Hundreds attend Blue Hills Battle memorial service

Photo: Karli Saul /Scanpix

This Saturday, another yearly get-together of the 20^th Estonian Grenadier Division veterans took place at the Grenadiers Mound, Vaivara Commune, Ida-Viru County, in remembrance of those fallen in the Blue Hills battles.

According to Mauri Kiudsoo, chairman of the veterans union, the event proceeded peacefully and, as opposed to former years, no provocateurs made their appearance.

«I think all were satisfied. No one was after cheap sensations. People came in moods and attires corresponding to the nature of the event,» said he.

In recent years, 500-700 people have participated in the events. According Eastern Prefecture press representative, a security company was in charge for the event area, as well as policemen.

The get-together dedicated to the 69^th anniversary of the Blue Hills battles commenced by singing the Estonian national anthem, after which those fallen were honoured by placing wreathes at the Grenadiers’ and Red Army memorials. Words of greeting by Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu were read to those gathered.

The event featured speeches by Tarmo Kruusimäe, head of nationalist association of IRL; Mart Helme of the Conservative People’s Party; Vaivara council chairman Veikko Luhalaid, as well as representatives of the Julius Kuperjanov Association and Latvian war veterans.

The event was capped by soldiers’ songs performed by Toomas Lunge and Indrek Kalda.

On Saturday morning, wreaths were laid by Defence Forced chaplains unto memorials of those fallen at both sides, offering prayers in memory of the slain and the sufferers in the severe WW2 battles fought on the location.

«WW2 was a heavy ordeal for our nation, Estonia losing close to a fourth if its population,» said Chaplain Peeter Paenurm. According to him, the chaplains commemorated the fallen of both armies, as well as civilian casualties.

The Blue Hills battles between Read Army and German forces, lasting from July 25^th to August 12^th, 1944, were the bloodiest known to have taken place on Estonian territory. The exact toll being unknown, the fallen are believed to have been about 2,500 – only counting Estonians.

As a state, Estonia did not participate in WW2, the Soviet Union having abolished the Estonian Army in 1940. In the occupied Estonia, both Germany and the Soviet Union carried out forced mobilisations in violation to international law.

The veterans have gathered in Blue Hills, the last week of July, since 1994. The losses in battles at the Narva front, in 1944, amounted to 180,000 peoples at both sides.