Europe as an Imagined Community?

In December 2007, the Estonian government ordered a bronze statue of a Soviet soldier moved in a Tallinn square to a more obscure location. The statue, which was erected in 1947, was regarded by ethnic Estonians as a symbol of Soviet occupation and had become an icon of old space . It was perceived to be a symbol of an earlier imperialistic and colonial Soviet occupying force. At the same time, the large ethnic-Russian population in Estonia perceived it as a symbol of liberation from the Nazis and the Russian parliament responded by denouncing the move. The statue, like a newspaper or museum, was a tool in promoting an illegitimate identity for many. The statue s removal would more easily permit the creation (or recreation) of new space and a new time for the nation-state of Estonia. Ethnic Estonians, both politicians and the voters who elect them, would consolidate their own imagined community.

Autorentext

Michael Ardovino studied political science at Texas State University-San Marcos, the University of Texas at Austin, University of North Texas and the Catholic University of America. He is the Senior Researcher on Democracy and Governance at the United States Agency for International Development's Knowledge Services Center in Washington D.C.