ESTONIAN EVENTS

Paldiski klint photo by Hilary Bird                                     

Estonian Society   Chair:  Thomas Pajur

Eesti Selts  -  www.vesbc.com

VES Library

Läänekaare 

Postipoiss

Erik Kõvamees, Editor

ekovamees@hotmail.com

Watercolour painting by artist Enda Bardell.   http://endabardell.com/works

Dark Rye Bread

Eesti Kultuuri Ühing Kanadas - EKÜK,  Society for the Advancement of Estonian Studies - SAESC,  Juta Kitching, Chair  

Martin Kuuskmann, bassoonist

Kuldse Klubi Pensioners' Picnic photos - June 2, 2010 at Kembi talu in Surrey, B.C.

 Jaak & Kärtu

Keerutajad - Rahvatantsiad  2011

Preparations for memorial service in Tallinn March 25, 2010

Over 20,000 candles were lit to commemorate the innocent people who were deported to Siberia by the Communist Soviet Union in 1949.  More than 20,000 people were deported on March 25, mostly women and children.    The youngest person taken away was 3 days old and the oldest was 96 years old.   Earlier in 1941 not less than 25,000 people were deported to Siberia, in 1944 approximately 60,000 were taken and in 1949 another 21,000 sent to forced-labour camps in Siberia.  Some 70,000 Estonians managed to escape to primarily Sweden and Germany.  During the second world war Estonia lost approximately 200,000 people.  On August 23, 1989, the 50th anniversary of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, 2 million people (Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians) formed a human chain from Tallinn to Vilnius protesting Soviet rule.  Freedom was won in August 1991.  

Habitation in Estonia goes back to 9,000 BC in the southern part of the country and 7,500 BC in the northern part so the country has a very old history and Estonians have much to reflect on. 

Folk Costumes

Pier 21 and the Pärnu Ship

11 Jun 2009 ©Eva Vabasalu

Halifax has an old salt and ale history dating from 1749, one of the oldest cities on the eastern Canadian shore to welcome seafarers and colonists to its natural deep ice-free harbour.  It's history is intriguing. 

Take December 6, 1917 during World War I when two ships were in Halifax’s inner harbour. The Imo, a Norwegian ship, was behind schedule and in a hurry to leave. The Mont-Blanc, a French munitions ship, had arrived from New York the day before but was held back having arrived too late to pass through the submarine nets. Allowed through the next morning, the Mont Blanc was not flying the mandated red flag to identify it was carrying highly combustible materials: 200 tons of TNT, and 2,300 tons of Picric Acid.

In those days ships in the inner harbour were known to sometimes pass each other on the wrong side. Of course had the Imo known what deadly cargo the Mont Blanc was carrying it is unlikely it would have pressed to pass the Mont Blanc on the wrong side even though the Mont Blanc had signalled back that it was not changing course. There was a collision and an uncontainable fire broke out on the Mont Blanc. Panicked, the Mont Blanc captain and crew abandoned ship in a rowboat to a nearby island leaving the vessel to drift. As the burning ship slowly crept toward the downtown area a crowd gathered at the harbourfront enjoying the unusual spectacle.

Just after 9:00 a.m. a volcanic explosion sent more than a kilometre-high blast of firebombs skyward. The black rain of carbon and jetsam fell heavily on the city setting it afire, killing 2,000 people and wounding thousands in a city of 50,000. The explosion was heard 100 kilometres away and fragments of the ship landed 5 kilometres away. The old terminal Pier 2 was damaged by the explosion and was subsequently rebuilt. A second fire destroyed it. Rebuilt in 1928 and renamed Pier 21 the terminal’s busiest volume of sea traffic took place right after World War II. Since 1939 the Department of National Defence had managed Pier 21.

After Sweden had accepted 22,000 Baltic refugees from 1944 to 1946 it was being coerced to return them to their occupied countries. Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians sought escape on small ships such as the Walnut, Sarabande, Pärnu, Amanda, Gladstone and Samaria arriving in Halifax without proper entry papers. 500,000 immigrants and 1000,000 refugees passed through Pier 21 in the years immediately following the war.

The Walnut and Sarabande were reconverted trawlers turned into immigrant ships. The minesweeper Pärnu, built in 1942, 115 ft. in length and 23 ft. in breadth was constructed of wood, also refurbished. 

