ALYOSHA

When Estonia regained independence in 1991, most of the monuments erected during the Soviet era were demolished. The sole survivor was the bronze soldier, popularly known as “Alyosha”, in the centre of the capital Tallinn. Heavily decorated war veterans make an annual pilgrimage to the statue for the victory celebrations on 9 May. For them and many others besides, the statue is a visible symbol of the victory over fascism and Nazi Germany, but also of their identification with the Russian people. For others, however, “Alyosha” symbolizes post-war Soviet occupation and repression. The controversy over the statue led to severe altercations on several occasions, culminating in the sad events of two nights in April 2007. The melancholy soldier – “Why does he look so sad,” a mother in the film is asked by her child – seems inoffensive as a work of sculpture but apparently focused the deep-seated resentment displayed in the fierce battles between the monument’s champions and opponents and the resistance put up to the police. The camera stays perilously close to chaotic scenes that might be footage from a war zone: barrages of stones, mercilessly wielded batons, clouds of tear gas, windows being smashed, shops being looted. Until, finally the government decides to move the bronze soldier to a new location.