Monument to the Night Battle of Tehumardi

Monument to the Night Battle of Tehumardi

Monument to the Night Battle of Tehumardi
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About
The night battle of Tehumardi took place in the late night hours of 8 October 1944. The Tehumardi night battle was one of the bloodiest battles of World War II that took place on Saaremaa. The battle was fought between Germans and Russians. The Russians came out as the winners of this battle.Good to know: One had to differentiate between one’s own people and the enemy predominantly by means of the helmet. In memory of the dead soldiers a monument was erected - it has the shape of a sword bearing depictions of male faces.
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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles23 reviews
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DoctorDee69
Orciano di Pesaro, Italy127 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2014 • Friends
Perhaps not the most uplifting sight on Saaremaa, but an impressive one nonetheless. The monument to the Night Battle of Tehumardi commemorates the Russian soldiers who fell at the 1944 conflict that was instrumental in ridding Saaremaa of German occupying forces.

The monument is made of concrete and dolomite, and is in the Soviet brutalist style. Formed in the shape of a huge skyward sword, the hilt bears the faces of Soviet soldiers. The "blade" and handle are clad in dolomite stone.

Nearby, a number of regularly arranged, diamond-shaped markers act as gravestones for the fallen Russians, about 200 of whom died in the conflict. History is written by the winners, and the German dead go uncommemorated.

Nearby there is a beach, but the better beach area lies little to the north of the monument. As a result, this will appeal only to fans of military history, or Soviet architecture. I am the latter, and I found this simple, stark monument both powerful and aesthetically impressive.

The location of the memorial is not clearly marked, nor signposted. It is clearly visible on the left side of the 77 road as one drives south from Kuressaare, but it is easy to miss, since the gravestones are low, and the monument is back 100m or so from the road. To find it, stop immediately after the junction where 102 joins 77 from the right.
Written 3 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Allan N
Shanklin, UK148 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2013 • Solo
I have now visited Saaremaa four times and each time I visit Tehumardi it is the same - the hairs on the back of my neck tingle and I am filled with sadness. The site is easy to miss if you are driving south from Kuressaare on Route 77 - long straight forested stretch and it is not very clearly marked on the tourist guide. However, look on the left shortly after the village of Nasva with its picturesque river and you will find a small but adequate car park just before a regular grid formation of small square stones. At the car park is a detailed account of the grim battle that took place there on the night of October 8 1944 - one of the most brutal encounters of a brutal theatre of war - the Eastern Front. A decent account of the battle can be found on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tehumardi. Look at the aforementioned small stones. Each bears two names of Red Army soldiers who were buried in pairs. Basic knowledge of the origins of those names shows that many were from the Baltic states, including, sadly, Estonians who had been forced into the Soviet Army and who on this battlefield were fighting hand-to-hand in total darkness against some of their fellow-countrymen. Once you realise this, a look down the path towards the sea will reveal a tall pillar of dolomite - the local rock - carved into possibly the most gaunt and grim memorial I have ever seen. This is to the Red Army dead. More than 200 men were lost on each side, but you will find no graves or memorials to the German dead. Saaremaa has no fond memories of the Soviet occupation and most of what the USSR left behind has been pulled down since liberation. I can only think that this memorial remains because of the toll of Estonian lives it commemorates.
As you are on Route 77, continue south and watch out for the signpost to the little harbour of Mõntu (Mõntu Sadam). There you will find a poignant memorial to the people of Sõrve - the peninsula on which you stand - who were forcibly exiled by the Soviets. This memorial is written in Estonian, German and English - pointedly not in Russian. Now that you understand a bit more go and visit Tehumardi again.
Written 27 November 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Julius K
26 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2019 • Friends
Places of biggest and bloody night battle on Sarema island during WWII. In this small and nice field russians and germans fight in close battle with knifes, shovels, bayonets and even hands in dark of night...
Rest in peace...
Written 20 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tl1982
Slovenia28 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2017 • Couples
The monument was built in the Soviet era to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the Red Army. The inscription on the monument - to the "defenders and liberators" of Saaremaa - clearly reflects the political views of the Soviet side and is probably something that few Estonians these days would identify with.

Yet for all that, stopping by the monument does give you an opportunity to think about the troubled past and perhaps reflect on the brutality of war that took place there not all that long ago. Even more so, all the politics aside, it is a very quiet, tranquil spot much like many other historic battlefields.

We took the time to walk around the nearby beach and forest, which is absolutely stunning, with plenty of moss and mushrooms. The contrast between the beauty of nature and the man-made horrors of war makes this a very special place.
Written 26 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Saba L
1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2015 • Family
As a "mainland"- estonian myself I have been in this place couple of times. I`m "into" history and I get chills whenever I drive past this freaking place. Sad, that soviet time wiped out all memory and signs of german fallen. Hand-to-Hand fight in total darkness... you wont enjoy it...
Written 16 September 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Martins V
Riga, Latvia405 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Couples
It is hard to miss this monument when you drive to see beautifull view near Saare lighthouse, but it is not worthwhile to waste the time to see brutal monument of brutal and horrible Soviet communist occupants, who replaced fasist ocupants.
Written 7 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jeff K
Pittsburgh, PA2,473 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022 • Couples
The battle was significant. The memorial itself is ok - seemed like a pretty standard Soviet WW2 memorial. Worth a stop if you’re driving by.
Written 4 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tom H
Petaluma, CA583 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2016 • Couples
We biked here and beyond from Kuressaare and were impressed with the monument we encountered in honor of the fallen soldiers. Continue biking along the road or stop along the beach which is located directly behind the monument. This place is perfect for a quick stop by car or a stop during a long bike ride from Kuressaare.
Written 18 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

M H
Darlington1,179 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2016 • Couples
We always find it difficult to review war monuments due to the sensitivities involved and in this case, the fact that the second world war is still relatively recent history. We are sorry to say that prior to our visit, we were unaware of the Tehumardi night battle but there was a helpful interpretation board near to the car park which helped to provide some historical context.

The dolomite and concrete sword like Russia monument, with inlaid poignant chiselled faces, is unlike anything we've seen before and will live in the memory for many years to come.

If you are interested in history and/or Russian architecture, then the monument is certainly worth visiting and can be found on the left hand side of the road when travelling from Kuressaare to Salme
Written 5 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Monument to the Night Battle of Tehumardi, Salme

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