My personal interest lies with the Pärnu as it was one of the ‘little boats’ my uncle Captain Jakob Suksdorf navigated from Malmö to Pier 21, arriving with the Estonian flag flying on August 2, 1949. On board were 154 people, including Capt. Suksdorf's wife Laine and two daughters as well as many Estonian Vancouverites including the Kembi family. Jakob Kembi was a part owner of the Pärnu ship. (If anyone has any journals, photos or memorabilia relating to the journey please send it to: ev@estonianevents.com)

Canadian Immigration closed down Pier 21 in 1971. In 1988 the Pier 21 Society was born and on Canada Day 1999, Pier 21 became a National Historic Site Museum.                 ©Eva Vabasalu

 Photos from European Festival held on Saturday, May 30th, 2009.

Marje Suurkask, Juta Kitching, Alar Suurkask and Edda Davis

Beautiful Brigid

Vancouveri Eesti Pensionäride Ühing "KULDNE KLUBI" Emadepäeval  -   May 13, 2009

Vasakult esimene rida: Helmi Lepnurm, Artur Proos, Laine Loo, Edda Davis, Juta Sark, Erika Tampere, Vilma Weiman, Niina Peterson, Elmar Tallermo, Erli Lepik

Vasakult teine rida: Tarmo Viitre, Kalev Lillak, Olev Matiesen (Rootsist), Laine Viitre, Leida Nurmsoo, Hedy Wister, Inge Lauga, Meeta Wesik, Rein Vasara, Aleks Aavik, Anne Lausmaa

Vasakult kolmas rida: Laida Telder, Maie Remmelg, Asta Sprogis, Ilmar Rumberg, Sirje Rumberg, Leida Rei, Viivi Vink, Villi Vink, Meida Kütt, Endel Kütt, Helmi Selde, Krista Tanner

Vasakult neljas rida: Teas Tanner, Hans Rand, Hans Selde, Sigrid Zilberts, Helle Sepp, Juta Kitching, Viivi Alexander, Aino Uus, Väino Jõemets, Eva Vabasalu, Raul Vabasalu, Aare Vabasalu, Vello Püss, Harri Talve, Viktor Remmelg

 Raul, Eva, Vello & Malle 2003

ESTONIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY -  February 24th

Meie Kodu doors 

Making Black Sausages

A traditional Estonian dish eaten Christmas Eve is Black Sausage also known as Blood Sausage, a dish no stranger to other parts of northern Europe.

Raul, Edda and Siina (and famed sausage machine)

The town hall square in medieval Tallinn was filled with tourists due to the Scandinavian-Baltic cruise ships that stop in Tallinn en route to St. Petersburg. Watching tourists order Estonian food like head-cheese and sauerkraut was amusing. Popular souvenirs sold were wooden beer steins, amber jewellery and linen goods. The Estonian chocolate factory Kalev did a brisk trade as did Saaremaa vodka. Apparently our Finnish neighbours still appreciate our lower liquor prices.

The new art gallery KUMU was very impressive having won many awards for its architectureal design. It had an extensive art collection dating from the 18th Centtury to the present, in particular I enjoyed the paintings of Eerik Haamer whose focus was on the expatriates especially those who fled to Sweden.   

http://www.eesti.ca/?op=article&articleid=21348

There was also a showing of modern artists namely Paul Kondas and his impressive Strawberry Eaters.

Many of our friends were anxious about the Georgian crisis concerned that the Russians would invade Estonia under the pretext that its Russian citizens needed protection. Wouldn’t it be ironic they said if Estonia was invaded while you were visiting. The mood was lightened when the Estonian athletes, Gerd Kanter brought home Olympic gold for discuss throwing and the silver medal rowers returned home were lavished with praise and monetary awards.

A highlight was the wedding we attended near my hometown of Pärnu. During our time there we stayed at the Tervise Paradiis, a spa hotel, on the beach which we found very comfortable and reasonably priced. Another high point was attending the night Concert celebrating the 20th year of the singing revolution and the thrill of hearing 30,000 people sing while the breeze waved the blue, black and white flags. Without doubt we’ll be attending next year’s song festival on the outskirts of Tallinn.

Alar in Kadriorg Park, Tallinn his old stomping grounds.

