blood and treasure, now safe and secure in the center of a resurected middle Europe seems willing to endure a few such monuments as the price of doing good business, and hopefully as a reminder of the price of its own crimes. In the east there is yet no such luxury.
“The Katyn Committee expresses solidarity with the sovereign government of Estonia and approves its decision to remove the Soviet monuments,....”
I’d like to show my solidarity as well, and encourage both all parties to remove the Soviet monuments ASAP. Let the Russians break off diplomatic ties! What benefit are they at present? Do not be bullied! Do not back down!
Wish someone would help us remove the Che Guevarra mural in a school here in Los Angeles.
It’s great to have Poland on our side. It means a lot to Estonians. Thank you, Poland!