Model for controversial Tallinn memorial defected to Finland during war
The model for the bronze statue in the Soviet war memorial whose relocation has led to major unrest in Estonia has been identified as two-time Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, Kristjan Palusalu (1908-1987).
A biography of legendary Finnish gymnast Heikki Savolainen written by Eero Marttinen, a veteran journalist of Kainuun Sanomat reveals that Palusalu's status as a Soviet hero was questionable to say the least.
Savolainen (1907–1997), won nine medals in five Olympics during his career.
In Marttinen's book, Savolainen recalls how he was treating wounded in a command tent during the Continuation War on the shore of the lake Seesjärvi, about 100 kilometres east of the present border. Suddenly, a defector who had rused over the front lines to the Finnish side was brought into the tent. He spoke some Finnish.
"I didn't recognise him right away, but pretty soon I noticed that the man is familiar", Savolainen says on page 124 in the book. "He was Palusalu, an Estonian wrestling champion ... Kristjan Palusalu, who won gold in Berlin [at the 1936 Olympics arranged by the Nazis]."
Palusalu was described by Savolainen as a "gigantic man".
"I soon recognised him and said that I know this man. We shook hands, and said ‘terve, terve'".
According to Savolainen, Palusalu had run accross the lines with a friend, who was shot in the back. Palusalu had said that he shouted with his friend "Don't shoot, we're sons of Estonia!" However, the Finns had heard "Don't shoot, we're son's of the devil!", owing to the similar sound of the Finnish words for "Estonia" ("Viro") and "devil", ("piru").
From Seesjärvi the champion wrestler was sent to work at a field hospital. After the war he was sent back to the Soviet Union, after which he faced a trip to Siberia. Palusalu did not return from internal exile until the period of Nikita Khruszhev.
Helsingin Sanomat
|
| 2.5.2007 - TODAY |
 Model for controversial Tallinn memorial defected to Finland during war |
|
