The ongoing process of de-Sovietisation in Eastern Europe

A Ukrainian flag now sits on top the site of the former monument to Catherine the Great in Odesa. Photo: Multipedia / Shutterstock

Countries in the region have supported Ukraine through political, military and humanitarian means and, at the same time, they fight Russian influence within their own societies, banning Russian propaganda and state media. They have also pursued symbolic moves which have ideological meaning.

These moves include removing Soviet monuments from the streets. Ukraine, the Baltic states, Poland and others have made decisions to remove Soviet-era monuments. It will come as no surprise that the decisions had both supporters and opponents in some societies. De-Sovietisation is a long process and it requires systemic and mental transformation, as well as the transformation of values. It seems that the war in Ukraine, and the fact that Russian imperial ambitions are still very much alive and posing a threat to neighbouring states, fostered this transformation process in Eastern Europe.

Collective identity and symbolism

It is widely believed that monuments are important in public life. They regenerate the collective memory of events that are important for society. Collective memory on its own plays a key role in shaping collective identity based on shared understandings of past events, symbols and values. Thus, what monuments represent in the streets matters in shaping the collective understanding of history for society.

In the post-Soviet space, the removal of Soviet monuments and symbols has long been an ongoing process. However, in many countries one can still see remnants of the Soviet past in the streets. The removal of monuments has often caused contradicting feelings between different societal groups. If, for some, removing statues of Stalin or Soviet soldiers was seen as a way of distancing themselves from their Soviet past and taking new steps, for others it was still painful due to their sentiments and loyalties towards the Soviet Union and what it represented. A good example is the “Bronze Night” in Estonia in 2007, when the Estonian authorities decided to remove a Soviet soldier statue in Tallinn. The decision was followed by massive clashes between protesters, who destroyed public and private property and attacked the Estonian police. While speaking with Estonians, many of them call this event a “mini-war”, which clearly shows that it has left its trace in Estonian collective memory. Estonia was also the subject of cyber-attacks by Russia after the monument’s removal, which caused disruptions in banks, the public sector and private institutions and companies. In this regard, Russia views the dismantling of Soviet monuments as a political act and a weakening of its influence.

Russia, as the heir to the Soviet Union, continues to exploit such sentiments to strengthen societal divisions in post-Soviet states. Moscow hopes to transform loyalties to the Soviet Union into loyalties towards Russia as their “supporter/protector” in this new era and in the battle of values. These vulnerable groups differ from society to society. In some countries, those are minority groups of ethnic Russians, while in some countries they can just be apologists of Stalin. Such is the case in Georgia, where removing Stalin monuments has always sparked different opinions. There are always small groups who demand that the monuments remain in public spaces.

Freeing the streets from the Soviet past

The war in Ukraine has made it clear that Russia’s imperial ambitions are far from over. The most important takeaway is that if the Russian army succeeds in Ukraine then no neighbour is safe. This truth has fostered the de-Sovietisation and de-Russification process in many Eastern European countries, which have taken steps to eliminate Soviet statues from public spaces as a sign of ideological distancing from Russia and what it represents.

After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv has started demolishing not only Soviet statues but also the statues of Russian kings, queens and other historical figures. Most recently, Ukraine removed the statue of Catherine the Great from Odesa. They are renaming streets dedicated to famous Russian historic figures, changing them to the names of Ukrainian soldiers and supporters of Ukraine. For example, in the outskirts of Odesa, Mayakovsky Street was changed to Boris Johnson Street, to honour the former prime minister of the United Kingdom – a key supporter of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have explained that these moves are a response to Russia’s unjustified war, and that there is no space for friendship left between the two countries when one bombs and invades the other.

Similar decisions have been made in other states as well. According to the official announcement of the government of Estonia, in order to not let Russia “use the past to disturb the peace in Estonia”, Tallinn decided to take down Soviet monuments from public spaces, including the highly controversial Narva tank monument. Narva is a city near the border with Russia, with the vast majority of the population speaking Russian as their first language. The decision to remove the tank monument, which symbolised the capture of Narva by the Red Army, has caused protests among the Russian-speaking population. However, the tank was still removed. The Russian government condemned the move, calling it “a war against common history”.

Just like in 2007 when Estonia removed the Soviet soldier monument, Estonia again became the subject of cyber-attacks from Russia. Although the cyber-attack was quite strong and extensive, it appeared to be rather ineffective. No major disruptions in the work of different sectors were reported in Estonia.

The Lithuanian government has also made a decision to remove Soviet-era soldier statues from the Antakalnis cemetery, which also did not go without criticism. A group of ethnic Russians from Lithuania approached the United Nations claiming the government was going to destroy the monument and nearby remains. The UN imposed interim measures. However, Lithuania still took down the statues that represented Soviet propaganda. At the same time, officials declared that the graves and tombstones would remain untouched and only the statues would be removed. The Russian side responded that Lithuania is trying to erase “a memory of heroes who at the cost of their lives liberated Lithuania and Europe from Nazism”. Similarly, Latvia decided to remove Soviet statues despite the opposition of local ethnic Russians, asserting that the monuments are a symbol of Soviet occupation and in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can no longer be tolerated.

This trend has been taking place in other parts of the former Soviet bloc as well. Poland has removed several Soviet monuments in light of the war in Ukraine, while the Czech Republic has been renaming streets since last February. Both Poland and Czechia are strong opponents of Russia’s war and have been supporting Ukraine politically, declaring Russia a sponsor of terrorism and accusing it of committing genocide against Ukrainians.

Breaking away from the Soviet past

The war in Ukraine gave the Eastern European countries another push to distance themselves from Russia, which poses a security threat to them. This war has gained a deep ideological meaning – it became a conflict between the collective West and Russia. It turned into a clash between values – the free world on the one hand and authoritarian rule and violence on the other. Thus, for countries, especially in the neighbourhood of Russia, it has become crucial to determine and declare the camp to which they belong.

In this context, freeing themselves from the legacy of the Soviet past is not only a response to the current situation but also a strategic move for the future. Using this moral imperative, which was strengthened by the war and security threats, Eastern European countries have distanced themselves and their collective identity from the Soviet past. This is subsequently giving them additional chances to free themselves from Russian influence and reinforce the process of the transformation of collective identities, which will be far removed from Soviet sentiments. In other words, they are drawing a clear line between these societies and Russia and declaring their collective belonging to the free western world, which today stands and fights with Ukraine.

It is safe to say that the war in Ukraine strengthened the de-Sovietisation process in Eastern Europe. It pushed states to remove the remnants of the Soviet past, including monuments, which are believed to have ideological symbolism and play a significant role in shaping collective identity. Besides Ukraine, many other states have made the decision to remove Soviet monuments in support of Kyiv and, most importantly, for the sake of clearly underlining their collective values, which are far removed from what the Soviet Union and its heir, Russia, represent. The process has not been as painless as some expected. Yet, it is still moving forward and playing an important role in limiting Russian influence in the region and the world beyond.

Nino Chanadiri is a Georgian analyst focusing on developments in Eastern Europe and beyond. She has conducted analysis for the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies.

de-Sovietisation, decommunisation, Estonia, memory, Russia