KEHRA, Estonia, Jan 04, BNS – The battle that turned the tide in the Estonian War of Independence of 1918-20 was remembered in Kehra near Tallinn at noon on Friday, with wreaths sent to further four battlefields of the war.
Defense Minister Jaak Aaviksoo and leaders of the Anija rural community spoke at the meeting attended by about fifty people.
Wreaths were laid at the memorial plaque marking the then location of the headquarters of the 1st Division at the Kehra railway station from where the Kehra battle was directed. Wreaths were sent from Kehra to four other War of Independence battlefield near Kehra, memorials at Priske, Vikipalu, Vetla and Voose, where candles were later lit.
Recalling the crucial events of the War of Independence the minister underlined that although the Estonian forces were drastically outnumbered by the enemy, the Estonians‘ will of defense, love of their country and hope of the creation of their own state became the decisive factor.
“This is the place where Estonian men stood without taking a step back,” Aaviksoo told BNS. “It is a historical place, because the fate of the young Republic of Estonia was decided here.” The minister added that armored trains, which played an important role in the War of Independence, took part also in the Kehra battle.
The memorial event in Kehra is part of a series of meetings organized in the rural communities on the line where a stop was put to the enemy’s advance. The first such memorial meeting was held in Valkla.
On January 4, 1919 Armored Train No 1 shattered units of the Tartu Communist Regiment of the Red Army at the Kehra Railway Station.
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