It is 2 February 2011 and a snow-white day. I find myself on a small square behind the Tartu University Library. Today is exactly ninety-one years after the signing of the Tartu Peace Treaty, which brought an end to the War of Independence (1918-1920). The conflict led to the recognition of Estonia's independence and the determination of its borders. The signing of the treaty by Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaan Poska and Soviet politician and diplomat Adolf Joffe took place in the building adjacent to the square behind the library. A plaque on the wall stands as a kind of ‘birth certificate’ of the Estonian Republic. Today passers-by cannot ignore this lieux de mémoire, since many, primarily older, people have gathered there. The square is decorated with Estonian and union flags, and with picket signs erected in heaps of snow. A microphone has been made available for members of the public to voice their opinions and share ideas. One of the recurring themes of the day is the violation of the peace treaty that was the foundation for Estonian sovereignty. People recall the Soviet incursions of 1939 and 1944, and complain about contemporary Estonian politicians who are failing to uphold the prewar borders.

The Tartu Peace Treaty commemoration clearly illustrates the activism and mentality of a particular group of Estonian citizens.