“On the Tracks of History” – to Haapsalu in Länemaa Municipality
The route introduces the places of memory of the War of Independence, World War II and the Soviet occupation. Students will visit the deportation memorial site "Railway Tracks Remember", the War of Independence monuments in Nigula and Haapsalu, as well as the Haapsalu Railway and Communications Museum, where history becomes tangible through objects and stories.
What the tour includes
The monument “Railway Tracks Remember” allows you to feel a silent and thought-provoking atmosphere, where, standing by the tracks, you can imagine the fates of people deported to Siberia and their forced paths away from home. The Nigula War of Independence Monument provides an opportunity to get to know the names and fates of specific people, imagining that behind each engraved name lies a real story of war and choices. The Haapsalu War of Independence Monument allows you to feel the breath of the city’s history, where memory, destruction and restoration intertwine in one place, reminding you of how fragile historical memory can be. The Lääne County War Memorial attracts attention with its form and symbolism, allowing students to observe the image of a soldier and think about protection, duty and sacrifice in different times. The Haapsalu Railway and Communications Museum offers a much more active experience - here you can explore old trains, see an impressive steam locomotive and learn about how people used to move and communicate in the past, comparing it to modern technology, and learn how people "silently" listened to the banned program "Voice of America" during the Soviet occupation.