Monuments to Poles and Finns Torn Down Across Russian Federation

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Sept. 25 – Whenever a country in Eastern Europe tears down a monument to Soviet occupiers, Moscow ensures that such actions receive prominent international media coverage and denunciations. But far less attention is being given to Russian destruction of monuments in the Russian Federation to Poles and Finns who resisted Soviet and Russian power.

            In recent weeks, a monument near St. Petersburg to Finnish soldiers who resisted Soviet aggression was torn down, a memorial to Poles exiled by the tsarist authorities and other Poles who were victims of Soviet repressions was demolished in Sakha, and a second monument to such Poles in St. Petersburg was removed (fontanka.ru/2023/09/23/72739181/, svoboda.org/a/pod-peterburgom-ischez-pamyatnik-pogibshim-finskim-soldatam/32607098.html and sakhaday.ru/news/v-yakutske-snesli-pamyatnik-polskim-politssylnym).

            While the manner of their destruction suggests official organization, the authorities in these places have denied knowing anything about it, leading some local outlets to invoke the “what about” defense, pointing out that Russians are angry by what East Europeans are doing and only responding in kind.

            However that may be, one can only conclude as does the Region.Expert portal, that “when it invades other countries, Russia kills twice: first, the people there, and then memory about them” (region.expert/monuments/).