Translated material
Simple SS happiness
War anti-heroes remembered in Latvia and Estonia
Last Saturday was colored brown in Latvia and Estonia. In both countries, rallies of national partisans and former fighters who fought in the Second World War on the side of Nazi Germany as part of the legions and divisions of the CC were held with state honors. The Latvian partisans even received a letter of welcome from the country's new president, Valdis Zatlers. In it, the head of state expressed his respect for the “heroes” and wished them “simple human happiness.” The Estonian SS men were warmly welcomed by Defense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo.In Latvia, the current, 17th gathering of national partisans and legionnaires was given a unifying character - the “forest brothers” and former fighters of the Latvian SS Legion held a joint event for the first time. On Saturday morning, dozens of former legionnaires and national partisans gathered in the very center of Riga at the Freedom Monument and laid flowers at the foot of the monument. The action took place under the state flags of Latvia and the banners of the Latvian Association of National Partisans. Having laid flowers, the “forest brothers” and former legionnaires headed to the ethnographic museum.
The President of Latvia, Valdis Zatlers, who took office as head of state just a month ago, also received an invitation to participate in the gathering. The President did not accept the invitation, citing being busy - he had a trip to the regions planned for Saturday. The head of state sent a letter of welcome to the head of the Latvian Association of National Partisans, Ojar Stefans. “In deep respect, I bow my head to your convictions and devotion,” the letter from the head of state says. “Celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the Latvian Association of National Partisans, we remember every hero who tried to turn the events of the war in favor of the homeland,” recalled Valdis Zatlers and emphasized that “the activities of the partisans today are necessary not only for the sake of preserving history, but also for the formation national identity."
A similar event - a gathering of former soldiers of the 20th Estonian SS Division and Estonian veterans who fought in other military units of Nazi Germany - took place on Saturday in Estonia in the Vaivara parish near the heights of Sinimäe. The location was not chosen by chance. It was at the heights of Sinimäe that in the summer of 1944 the fiercest battles for the liberation of Estonia from the Nazi invaders took place.
The participants of the meeting were welcomed by the Estonian Minister of Defense Jaak Aaviksoo. In his message, he called on the residents of the country to be ready to defend the fatherland. “The state needs protection now. This is confirmed by recent events in Estonia,” the minister said, recalling the “mass riots” that took place at the end of April, caused by the transfer of the monument to the Soviet Liberator Soldier from the center of Tallinn by order of the government. Speakers at the rally called for “the adoption of a law recognizing those who fought in 1944 as fighters for freedom and democracy,” since “Estonians who fought in German uniforms fought for democracy.”
Among those gathered at Sinimäe Heights were SS veterans from Norway and Austria. Veterans, under the standards of the units in which they fought, listened to the prayer of the priest of the Narva Alexander Lutheran Church. They then laid wreaths at the memorial stone in honor of the fallen soldiers from the 20th Estonian SS Division, as well as at the memorials to the Danish, Dutch, and Norwegian SS legionnaires who fought in these places.
Last year, Estonia passed a law according to which all Estonian citizens who fought for the liberation of the republic, regardless of whether they fought against the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany, were declared fighters for the country’s independence and against occupation during the Second World War. The Russian Foreign Ministry regarded this act as an attempt to “reconsider the historical realities associated with the liberation of Europe from fascism, and at the legislative level put an equal sign between the soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition and those who fought against them on the side of Hitler’s Germany.” Russia also categorically condemns the glorification of former members of fascist organizations in Latvia, “whose crimes were condemned by the Nuremberg Tribunal.” Earlier this year, on March 16, former members of the Waffen SS held another holiday in Riga - SS Legionnaires' Day.