Monument to Kehra battle Memorial site

The Battle of Kehra, which was fought on 4 January 1919, was the first successful armoured train offensive and the turning point in the War of Independence, halting the Soviet advance on Tallinn. Legend has it that General Laidoner, on arriving at the site, personally demanded that the battleground be marked out. This monument was the last to be completed before World War II. It was never officially unveiled – the inauguration which was planned to be held on 23 June 1940 was cancelled due to the invasion of the Soviet forces. The 6.5-metre monument was blown up in late 1944 (although some sources state that this took place as early as 1940) and its stone blocks were used for the construction of nearby summer houses. The railway stop near the monument, which was named Lahinguvälja (Battleground) during the independence era, was renamed Vikipalu in 1957 by the Soviet regime. Following the restoration of independence, the stop was granted its original name. The monument was restored in a smaller form using the remaining parts of the original and was unveiled on 23 June 2000. Restored in its original form, it unveiled anew on 6 January 2019 as part of the centenary celebrations of the Republic of Estonia. The column is adorned with the relief of a soldier's face and reads: "Here the enemy offensive was halted and thus began our forces' march to victory on 4 January 1919".