Dear Friends,

During the recent years the so-called Bronze Soldier has been a topic of
considerable interest in Estonia. It is a memorial statue that the
Soviet ideology called a memorial of "deliverers", but for Estonians it
has signified the Soviet occupation and destruction of our independence.
Several times in the previous years the Russian-speaking people have
gathered around it to fly red Soviet flags and offensive and hostile
placards towards Estonian government and people.

After a long discussion Estonian government has decided to conduct
excavations in order to establish whether there are victims of the II
World War buried under the statue; and if there are, they could be
re-buried to a military cemetery (currently there is a bus-station just
next to the statue – already from the Soviet time – and obviously it is
not a proper place for the graves). Abetted by the Russian provocations,
about a thousand Russian speaking youth (mostly teenagers and young
adults) gathered yesterday to protest against these excavations and the
possible re-burial of the corpses (along with the relocation of the
bronze statue that would then be their grave monument on the cemetary).
These people defied orders from the Police to leave, and when forced to
leave the excavation site, vandalised the whole night in central
Tallinn, breaking windows, turning around cars, putting shops to fire
(stealing the goods beforehand) and yelling racist slogans against
Estonians and our country (and hailing "Russia! Russia!"). Many people
(including police officers) have been hurt. One 20-year old Russian was
stabbed to death, assumingly by his own fellow-nationals.

Seeing the rapid developments, our government decided to quickly remove
the statue from its place to calm down the situation in our capital.
This decision was immediately carried out. Also, as a counter-measure,
municipal government of Tallinn, as well as several other
municipalities, has prohibited selling of alcohol until 3rd of May.

But the revolt has not ended yet. This evening the young Russians are
again on the streets. Unfortunately a number of young Estonians have
also given in to the provocations and have come to the streets.
Therefore we ask you to pray for peace in our country, as well as for
those young people, that have been persuaded to carry out these acts of
unknown consequences.

Since the Russian official news agencies are bombarding the media with
clearly false information about the events and their background, please
inform your congregation about the real situation here and about our
history.

Estonians do not approve of offences towards the dead, but neither can
we accept public praising of those that took our independence and now
are trying to re-write the history. Republic of Estonia was annexed by
the Soviet Union first in 1940 and then after the German occupation in
1944. During more than 50 years of occupation, about 10% of our nation
died violently as victims of this totalitarian regime. It is impossible
to count the unborn children.

Estonian men that fought against occupants from Spring to Autumn 1944
did not fight for the Nazi Germany, but for the freedom of our country.
In September 1944, the Soviet troops did not enter Tallinn occupied by
the Germans but to the capital of an independent country that had
re-established its independence after the German forces had left. The
Soviet Union re-occupied a free nation! Historians have proved that
thanks to the Estonian resistance – tough eventualy breached – Finland
was able to maintain its independence, and tens of thousands of refugees
were able to leave safely.

This is a very hard time for us. We are truly grateful for your prayers
and support.

In Christ Jesus,

Armsad sõbrad.

Viimaste aastate jooksul on Eestis palju kirgi tekitanud nn.pronkssõduri
küsimus. Tegemist on Tallinna kesklinnas paiknenud mälestusmärgiga, mida
nõukogude ideoloogia nimetas vabastajate monumendiks, mis aga eestlaste
jaoks tähistas nõukogude okupatsiooni ja meie iseseisvuse jalge alla
tallamist.

Pärast pikka arutelu otsustas Eesti Vabariigi valitsus selgitada välja,
kas nimetatud mälestusmärgi juurde on maetud II maailmasõjas langenuid,
ja juhul, kui see peaks nii olema, nende põrmud sõjaväekalmistule ümber
matta. Õhutatuna Vene võimude provokatsioonidest kogunes selle vastu
protesteerima tuhatkond vene keelt kõnelevat noort, kes märatsesid terve
öö Tallinna kesklinnas, lõhkudes ja röövides ning karjudes eestlaste
aadressil rassistlike solvanguid. Palju inimesi on saanud viga, üks
20-aastane vene rahvusest noor pussitati surnuks arvatavalt tema oma
rahvuskaaslase poolt.

Kahjuks on ka mitmed eesti noored provokatsioonidele allunud ning
toimuvasse sekkunud.

Taolist olukorra teravnemist nähes võttis Eesti valitsus vastu otsuse
mälestusmärk teisaldada. Otsus viidi koheselt täide. Samuti keelati
vastumeetmena alkoholi müük Tallinnas ja selle ümbruses kuni 3. maini.
Rahutused pole aga sellega lõppenud, seepärast kutsume teid üles meie
eest palvetama ja oma kogudustes Eesti olukorra ning meie ajaloo kohta
tõepärast informatsiooni jagama.

Eesti rahvas ei pea õigeks langenute teotamist. Küll aga ei saa Eesti
rahvas nõustuda okupantide heroiseerimisega ning meie ajaloo
võltsimisega. Eesti Vabariigi annekteeriti Nõukogude Liidu poolt esmalt
1940. aastal ja pärast saksa okupatsiooni taas 1944. aastal. Üle 50
aasta kestnud nõukogude okupatsiooni kestel hukkus umbes 10% eesti
rahvast, raske on kokku arvata, kui palju lapsi jäi seetõttu sündimata.

Eesti mehed, kes võitlesid nõukogude okupantide vastu 1944. aasta
kevadest sügiseni, ei võidelnud mitte Natsi-Saksamaa ega Hitleri, vaid
oma vabaduse eest. 1944. aasta septembris ei sisenenud nõukogude väed
mitte sakslaste okupeeritu Tallinna, vaid ennast pärast saksa vägede
lahkumist taas iseseisvaks kuulutanud Eesti Vabariigi pealinna, mis taas
okupeeriti. Ajaloolased on tõestanud, et tänu eestlaste vastupanule, mis
tohutu jõudude ülekaalu tõttu viimaks siiski murti, suutis säilitada oma
iseseisvuse Soome Vabariik ning oma elu päästsid kümned tuhanded
sõjapõgenikud.

Oleme tänulikud Teie eestpalvete ja abi eest.

Issandas