Alyosha

A monument or a perfect propaganda tool? The Bronze Soldier in the heart of Tallinn divides society, exposing deep disagreements over the country’s history.

After Estonia regained its independence in 1991, most monuments built by the Soviet regime were dismantled. However, one remained: the Bronze Soldier, Alyosha, standing in the heart of Tallinn. The monument, depicting a Red Army soldier, was unveiled in 1947 to commemorate those who died in what the Soviet Union called the Great Patriotic War. For Estonians, it came to symbolize Soviet occupation and the beginning of decades of brutal repression. For Estonia’s Russian-speaking community, Alyosha represented a connection to Russia and their Russian identity. Propaganda-infused interpretations of history turned the Bronze Soldier into the focal point of a bitter struggle, drawing a dividing line in Estonia’s collective memory.

PÖFF Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2008
Artdocfest 2008