Hirvepark meeting
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The Hirvepark meeting (Estonian: Hirvepargi miiting) was a political demonstration held in Hirvepark, Estonia on 23 August 1987, on the anniversary of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. It was attended by an estimated 7,000 people,[1] and was one of the first organized public demonstrations against the Estonian Communist Party.[1] Participants demanded the public disclosure of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and its secret protocols, along with the liquidation of the pact's consequences. The demonstration sparked a wave of anti-Soviet activity and mass protests in support of the restoration of Estonia's independence.[2]
The leaders of the meeting were members of MRP-AEG, the Estonian Group on Publication of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact (Estonian: Molotov-Ribbentropi Pakti Avalikustamise Eesti Grupp), an organisation dedicated to publishing the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and its secret additional protocols.[3] These included Tiit Madisson, Heiki Ahonen, Lagle Parek, and Erik Udam. The general public was notified of the meeting through the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, as well as orally.
MRP-AEG also used the event to distribute the MRP-AEG Bulletin (Estonian: MRP-AEG Infobulletään), an underground self-printed bulletin that contained the organisation's statements and political opinions, reviews of demonstrations and pickets, authority-led actions and repressions, as well as thematic articles, historical reviews, and memoirs.[4] Its self-publication meant only those who came to the publishers directly or through acquaintances could obtain the bulletin.
„Meie ei osanud midagi arvata, kas rahvas tuleb või ei, kas isegi sõbrad tulevad või ei, kõik oli lahtine.“
"We couldn't guess a thing - not if the public would come or not, or if even our friends would come or not. Everything was up in the air."
Events of the meeting
Initially, the demonstration was supposed to take place at the Town Hall Square (Estonian: Raekoja plats), but the city government issued a last-minute revocation of their permission given for the meeting.[6] At the militia's request, the attendees moved on to Harjumäe, chanting slogans such as "publicise the Molotov–Ribbentrop conditions", "[the right of] self-determination for Baltic countries", "abolish the Molotov–Ribbentrop agreement", "Bring Stalinist executioners to justice", and "free Enn Tarto and Mart Niklus".
„See oli tõesti meeliülendav vaatepilt, kui terve Harju tänav oli inimestega täidetud! Harju tänava ääres oli vabaõhukohvik, külastajad vaatasid hämmelduses seda inimjõge. Juba olid väljas ka loosungid. Välgatasid plakatid sümboolikaga, kus olid võrdsustatud sirp ja vasar haakristiga.“
"It was a truly uplifting sight to see when the entire of Harju Street was filled with people! By the side of Harju street, there was an open-air cafe; the patrons just looked at this river of people in bewilderment. Already, [signs with] slogans were coming out. Posters flashed, depicting the hammer and sickle as equal to the swastika."[1]
— Henno Arrak, an artist
A suitable place for the meeting was found on the steps of Hirvepark. In the demonstration's opening speech, the principal organiser, Tiit Madisson, spoke about the non-aggression pact signed between Germany and the Soviet Union almost 50 years ago, and its secretive additional protocols, which divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. Gorbachev's implementation of glasnost meant the number of Estonian human casualties caused by the pact's implementation had been publicised for the very first time, and the question of the restoration of Estonia's independence was raised.[6]
Speakers included Heiki Ahonen, Erik Udam, Villu Rooda, Lagle Parek, Jüri Mikk, Roman Bode, and Kalju Mätik. There were also poetry readings from Merle Jääger and Raivo Raave, as well as one Platon Afanasjev, who claimed to be a functionary of Communist International; however, audience members deemed him to be too young to be part of the organisation, and he was consequently heckled off-stage.[3] The crowd of now-several thousand participants sang "Our currents are free" (Estonian: 'Meil merevood on vabad', also known as "Jää vabaks, Eesti meri"), and over a hundred people followed Lagle Parek's plea to enroll in an organisation dedicated to remembering victims of Stalinism.[7]