​Nikolai Karotamm, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Estonia Central Committee, examining the German military equipment destroyed near Tartu. As soon as the Red Army had invaded southern Estonia, the Central Committee of the Estonian CP was returned from Russia. Under the leadership of Karotamm, the plenum on 10 and 11 September, 1944, made the first preparations for installing a Soviet Estonian government. The pro-Soviets moved along together with the Red Army, to re-establish Soviet Estonian power.