TALLINN -- The Russian embassy in Estonia has criticized the exhibition dedicated to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) which opened in Tallinn on Thursday.
“Russia strongly opposes anything that is related to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army because this organization compromised itself during World War Two not only by its connections with the Hitler troops but also by its extreme violence towards civilians of various ethnicities,” Russian Embassy Press Attache Maria Shustitskaya told Estonian television.
“The UPA acted like war criminals and not as fighters for freedom as they are being portrayed in retrospect. We spoke of our negative view on the exhibition opened by the Estonian Foreign Ministry and voiced our reasons.”
“Unfortunately, these were not heard. So, we are making our own conclusions,” the embassy official said.
The exhibition titled “The Ukrainian Insurgent Army. The history of the oppressed,” opened at the Estonian Military Museum named after Gen. Laidoner. It consists of over 500 archive photos and records, part of which had been classified by the Ukrainian authorities until recently.
The exhibition was shown in Ukraine where it was met with multiple protests, as well in the United States, Canada, Poland and Lithuania. After Estonia the organizers are planning to send the exhibition to Riga, Brussels, Athens, France and Australia.
Apart from Tallinn the exhibition will be shown in other Estonian towns.
