![RiigiTeataja20091944](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/RiigiTeataja20091944.jpg)
Resistance Fighting Day () also known as Otto Tief Government Day () is a
public holiday
A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year.
Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history ...
in
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
which takes on 22 September. It honors the Estonian commander
Otto Tief's attempt to
restore Estonian independence in 1944. The holiday is a date of remembrance, commemorating the victims of the subsequent re-establishment of Soviet rule in Estonia following the
Nazi rule, and the resulting
sovietisation
Sovietization (russian: Советизация) is the adoption of a political system based on the model of soviets (workers' councils) or the adoption of a way of life, mentality, and culture modelled after the Soviet Union. This often included ...
of the republic from 1944–1950. It falls under the cultural symbols designed to recognize the
Occupation of the Baltic states until 1991. It was known in the former
Estonian SSR, as well as today by the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
and pro-Russian forces in Estonia as the Day of the Liberation of Tallinn from Nazi Invaders (), celebrating the Soviet
Tallinn Offensive by the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
's
2nd Shock and
8th
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
Armies and the
Baltic Fleet against the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
.
Observances
The proposal to mark 22 September as a national holiday was launched in 2005 by the
Pro Patria Union
The Pro Patria Union ( et, Isamaaliit, meaning literally Fatherland Union) was a national-conservative political party in Estonia. The party was founded on 2 December 1995 from a merger of the Estonian National Independence Party and the Pro Pat ...
and the
Res Publica Party
Res Publica Party ( et, Erakond Res Publica) was a political party in Estonia that self-identified as conservative. Established as a party on 8 December 2001, the political organisation Res Publica was founded already as early as 1989 and exist ...
The holiday was renamed from Day of the Resistance to Resistance Fighting Day by order of the
Riigikogu
The Riigikogu (; from Estonian ''riigi-'', of the state, and ''kogu'', assembly) is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. In addition to approving legislation, the Parliament appoints high officials, including the Prime Minister and Chief Just ...
on 15 February 2007. The day was first officially celebrated that year. The main ceremony is held at the
Freedom Square in the capital city of
Tallinn
Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...
. Official solemnities begin at sunrise when students from a local school raise the
flag of Estonia
The flag of Estonia ( et, Eesti lipp) is a tricolour featuring three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black (middle), and white (bottom). In Estonian it is colloquially called the ().
The tricolour was already in wide use as the symbol of ...
at the
Pikk Hermann. On Resistance Day, the
Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom
The Vabamu or Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom ( et, Okupatsioonide ja vabaduse muuseum Vabamu) in Tallinn, Estonia, is located at the corner of Toompea St. and Kaarli Blvd. It was opened on July 1, 2003, and is dedicated to the 1940-199 ...
opened an exhibit about the meeting of exiled Estonians and Soviet Estonians. during the
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It was a category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most su ...
in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
. The museum is open for free on the holiday.
Soviet "Liberation Day"
![Sdfh-550 8](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Sdfh-550_8.jpg)
Veterans of the
8th Estonian Rifle Corps
The 8th Estonian Rifle Corps (2nd formation) (russian: 8-й Эстонский стрелковый корпус, et, 8. Eesti Laskurkorpus) was a formation in the Red Army, created on 6 November 1942, during World War II.
An 8th Rifle Corps ...
often lead solemn ceremonies in the capital. On the third anniversary in 1947, the
Bronze Soldier of Tallinn
The Bronze Soldier ( et, Pronkssõdur, russian: Бронзовый солдат, ''Bronzovyj soldat'') is the informal name of a controversial Soviet World War II war memorial in Tallinn, Estonia, built at the site of several war graves, whi ...
was created. In 2019, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rebutted claims by Russian foreign ministry spokesperson
Maria Zakharova
Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova (russian: Мария Владимировна Захарова; born 24 December 1975) is the Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (Spokes ...
that the Tallinn Offensive was a liberation, saying that it was a false presentation of the "liberation of European peoples from fascist enslavement". That year, a fireworks celebration marking the 75th anniversary of the offensive took place in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
.
[https://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12253145@egNews ]
See also
*
Independence Day (Estonia)
Independence Day ( et, Eesti Vabariigi aastapäev) is a national holiday in Estonia marking the anniversary of the Estonian Declaration of Independence in 1918. It is commonly celebrated with concerts, parades and parties. It is the national d ...
*
Võidupüha
Võidupüha or Victory Day in English or the Victory Day in the Battle of Võnnu in Estonian is a public holiday in Estonia which occurs on June 23. The holiday has been celebrated since 1934 and marks the victory of Estonia and neighboring Latv ...
*
Estonia in World War II
Before the outbreak of the Second World War, Germany and the Soviet Union signed the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, concerning the partition and disposition of sovereign states, including Estonia, and in particular its Secret Additional Pro ...
*
Liberation Day (Moldova)
*
Liberation Day (Ukraine)
References
{{Reflist
Public holidays in Estonia
September observances
Summer events in Estonia