TALLINN - Just days after Estonia
unveiled the blueprints for its new
Freedom Monument, President
Toomas Hendrik Ilves called for
the construction of yet another
memorial, this time to the victims
of Communism.
Ilves announced his idea during
an Independence Day speech
on Aug. 20, saying that Estonia
should never forget the evils of
totalitarianism and those who
fought it.
But his vision could take years
to come to fruition, if the new
Freedom Monument is any indication.
The winning design for the
Freedom Monument was unveiled
on Aug. 15. An artist's impression
of the structure shows a 28-meter
column topped by a large cross
built into the hillside at
Harjumagi, which overlooks
Freedom Square.
It has taken years for the concept
to progress this far.
Several
attempts have been made to erect
such a statue near Freedom Square,
but each ended in controversy. The
most recent was in 2001, when the
Tallinn City Council failed to gain
public support for a design chosen
through a competition.
The new design was selected
by a government-appointed jury
headed by the Lutheran archbishop
of Estonia, Andres Poder. "I
hope the result meets expectations,"
was the only public comment
offered by Archbishop
Poder.
The Ministry of Defense,
which is overseeing the project,
has remained secretive over
details. Although it released digital
images of the winning design,
it refused to announce the name of
the architect, insisting that such a
revelation was being reserved for
an official ceremony on Aug. 28.
It now remains up to the
Estonian Government to endorse
the design.
If approved, there are
plans for the monument to be constructed
and opened by Nov. 28,
2008, which marks the 90th
anniversary of the start of
Estonia's War of Independence.
But the new design has already
generated controversy. It has been
ridiculed in the press, with criticism
that it is either too boring or
too religious.
Architectural History
Professor Mart Kalm from the
Estonian Academy of Arts said
the design lacked artistic creativity.
"The first impression is that
the jury was composed of people
not connected with art, because
the winning entry represents
politicians' rather than artists'
taste," Professor Kalm told the
Eesti Paevaleht newspaper.
He said the design lacked fresh
artistic ideas, and was literal and
naive. "Artistic people will regard
it with contempt, while the general
public will like it," Professor Kalm
said.
The Estonian Union of
Architects declined to offer an
opinion, asking the public to wait
until Aug. 24 when its board could
meet to formulate their reaction.
Defense Minister Jaak
Aaviksoo said it was time to stop
squabbling over the issue. "We still
have no landmark to symbolize liberty
for our people," Aaviksoo
said.
The conceptual basis for the
design came from an entry called
Libertas, which depicted a column
topped by a short-armed cross of
liberty. Inside the cross sits a map
of Estonia, while the column is
inscribed with a quote from prewar
President Konstantin Pats.
The design was one of five on a
shortlist put before the government-
picked jury, which included
politicians, public figures, artists,
sculptors and architects. The jury
promised to publish a written justification
for its decision in the
near future.
