Defence Forces Cemetery of Tallinn
Encyclopedia
The Defence Forces Cemetery of Tallinn , sometimes called the Tallinn Military Cemetery, is one of the three cemeteries of the Tallinn City Centre Cemetery (Estonian: Siselinna kalmistu). It is situated about 3 kilometres outside the centre of Tallinn
, the capital of Estonia
. During Estonian independence before the Soviet and German occupations of the 1940-1991 period, it was the Estonian equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery in the USA - the foremost military cemetery of independent Estonia.
as the cemetery of the Tallinn garrison. The oldest grave dates back to 1916 and holds Russian
, Estonian
, and German
soldiers killed during World War I.
The graves from 1918–1944, the gravestones of the Estonian soldiers and the monuments of the Estonian War of Independence were largely destroyed by the Soviet authorities and the graveyard was taken over by the Red Army
for use by the Soviet occupation forces after World War II
.
The graves of fifteen British
servicemen killed in the Estonian War of Independence between 1918–1920 were repaired in 1994. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded Linda Soomre honorary Membership of the Order of the British Empire
for dedication and bravery in protecting the British graves during the years of the Soviet rule. Linda Soomre was in charge of the Tallinn City Centre Cemetery for 35 years. After the destruction of the gravestones she had made the ground overnight a maintenance area saving the remains of the British soldiers from being violated. Linda Soomre also saved the graves of two Estonian generals, Johan Unt and Ernst Põdder
, by keeping the burial sites covered with dirt. The monument for the generals, originally opened in 1933, was restored on 22 February 1998.
The graves of the Estonian Soldiers and the demolished structure of the Estonian War of Independence monument in the graveyard are not restored. The registration book of people buried at this cemetery between years 1918–1944, with over 1,150 names, is maintained in Tallinn
city central archives.
The only graves from 1918–1944 that survived the Soviet era in the graveyard was a dolomite statue in commemoration of the victims of Männiku explosion from 15 June 1936.
In mid-1990s a headstone which reads "To the Unknown Soldier: 1941–1945" in Estonian
and Russian
was placed on the cemetery, financed by the Russian Embassy in Estonia.
A notable monument, "To those fallen in World War II", is the Bronze Soldier
, a two meter statue of a soldier in Red Army
uniform with an accompanying stone structure. The statue was a part of a former Soviet
World War II
memorial by the sculptor Enn Roos
and supervising architect Arnold Alas
, and was moved from central Tallinn to the cemetery on 30 April 2007.
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
, the capital of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. During Estonian independence before the Soviet and German occupations of the 1940-1991 period, it was the Estonian equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery in the USA - the foremost military cemetery of independent Estonia.
History
The cemetery was established in the years of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as the cemetery of the Tallinn garrison. The oldest grave dates back to 1916 and holds Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, Estonian
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
, and German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
soldiers killed during World War I.
The graves from 1918–1944, the gravestones of the Estonian soldiers and the monuments of the Estonian War of Independence were largely destroyed by the Soviet authorities and the graveyard was taken over by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
for use by the Soviet occupation forces after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The graves of fifteen British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
servicemen killed in the Estonian War of Independence between 1918–1920 were repaired in 1994. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded Linda Soomre honorary Membership of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for dedication and bravery in protecting the British graves during the years of the Soviet rule. Linda Soomre was in charge of the Tallinn City Centre Cemetery for 35 years. After the destruction of the gravestones she had made the ground overnight a maintenance area saving the remains of the British soldiers from being violated. Linda Soomre also saved the graves of two Estonian generals, Johan Unt and Ernst Põdder
Ernst Põdder
Ernst Põdder VR I/1 was a famous Estonian military commander in the Estonian War of Independence....
, by keeping the burial sites covered with dirt. The monument for the generals, originally opened in 1933, was restored on 22 February 1998.
The graves of the Estonian Soldiers and the demolished structure of the Estonian War of Independence monument in the graveyard are not restored. The registration book of people buried at this cemetery between years 1918–1944, with over 1,150 names, is maintained in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
city central archives.
The only graves from 1918–1944 that survived the Soviet era in the graveyard was a dolomite statue in commemoration of the victims of Männiku explosion from 15 June 1936.
In mid-1990s a headstone which reads "To the Unknown Soldier: 1941–1945" in Estonian
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
was placed on the cemetery, financed by the Russian Embassy in Estonia.
A notable monument, "To those fallen in World War II", is the Bronze Soldier
Bronze Soldier of Tallinn
The Bronze Soldier is the informal name of a controversial Soviet World War II war memorial in Tallinn, Estonia, built at the site of several war graves, which were relocated to the nearby Tallinn Military Cemetery in 2007...
, a two meter statue of a soldier in Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
uniform with an accompanying stone structure. The statue was a part of a former Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
memorial by the sculptor Enn Roos
Enn Roos
Enn Roos was an Estonian Soviet sculptor.A notable work of his is the bronze sculpture from 1947 that is part of the World War II memorial ensemble in Tallinn, Estonia, nowadays usually called the Bronze Soldier, whose accompanying monumental stone structure was designed by the architect Arnold Alas...
and supervising architect Arnold Alas
Arnold Alas
Arnold Alas was an Estonian architect. A notable work is the World War II memorial ensemble in Tallinn from 1947, nowadays usually called the Bronze Soldier, including a two meter bronze statue of a soldier in a Soviet uniform and an accompanying monumental stone structure...
, and was moved from central Tallinn to the cemetery on 30 April 2007.
See also
- List of cemeteries in Estonia
- Bronze Soldier of TallinnBronze Soldier of TallinnThe Bronze Soldier is the informal name of a controversial Soviet World War II war memorial in Tallinn, Estonia, built at the site of several war graves, which were relocated to the nearby Tallinn Military Cemetery in 2007...
- Military of EstoniaMilitary of EstoniaThe Estonian Defence Forces is the name of the unified armed forces of the Republic of Estonia. The Estonian military is a defence force consisting of Maavägi , Merevägi , Õhuvägi and a paramilitary organization Kaitseliit...