Today marks 80 years since World War Two ended in Europe. While most Europeans mark this day as a day of celebration, it is not the case for Estonia. May 1945 did not bring liberation for Estonia, instead it marked the beginning of a long and painful Soviet occupation that lasted fifty-one years. During this time, Estonians were deported to Siberia and human rights, language, culture, economy and freedom of speech were all brutally violated. The Soviet Union was not a liberator; it was an occupier.
In Estonia, World War II officially ended with the restoration of independence in 1991 and the final withdrawal of Russian troops in 1994.
