The changes in Estonian population during and after World War II Authors: Triin Kesküla, Marily Kool, Kärt Anton Tutors: Reet Kandimaa, Vaike Rootsmaa JPG student’s presentation at Comenius meeting Tartu, April 16th, 2013
Table of contents The flight of Estonians to the West during World War II Deportation of Estonians into Siberia in 1949 Immigration of Russians into Estonia during 50 years of Soviet Era
Estonia before World War II • Estonia was one of the smallest states in Europe in 1920s and 1930s. • Estonian population was about 1 million people. • During and after WW II Estonia lost about of 150,000 people: people lost in war, war refugees, deportees.
Estonia before World War II
An Estonian housewife
A typical home of an Estonian family
A beautiful summer day
Our wrestler – Berlin Olympic gold medal winner
Kalevipoeg – our national epic
University of Tartu
Theatre Vanemuine
The change of power in Estonia 1918-1940
1940
1941-1944
Estonian Republic
Soviet occupation
Nazy occupation
1944 – 1991 Soviet occupation
1991 Estonian Republic
Loss of independence in 1940 In 1940 Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union and as a result of the deal between Nazy Germany and the Soviet Union (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsGVOdFAIxw http://www.estonica.org/media/files/images/64/642333028638-29_punaarmee-sissemarss_1939_farh_jpg_690x518_q100.jpg
The first mass deportation in 1941 • In June 1941 over 10,000 people from Estonia were arrested and deported to the prison camps in Russia, Siberia • Similar things happened in Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova • Soviet Union wanted to ruin the independent statehood and suppress the people with fear and terror • Politicians, military, scientists, clergy, businessmen and their families were the victims of deportation
The victims of deportation 1941
Prime minister Otto [August] Strandman shot himself when he was arrested
Prime minister Friedrich Akel was murdered on 3 July 1941 in Tallinn
Prime minister Jaan Teemant was arrested on 27 July1940 by the Soviet Union, died in prison
Nazy Germany occupies Estonia 1941 •On June 22th 1941 Nazy Germany declared war to the Soviet Union and invaded it. •By the end of August 1941 Estonia was under the German occupation which lasted for about 3 years.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-B08041,_Reval,_Besuch_General_Georg_v._K%C3%BCchler_in.jpg?uselang=et http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-010-0938-19,_Estland,_Angetretene_Soldaten.jpg?uselang=et
Nazy Germany occupies Estonia
Second Soviet occupation 1944 At the beginning of 1944 the Soviet Army was again at the borders of Estonia. The battles for Estonia lasted for about 6 months. The main cities were seriously damaged, the city of Narva was almost in ruins.
http://f5.pmo.ee/f/2010/11/04/460252t20h6b5e.jpg
Narva in ruins
http://files.ene.test.finestmedia.ee/EV%2090/large/Purustatud%20Narva%201944_164.jpg
Theatre Vanemuine before and after the war
http://www.ra.ee/fotis/index.php?type=2&id=611770 http://files.ene.test.finestmedia.ee/Varia_ajalugu/large/Tartu_Vanemuine_%20u%201916.jpg
Tartu stonebridge before and after the war
http://www.tartu.ee/data/kivisild1.jpg
Damaged Tallinn
http://www.rindeleht.ee/foorum/phpBB2/download/file.php?id=4138&mode=view
Damaged Tallinn
Theatre Estonia before and after the war
http://vanadasjad.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/tlm-f-2004.jpg http://www.estonica.org/et/Teises_maailmas%C3%B5jas_h%C3%A4vinud_Eesti_arhitektuurip%C3%A4rand/#/104/7124/13798/13822/14342/14343/14344/18404
The flight of Estonians to the West at the end of World War II • In 1944 about 80 000 Estonians escaped to Sweden and Germany • They escaped because Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union and they were afraid of arrest and deportation • About 8 000 of 80 000 people died trying to escape because of autumn storms and they used simple fishing boats which were full of people
The flight of Estonians to the West
http://migrationsmap.net/#/EST/departures
Escaping to Sweden • About 25,000 people escaped to Sweden because Sweden was rich, prosperous and neutral country • Swedish government was ready to help the refugees – hot cocoa and warm, clean clothes were ready
Leaving home
Waiting for the boat
Refugees leave for Gotland
http://www.saartehaal.ee/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/4149.jpg
Swedish warship saving the refugees
Arrival in Gotland
Escaping to Germany • About 30,000 people escaped to Germany, because Germany was close and people could use horse carriages and the railway • Estonian soldiers in German Army left Estonia with the German Army • Refugees were placed in refugee camps where food and shelter were poor because Germany was full on refugees • In 1947 - 1949 people left Germany to other countries with better living conditions - USA, Canada, Australia
Road to Germany
http://www.kool.ee/failid/pogenik.jpg