 Below - Alar at Valge Rand near Pärnu

Sandstone cliff on Ahja River (Taevaskoja) 

Taevaskoda - Devonian sandstone escarpment - about 360 million years old

Amber:

Photos  

from way back

Xenophobe's ®  guide to the Estonians

by Hilary Bird, Lembit Öpik and Ulvi Mustmaa

http://www.maaleht.ee/news/uudised/kultuur/kuidas-kaituvad-hinged.d?id=60943961

Eestis/Estonia - Sellised nad on...Eestlased  ISBN: 

978994944885 is selling like hot cakes and available 

at:  http://pood.rahvaraamat.ee/raamatud/sellised_nad_on_eestlased/364805

Canada - Xenophobe's ®  guide to the Estonians is available in Canada for $8.95 plus shipping through Amazon.ca at:  http://www.amazon.ca/Xenophobes-Guide-Estonians-Hilary-Bird/dp/1906042306/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1289852987&sr=8-1  

United Kingdom - the book is available directly through: 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1906042306/ovalbooks

The international standard book number for an English copy is ISBN: 978-1-1906042-30-1 and may be ordered through your local book store.

Hilary Bird, writer extraordinaire, lives in Tartu, Estonia.  For an interview of Hilary in Estonian please click on the following link.

 http://www.maaleht.ee/news/uudised/elu/maalehe-laureaadid-2013.d?id=66827111

The following is the English interview by Mati Soomre of Hilary:

MS:  Are you English, British or Estonian?  

HB:  My birth mother was Estonian, my birth father was Lithuanian. I was adopted and grew up with by a Welsh mother and an English father. I am a citizen of the world. 

MS:  When and how did you find out that you might have Estonian family?

HB:  I was born in the UK in 1948 as Anneliise Meikar but became Hilary Bird soon after. After my British parents died in 1983 I searched for my birth parents. In 1993 a geneologist found that my mother was Estonian and my father Lithuanian. Alice Meikar, my mother, had died in 1991. With information from Rahvusarkiiv I found my Estonian family in 1998. I do not know the name of my father. 

MS:  Some Estonians want to emigrate, among other places, to the UK, but you have come the other way. Why?

HB:  I enjoy the peace and quiet of Tartu. I was stressed in a frantic, overcrowded UK. I did not enjoy my work although I had good friends and these are a joy anywhere! Some young Estonians see no hope of improving their quality of life here. This is a political issue. Others believe "the west" is simply more exciting. This is a personal issue. "All that glisters is not gold" (says Shakespeare) but I never listened to old folks when I was young so why should they?

MS:  What sort of Maaleht reader do you write for?

HB:  I write for readers who like serendipity - finding something good or useful while not looking for it.

MS:  This year Maaleht published your translation of Lydia Koidula's "A mother's heart" for Mother's Day.  What else have you translated? 

HB:  I have translated over 75 writers.  

MS:  Where does your amazing knowledge of Estonian literature come from? 

HB:  I am financially independent and have time to research. My reading skills are good and I am a mole who finds much information about Estonia in English histories of our colonial rulers. My friend had the idea to write an anthology of Estonian literature in English in 2003 but she has moved on and I like Siurulind (the Blue Bird), I fly on alone. I was once afraid of this project (Estonians critics can be fire breathing dragons). Then I adopted the approach of Edward FitzGerald who translated the Persian poet Omar Khayyam - "above all, a thing must live. Better a live sparrow than a stuffed eagle." It worked. 

MS:  What stage is the anthology of Estonian literature at?

HB:  About 90% is written - a history, biographies and works from the oral tradition to 1990. Someone else can do post modernism! I am looking for a publisher – is anyone interested?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maaleht is a weekly newspaper with the largest circulation (44, 000) in Estonia. More than 122 000 Estonians read Maaleht every week. It is the only national newspaper whose circulation has risen for the past three years and, in addition, the number of subscribers (27 500) has grown steadily for the last three years. Weekly newspapers are mostly read at home and more than 50% of the readers pick Maaleht up more than once. 

Maaleht is read all over Estonia and is characterised by a calm, mature style and user- friendly wording. The paper follows in a long tradition of an Estonian weekly aimed at country folks - The Tartu Peasants Weekly Paper (Tarto maa rahwa Näddali-Leht) was first published in 1806. Major issues addressed include central government, municipal and rural economics, social problems and education.

LINKS:

Eesti Selts Vancouver - 

www.vesbc.com

Estonian Life/Eeesti Elu  -

www.eesti.ca

Estonian Orthodox Church Vancouver -

Estonian Orthodox Church

Map of Estonia  -

http://mappery.com/map-of/Estonia-Map

Articles of Eva Vabasalu - 

Pasture of Old Articles

Map of Mission, B.C.

(Olson Avenue in Mission)