​Estonia has allocated 916,405 euros from the state budget for the dismantling and relocation of Soviet monuments, Estonian media ERR News reports, Agerpres reports.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine led to an initiative to remove propaganda objects left by the Soviet regime. Government press attaché Yevgenia Vara said that the Ministry of Defense allocated 916,405 euros for the demolition and relocation of Soviet monuments.

Monuments are being dismantled in Estonia

Two weeks ago, an additional amount of about 60,000 euros was allocated to the working group created by the government to carry out dismantling works. According to his estimates, out of 322 registered objects, 244 are subject to dismantling.

By the beginning of January, another 56 monuments were dismantled. Four monuments require a special approach due to their nature, as they are located in cemeteries, and 74 objects are assessed as neutral and not subject to either dismantling or recycling.

In most cases, the dismantling, relocation and conversion of monuments is carried out by municipalities, except for cases where some objects are located in cemeteries. The state does the rest, and the remains of about 830 people have been reburied.

One of the most difficult cases was the transportation of a World War II tank to Narva, which is on the border with Russia. It was located on the outskirts of the city and was a memorial dedicated to fallen soldiers on the Soviet side.