 |
 |
In early 1944, war returned to Estonia. The battles of Narva and Vaivara in the North-East — the heaviest of the whole Soviet-German front at the time — raged on until August.
An Estonian nationalist government, formed amidst the chaos of the collapsing German defence, declared the restoration of independence and proclaimed neutrality in the war between Nazis and Soviets. Yet, the desperate efforts to organise Estonian military units (and obtain recognition from the Western Allies) were not sufficient to repeat the miracle of the War of Independence, and by late autumn the Red Army had re-occupied the whole of Estonia. |
 The baroque old town of Narva was one of the most valuable architectural ensembles in pre-war Estonia |
The heart of town after the Red Army bombing raids and artillery bombardments in March 1944 |
 |
Ahead of the returning Bolsheviks, tens of thousands of Estonians, who were fortunate enough to get to the coast and find any kind of vessel, escaped overseas. |
The baroque old town of Narva was one of the most valuable architectural ensembles in pre-war Estonia
Ahead of the returning Bolsheviks, tens of thousands of Estonians, who were fortunate enough to get to the coast and find any kind of vessel, escaped overseas.