Estonian independence restored

After the collapse of the Russian Empire , the independent Republic of Estonia was proclaimed on February 24, 1918 ^[1] . Independence was achieved during the War of Independence . On February 2, 1920, Soviet Russia and Estonia signed a peace agreement on mutual recognition. September 22, 1921 Estonia became a member of the League of Nations ^{[2] [3]} .

As a result of the division of spheres of influence between the USSR and Germany in 1939, Estonia, in September 1939, the Soviet Union imposed a “ Mutual Assistance Pact ”, and on August 6, 1940, Estonia was incorporated into the USSR. Between July 7, 1941 and November 24, 1944, Estonian territory was occupied by Nazi Germany . After Soviet troops regained control of the territory of Estonia, it was again included in the USSR. The USA and a number of other countries recognized this inclusion de facto and did not recognize de jure ^{[4] [5] [6]}

From 1944 to 1953, armed units of the “forest brothers” provided armed resistance to the Soviet regime. After the suppression of this resistance by military force, a dissident movement continued to exist in Estonia, from time to time protests were held demanding an end to Russification and Sovietization, as well as an end to the occupation and restoration of independence ^[7] .

In 1987, a national awakening began, caused by the restructuring of Soviet society, announced the new leader of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev . Protests against the system have become open and frequent. On April 3, 1987, the government’s plans to begin development of a phosphorite deposit in northern Estonia led to a media protest campaign and the emergence of a green movement (it was alleged that the development of the deposit would inevitably disrupt the water supply to all surrounding areas; in 1971, the first in the Soviet Union, Lahemaa National Park, currently the phosphorites present in Estonia are not mined ^[8] ).

On September 26, 1987, a proposal on the economic autonomy of Estonia as part of the USSR was published in the newspaper of the Tartu KPI city ​​committee KPI “Edasi” (from Est. - “Forward”). A corresponding program was developed, which was called Economically Independent Estonia ( Est. Isemajandav Eesti , abbreviated IME (MIRACLE)). The proposal was negatively perceived by central authorities as separatism ^[9] .

The Singing Revolution

In 1988, a strong political revitalization of society began. On the night of April 13-14, the Estonian Popular Front ( Est. Rahvarinne ) was created under the leadership of Edgar Savisaar - a new socio-political movement in support of perestroika. The Popular Front quickly became the most popular movement in Estonia. On June 10-14, tens of thousands of people sang patriotic songs under blue-black-and-white flags on the field of the Tallinn Song Festival ( Singing Field ) during the annual festival. The events of the summer of 1988 in the Baltic countries are now known as the “ Singing Revolution ” . On June 17, a delegation of the Communist Party of the Estonian SSR at the 19th CPSU Party Conference in Moscow submitted a proposal for an unprecedented division of powers in all spheres of social, political and economic life in the USSR and their transfer to republican authorities ^[10] .

A more radical national movement has emerged aimed at achieving independence. In August 1988, the first opposition political party, the Estonian National Independence Party (PNNE), appeared. On November 16, 1988, the Supreme Council of the Estonian SSR declared Estonia sovereignty ^[10] .

At the same time, political forces representing the Russian-speaking population and aimed at preserving Estonia as part of the USSR — the International Workers' Movement (Interfront) and the Joint Council of Labor Collectives (OSPK) ^[10], intensified. OSPK constituent conference was held on November 30, 1988 in Tallinn; The tasks assigned to the OSPK were formulated as follows: “The Council is called upon to affirm the principles of proletarian internationalism in the labor collectives of the republic, to cultivate respect among workers for the traditions and customs of other peoples, to create an atmosphere of intolerance in the work environment of any manifestations of discrimination based on national principle and language, not to allow confrontation between people of work ” ^[11] .

On August 23, 1989, the Baltic Chain campaign ( Est. Balti kett ) was held, during which, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, a chain of people holding hands held in length over six hundred kilometers ^[12] .

On November 12, the Supreme Council of the Estonian SSR annulled its declaration of July 22, 1940 on the entry of the ESSR into the USSR.

On November 16, the Supreme Council of the Estonian SSR adopted a declaration of sovereignty by a majority vote.

On February 24, 1990, elections to the Estonian Congress were held, representing persons who were citizens of the Republic of Estonia until August 6, 1940 (the date the ESSR became part of the USSR) and their descendants.

On March 18, 1990, free elections took place already in the Supreme Council of the ESSR itself, where all the most important political forces were elected at that time.

On March 23 of the same year, the Communist Party of the Estonian SSR announced its withdrawal from the CPSU .

