monument to the night battle of tehumardi

Perhaps not the most uplifting sight on Saaremaa, but an impressive one nonetheless. The monument to the Night Battle of Tehumardi commemorates the Russian soldiers who fell at the 1944 conflict that was instrumental in ridding Saaremaa of German occupying forces.The monument is made of concrete and dolomite, and is in the Soviet brutalist style. Formed in the shape of a huge skyward sword, the hilt bears the faces of Soviet soldiers. The "blade" and handle are clad in dolomite stone.Nearby, a number of regularly arranged, diamond-shaped markers act as gravestones for the fallen Russians, about 200 of whom died in the conflict. History is written by the winners, and the German dead go uncommemorated.Nearby there is a beach, but the better beach area lies little to the north of the monument. As a result, this will appeal only to fans of military history, or Soviet architecture. I am the latter, and I found this simple, stark monument both powerful and aesthetically impressive.The location of the memorial is not clearly marked, nor signposted. It is clearly visible on the left side of the 77 road as one drives south from Kuressaare, but it is easy to miss, since the gravestones are low, and the monument is back 100m or so from the road. To find it, stop immediately after the junction where 102 joins 77 from the right.

I have now visited Saaremaa four times and each time I visit Tehumardi it is the same - the hairs on the back of my neck tingle and I am filled with sadness. The site is easy to miss if you are driving south from Kuressaare on Route 77 - long straight forested stretch and it is not very clearly marked on the tourist guide. However, look on the left shortly after the village of Nasva with its picturesque river and you will find a small but adequate car park just before a regular grid formation of small square stones. At the car park is a detailed account of the grim battle that took place there on the night of October 8 1944 - one of the most brutal encounters of a brutal theatre of war - the Eastern Front. A decent account of the battle can be found on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tehumardi. Look at the aforementioned small stones. Each bears two names of Red Army soldiers who were buried in pairs. Basic knowledge of the origins of those names shows that many were from the Baltic states, including, sadly, Estonians who had been forced into the Soviet Army and who on this battlefield were fighting hand-to-hand in total darkness against some of their fellow-countrymen. Once you realise this, a look down the path towards the sea will reveal a tall pillar of dolomite - the local rock - carved into possibly the most gaunt and grim memorial I have ever seen. This is to the Red Army dead. More than 200 men were lost on each side, but you will find no graves or memorials to the German dead. Saaremaa has no fond memories of the Soviet occupation and most of what the USSR left behind has been pulled down since liberation. I can only think that this memorial remains because of the toll of Estonian lives it commemorates.As you are on Route 77, continue south and watch out for the signpost to the little harbour of Mõntu (Mõntu Sadam). There you will find a poignant memorial to the people of Sõrve - the peninsula on which you stand - who were forcibly exiled by the Soviets. This memorial is written in Estonian, German and English - pointedly not in Russian. Now that you understand a bit more go and visit Tehumardi again.

Трогательно . На ромбовидных надгробиях фамилии русские , украинские , казахские.... Суровый обелиск . Море . Благодаря эстонцам (правительству) все это есть и не запущенно. Как важно для нас всех об этом помнить . Память о павших -это важно сегодня , несмотря на разногласия наших амбициозных правителей . Будет возможность быть на Сааремаа -остановитесь, постойте минутку, ведь им было 20-30 лет . И воевали они не за Эстонию , а против фашизма.

Спасибо жителям истории, что сохранили и памятник и могилы. Как бы то ни было, здесь полегло много солдат, и память о них нужно сохранять. И место для этого очень подходящее - спокойное и красивое!

Несмотря на все сложности в отношении эстонцев к советскому периоду истории, приятно, что памятник солдатам, погибшим во время одного из самых кровопролитных сражений на Сааремаа, остается нетронутым, как и солдатские могилы в непосредственной близости от него. Возле памятника почти всегда можно увидеть людей. А совсем неподалеку, кстати, находилась советская ракетная часть. Сейчас он совершенно заброшена и никем не охраняется, при этом в некоторых зданиях создается впечатление, что армия ушла отсюда не 20 с лишним лет назад, а в прошлом месяце...

Я вообще узнал много нового, первый раз был на острове. Перечитал кучу материалов. И не считаю что эстонцы жертва окупации. Все пострадали.Предыдущий оратор отмечал, что на русском над писчей не было - он опять ошибся, все там есть.А памятник красивый и суровый. В красивом месте. Все время казалось что из кустов покажется немецкий отряд.))