Tõnismägi ( Est. Tõnismägi - “hill [St.] Anthony”) - a hill in Tallinn , which became famous for the fact that until April 2007 there was a monument “ Bronze soldier ” on it. The height of the hill is 36 meters .
| Tõnismägi | |
|---|---|
 Tõnismägi (May 2007 ) | |
| Highest point | |
| Absolute height | 36 m |
| Location | |
| A country |
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| Locality | Tallinn |
Located near Vyshgorod . In the Middle Ages, being a high point near the city, but outside the city walls, Tõnismägi was considered the “ Achilles heel ” in the fortification system: it was convenient for besiegers to conduct artillery shelling from it. Because of this, the top of the hill was repeatedly torn down.
In the summer of 2007, landscaping was carried out on the site of the transferred monument.
History
According to archaeological excavations in the first millennium, an oak forest grew on a hill and its environs. The hill was dug up several times over the centuries, as a result of which there was less material that could be found by archaeologists, but some researchers believe that this area was inhabited since the XII or XIII century. The first mention of Tõnismägi in writing occurs in 1348 , when the Tallinn City Council transferred this region to the possession of the Livonian Order of the Sword-Bearers [1] .
The history of Tõnismägi has always been associated with religion. The oak forest was probably a sacred place for Estonians , but only until 1348 , when the chapel of St. Anthony was built on the hill and a cemetery was laid out nearby. The chapel and cemetery were probably destroyed around 1570-1571 or in 1577 during the Livonian War . [1] After the Livonian War, several streets were built in the area.
In 1670, the first Kaarli church was built here, named after the Swedish king Charles XI . The wooden church operated for Estonians and local Finns. This church was burned during the Northern War in August 1710 . [1] Soon, in the 19th century, a second church was built, but was destroyed, after which in 1870 a third church of Kaarli was built.
On September 25, 1944, the remains of two Soviet soldiers were buried in the center of the hill. The remaining remains were reburied there in April 1945 . [2] After the funeral of the Red Army on June 12, 1945, the square on the hill of Tõnismägi was called the Liberators Square. The memorial monument was commissioned by the architect Arnold Alas and opened on September 22, 1947 ; its central part was a bronze statue of the sculptor Enn Roos . In 1964, eternal flame was added to the monument. [2]
On the night of September 1, 1994, bronze plates from tombstones were stolen by a group of unknowns. The square was closed for reconstruction, which ended in early 1995 . In its course, the tombstones were removed, and a lawn was broken on the mass grave. In addition, the Eternal Flame , extinguished back in 1992 , was removed, the slabs on the monument were replaced with new ones, with the text Fallen in World War II . Then the monument was called " Monument to the Fallen in World War II ."
In April 2007, the monument with the scandal was moved from Tõnismägi to the Tallinn Military Cemetery , and the reburial process began. [3] [4]
See also
- Myagi, Tõnis is a singer who is sometimes mistakenly associated with the name of the hill.
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 Kirikud, kabelid ja kalmistud Tõnismäel. Robert Nerman (est.)
- ↑ 1 2 Common grave for and a memorial to Red Army soldiers on Tõnismägi, Tallinn. Historical statement . Archived on June 14, 2007.
- ↑ Estonia begins work to re-locate controversial statue (link unavailable) . Date of treatment October 21, 2009. Archived August 5, 2011.
- ↑ Relocated Bronze Soldier to be unveiled May 8