Former ECA rector Mart Kalm defends new equestrian monument in Estonia

Architecture historian and Estonian Academy of Arts professor Mart Kalm has commented on the newly erected equestrian monument to Alma Ostra-Oinas, defending its creation. Kalm argued that the welfare society Estonia aspires to is precisely the achievement of people like Ostra-Oinas and her fellow thinkers.

Architecture historian and Estonian Academy of Arts professor Mart Kalm has spoken out in support of the newly unveiled equestrian monument to Alma Ostra-Oinas, pushing back against critics with a sharp remark: «Püha lihtsameelus!!!» — roughly translated as «Holy naivety!!!»

In a comment given to Postimees, Kalm argued that the welfare society Estonia strives toward is itself the legacy of people like Ostra-Oinas and those who shared her vision. For that reason, he said, there is no justification for objecting to the erection of a dignified monument in her honour.

Kalm, a former rector of the Estonian Academy of Arts and a respected voice in Estonian architectural and cultural history, lent his authority to the debate at a time when public monuments and their subjects have become increasingly contested topics in Estonia and across Europe.