Riots over Soviet statue
The week's news at a glance.
Tallinn, Estonia
The removal this week of a monument to the Soviet victory over the Nazis caused a deadly riot and paralyzed relations between Estonia and Russia. Estonians say the statue symbolized the brutal, 50-year Soviet occupation of their country. But ethnic Russians, who make up about one-quarter of Estonia’s population, said removing it was an insult to their war dead. After officials took the statue down, Russians rioted in central Tallinn for two straight nights. One person was killed, 150 injured, and nearly 800 arrested. At least half of the ethnic Russians in Estonia don’t have citizenship because Estonia enacted laws discriminating against them as soon as it wrested independence from the Soviet Union, in 1991.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
August 10 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include a global plastics problem, GOP enthusiasm over tariffs, and more
-
5 thin-skinned cartoons about shooting the messenger
Cartoons Artists take on unfavorable weather, a look in the mirror, and more
-
Is Trump's new peacemaking model working in DR Congo?
Talking Point Truce brokered by the US president in June is holding, but foundations of a long-term peace have let to be laid