The Estonian government has removed the statue of a Red Army soldier from the centre of the capital overnight following violent protests over the move that left one person dead.
Vandalism and stealing from shops erupted yesterday when police used tear gas and forced the mainly Russian-speaking protesters away from the monument and into the streets nearby.
Russia, which has had troubled ties with Estonia since it won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has protested against the plan to move the World War Two monument as an insult to those who fought fascism.
It has also angered local Russian-speakers, a large minority of around 300,000 in the Baltic state of 1.3 million.
Police now have the two-metre-high bronze statue of a World War Two Red Army soldier, which was set in a large stone wall in a small park.
A government statement said one person had died in the disturbances, which began after more than 1,000 people gathered to protest last night. The statement said 44 protesters and 13 police were injured and 300 people were arrested.
Many Estonians view the monument as a reminder of 50 years of what they see as Soviet occupation.
Prime Minister Andrus Ansip has said the monument is a public order problem because it attracts Estonian and Russian nationalists.