The project picked by Memento after design contest held two years ago, is authored by Koit Ojaliiv. Originally planned for Maarjamäe, Mr Ojaliiv redesigned the work Columns of Memory at Tõnismäe, as requested by Memento.
Herewith, the memorial is called «memorial of occupations terror victims», dedicated to Estonians who fell victim to two Soviet and one Nazi occupations.
«The design prescribes metal columns, for Tõnismäe, bearing names of victims. One three-faceted column will, depending on height of letters, about 2,000 names. Metal allows for a more compact solution; on stone, the letters would have to be higher. But that’s too good a place to set up something robust and cheap. There would be 55 columns, bearing 110,000 names; we have got all these names,» said Leo Õispuu, Memento board member, who took the design to culture minister accompanied by Peep Vari and Heido Ots.
In addition to names, the design prescribes equipping the columns with QR codes or some other technology allowing visitors to read specific information on the entire memorial or each person separately.
According to Mr Õispuu, the design contest organised by culture ministry in 2011 did not fit the repressed, as the jury was mainly composed of art personalities and victims of communism were not able to express their opinion at all. Therefore, Memento asked Mr Ojaliiv to further develop the project, placing the memorial in Tõnismäe where, within 500 metres radius, Museum of Occupations, Johan Pitka monument, War of Independence Victory Column, Deer Park (Hirvepark) meeting memorial plaque, and other historic markers are to be found.