The collapse of the USSR

On March 30, 1990, the Supreme Council of the ESSR adopted a decree on the state status of Estonia. Having declared that the occupation of the Republic of Estonia by the Soviet Union on June 17, 1940, did not interrupt the existence of the Republic of Estonia de jure , the Supreme Council declared the state power of the Estonian SSR unlawful from the moment of its establishment and proclaimed the beginning of the restoration of the Republic of Estonia. A transitional period was announced before the formation of the constitutional bodies of state power of the Republic of Estonia ^[13] . President of the USSR M. C. Gorbachev by his decree declared this decision invalid ^[14] .

On May 8 of the same year, the Supreme Council of the ESSR adopted a law on invalidating the name “Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic” and on restoring the name “Estonian Republic” ^{[15] [16]} . Also, according to this law, the use of the coat of arms , flag and anthem of the Estonian SSR as state symbols was terminated and the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia of 1938 was restored (where Article 1 states that Estonia is an independent and independent republic). After 8 days, a law was passed on the foundations of a provisional order of governing Estonia, according to which the subordination of state power bodies, state governing bodies, court bodies and prosecutor's offices of the republic to the relevant authorities of the USSR was separated and they were separated from the corresponding system of the USSR. It was announced that relations between the republic and the USSR were now built on the basis of the Tartu Peace Treaty concluded between the Republic of Estonia and the RSFSR on February 2, 1920 ^[17] .

On January 12, 1991, the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR Boris Yeltsin paid a visit to Tallinn, during which he signed with the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia Arnold Ruutel the Agreement on the Basics of Interstate Relations between the RSFSR and the Republic of Estonia . In Article I of the Treaty, the parties recognized each other as independent states. Article IV of the Treaty contained a provision that the parties recognize “the citizens of the other Contracting Party, as well as stateless persons residing in its territory, regardless of their nationality,” the right to “choose citizenship in accordance with the laws of the country of residence and the Agreement concluded between . Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and the Republic of Estonia on citizenship " ^[18] Support for the Russian Federation has had a significant impact on the situation: when the Soviet Oi used force to attempt to regain control in the Baltic States, Estonia managed to avoid human casualties that accompanied the opposition in Lithuania and Latvia.

On March 3, a referendum on the independence of the Republic of Estonia was held, in which only the rightful citizens of the Republic of Estonia (mainly Estonians by nationality), as well as people who received the so-called “green cards” of the Estonian Congress, took part (an oral declaration of support for independence was a condition for receiving the card Of the Republic of Estonia: About 25,000 cards were issued, and their citizenship was subsequently granted citizenship of the Republic of Estonia). 78% of voters supported the idea of ​​national independence from the USSR ^[19] .

On March 11, Denmark recognized the independence of Estonia ^[20] .

Estonia boycotted the March 17 All-Union referendum on the preservation of the USSR , but in the northeastern regions, populated mainly by Russians, local authorities organized a vote ^[21] .

At the beginning of the August 19 coup , the GKChP sent Soviet troops from Pärnu , Viljandi and Võru towards Tallinn. 50 paratroopers arrived at the airfield in Tallinn. The Kaitseliite sent people to defend the facilities in the capital, the construction of barricades began on Toompea Square ^[22] .

On August 20, 1991, the Supreme Council of Estonia adopted a decree “On State Independence of Estonia” ^[23] , which confirmed the independence of the republic. On August 23 in Tallinn, a statue of Lenin was dropped from a pedestal, which stood in front of the building of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Estonia ^[24] . On the morning of August 21, the Soviet paratroopers attacked and captured several floors of the Tallinn TV tower, but after the failure of the coup, the object was liberated ^[22] .

Independence

On September 6, the USSR State Council officially recognized Estonia’s independence ^[25] . According to the official position of Estonia, on August 20, 1991, the independence of the Republic of Estonia was proclaimed on February 24, 1918 ^[26] .

By the end of 1991, many countries had established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Estonia, including the USA , Great Britain, and Canada ^[27] . September 17, 1991 Estonia became a full member of the UN ^[2] .

On June 28, 1992, the 4th Constitution of Estonia ^[28] was adopted in a referendum, which declared continuity with respect to the state annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 and confirmed the restoration of the Republic of Estonia through restitution and the return to the state system that was in effect until 1940 ^{[29] ]} .

• The restoration of independence of Lithuania

• Anatomy of independence

• Estonia's return to independence 1987–1991 - estonia.eu ( unopened ) (link not available) . estonia.eu. Date of treatment February 16, 2014. Archived on May 28, 2014.
• 1985-1991 Restoration of independence (neopr.) . estonica.org. Date of treatment February 16, 2014.