Today, Tuesday, Russia is celebrating the victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. Today, the holiday also erupts with nationalistic warmongering, which in Narva spills over the river to the Estonian side.
TALLINNA/NARVA For the Russian leadership and many Russians, Victory Day on May 9 is ideologically the most important holiday. In Estonia, on the other hand, Russian warlike symbolism and glorification of the war of aggression are prohibited by exception.
This contradiction is now being exploited by Russia and the authorities of Ivangorod, located east of the Narva River in Russia.
This year, the stage built for the Victory Day patriotic concert praising the army will not rise in the central square of Ivangorod. It was set up with big screens on the western side of the city, on the banks of the Narvajoki.
The stage is aimed directly at the beach street of Narva, Estonia.
The Narva River separating Narva and Ivangorod is a little less than a hundred meters wide at its narrowest point. So Russia’s message can be clearly seen and heard.
The purpose of the Russians is probably clear: to entice the people of Narva to celebrate Victory Day in the Russian way.
About half of Narva’s 53,000 residents are Russian citizens. Many people are used to celebrating Victory Day also on the Estonian side with Russian and Soviet Union flags and Georgian ribbons (you switch to another service).
The St. George’s ribbon has its roots in the St. George’s cross given for bravery during the Russian tsarist rule. The colors of the ribbon are said to mean fire and smoke.
In today’s Russia, the ribbon has become a symbol of Russian military valor and one of the country’s most important symbols.
After the start of the Russian war of aggression, Estonia banned the symbolism used by Russia in its nationalist and war-glorifying propaganda. Last summer, the Estonian government removed the Soviet-era Red Army monuments from the Narva area.
Some Estonian-Russians have been irritated by these decisions.
The police are not going to interfere with peaceful viewing
The Estonian police cannot interfere with the party organized on the Russian side on the opposite bank, and Narva’s waterfront promenade is not closed to the public.
Narva police chief Indrek Püvi says that Russia has clearly hijacked World War II Memorial Day, especially in recent years, for propaganda purposes.
However, he says he believes that the people of Narva today will remain calm and obey the law.
– What is seen, is seen. The police have not decided to restrict the movement of the townspeople, but we will do so if it is necessary, says Püvi In an interview with Estonian Public Radio (you will switch to another service).
On Tuesday morning, the Narva museum, which maintains Hermanninlinna, which rises on the west side of the river Narva, responded to the propaganda party planned by Russia by hanging a poster on the outer wall of the fortress.
According to the poster, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin is a war criminal.
– The war of aggression launched by Putin is still ongoing. The poster unequivocally reminds us that there is a border in Narva, museum director Maria Smorzhevsky-Smirnova justified the decision (you switch to another service) For the Russian-language news department of Estonian Public Broadcasting.