The cultural reinvention of monuments and memorials in Estonia

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, recently formed elites in Estonia took various initiatives to culturally reinvent the Estonian built environment. This process has been characterised by two distinct but concurrent practices: the redesign of the inherited built environment created by the Soviets and the establishment of new built forms reflecting the needs of the current Estonian culture and society. This chapter analyses the cultural reinvention of the Estonian built environment by focusing on monuments and memorials, i.e. built forms publicly erected by the state to promote their historical narratives and worldviews. The Estonian EU and NATO membership in 2004 provided adequate resources and sense of security in such a manner as to as to underpin the cultural reinvention of Soviet monuments and the erection of new ones. A four stages trajectory of this cultural reinvention is identified: 1. Removing and relocating monuments, 2. Establishing new monuments through a top-down approach, 3. Building new monuments engaging public opinion, 4. Building urban decorations representing everyday narratives. Four monuments are analysed to illustrate each stage.