After the flight • Estonians had to get used to the new society, find a new job • People had to learn new language – Swedish, German or English and do hard physical labour in the forests, factories or fields • But Estonians were valued because they worked hard and were well educated • They were homesick because of lack of contacts with their relatives in homeland • For the first time emigrees could visit their homeland 30 years after the war Laul - “Ma tahaksin kodus olla“ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDwaXL4_rro
Estonians in the Estonian House in Sweden
An Estonian school in Stockholm
“Better to die at the sea as a free person than to die in Siberia as a forced labourer�
Memories “The first night at the sea passed peacefully, but in the morning a strong wind had risen, which turned into a storm. In the afternoon, the engine of the ship stopped working. Because of the strong wind we could not use any sails either. Fortunately, a Swedish warship noticed us next morning and saved us.�
“We had been sailing for only a few hours, when the Swedish naval patrol spotted us and lead us to the port on Fejan Island. Some people were saved from drowning by the naval ship and we do not know how many refugees died in that September storm. We know that of fourteen boats, which sailed out from Viimsi port, only nine managed to arrive in Sweden.�
The second mass deportation in Estonia 1949 • The second mass deportation in Estonia took place in March 1949. • Deportation happened during one night, at the same time in all Baltic countries. • From Estonia almost 20,000 people were deported to Siberia. • Majority of deportees were rich farmers with their families. • Some people resisted, they escaped with their families to the forests and to other cities.
Children in a deportation wagon
Transportation
Wagons
Forest brothers • The men who did not manage to escape to the West and were afraid of deportation, escaped to the forests” • They were called Forest brothers and hunted by the Soviet Security forces, captured and sent to prison camps in Siberia Metsavennalaul http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=oZIcnYcGmJA
Life in Siberia
Young Ants Laaneots and uncle Elmar http://arhiiv2.postimees.ee:8080/leht/99/03/25/2lk1.jpg http://www.saartehaal.ee/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/13915.jpg
Memories „One captured woman poisoned herself at the train station, woman's body was sent to the hospital." „Russian officer was not a cruel man. He was calm and showed what we should take with us. The Russians promised to take all we wanted.“ „Two young people tried to escape, but they failed and were shot on the spot." „My grandmother took the children away from the village when she heared the warning. Grandmother escaped to the forest. The parents of the children, however, were deported to Siberia. "
Life after deportation After deportation in 1941
After deportation in 1949
• People returned to their • Almost all men died in home country after being prison camps, few came away for 8 years back • Their property had been destroyed, strangers lived in • Their wives and children their homes could return to their home • People who moved back to country their home country could not live in big cities anymore • Occupation bans, limited learning opportunities and other various restrictions remained for a long time
Influence of deportations • Scientific research and commemoration of deportation was banned for 50 years • Deportations destroyed Estonian economical, political and military elite • Small farmsteads were replaced by collective farms • The life of about 30,000 people’s was destroyed • People lived in fear, they did not know what may happen next
Commemoration of deportees in Tallinn nowadays
Commemoration of deportees in Tartu
The immigration of Russians into Estonia after World War II • From 1945 -1991 about 0,5 mln people mainly from Russia and Ukraine migrated to Estonia • Main immigrants were Soviet Army personnel and Russians who began to work in the factories and oil shale mines • State companies and ministries required cheap labour workforce • Good salary and living space in the apartment houses were used as bait • Part of the immigrants came to Estonia thanks to the marriage or family relations
Soviet Army
Workers of the Kreenholm factory
New residential area for immigrants in Tallinn in 1970ies
Lasnam채e
Town of immigrants: Sillam채e
Conclusion • The Second World War changed Estonian population very much • About 8% of Estonians fled to the West, they were isolated from their homeland for decades • After the restoration of Estonian independence younger generation of Estonian emigrees contributed to the restoration of independence. For example President Ilves • Many Estonians deported to Siberia returned to homeland after the death of Stalin in 1953 and had to build up their life • The Russian immigration led to the Russian-speaking community, who did not speak Estonian and was locating mainly in the North-East of Estonia and Tallinn.
• During the restoration of Estonian independence many Russians were against it and part of them returned to Russia and Ukraine. • Estonian government tries nowadays to integrate the Russianspeaking community - about 300,000 people - into the Estonian society
Estonian flag in the tower of Tall Herman in Tallinn
Tallinn old town
Tartu city centre
Thank you for your attention!