The changes in Estonian population after World War II Juhendaja:
p. Reet Kandimaa Krt Anton, Marily Kool ja Triin Keskla Slide 2
Introduction 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 the Soviet Era Slide 3
Estonia was one of the smallest states in Europe in the 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. Slide 4 Estonia before World War II
Slide 5 An Estonian housewife Slide 6 A typical home of an Estonian
family Slide 7 Boys behind Arukla manor Slide 8 A beautiful summer
day Slide 9 Slide 10 Our wrestler Olympic gold medallist Slide 11
Kalevipoeg our national epic Slide 12 University of Tartu Theatre
Vanemuine Slide 13 1918-1940 Estonian Republic 1940 Soviet
occupation 1941-1944 Nazy occupation 1944 1991 Soviet occupation
1991 Estonian Republic The change of power in Estonia Slide 14
http://www.estonica.org/media/files/images/64/642333028638-29_punaarmee-sissemarss_1939_farh_jpg_690x518_q100.jpg
In 1940 Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union as a result of the
deal between Nazy Germany and the Soviet Union (Molotov-Ribbentrop
Pact) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsGVOdFAIxw Loss of
independence Slide 15 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 The Soviet Union
wanted to ruin the independent statehood and suppress the people
with fear and terror Politicians, the military, scientists, the
clergy, businessmen and their families were the victims of
deportation Slide 16 The victims of deportation in 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 Slide 17
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-010-0938-19,_Estland,_Angetretene_Soldaten.jpg?uselang=et
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-B08041,_Reval,_Besuch_General_Georg_v._K%C3%BCchler_in.jpg?uselang=et
Nazy Germany occupies Estonia On June 22 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. Slide 18 Nazy Germany occupies Estonia Slide 19
http://f5.pmo.ee/f/2010/11/04/460252t20h6b5e.jpg The second Soviet
occupation 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. Slide 20
http://files.ene.test.finestmedia.ee/EV%2090/large/Purustatud%20Narva%201944_164.jpg
Narva in ruins Slide 21 Theatre Vanemuine before and after the war
http://files.ene.test.finestmedia.ee/Varia_ajalugu/large/Tartu_Vanemuine_%20u%201916.jpg
http://www.ra.ee/fotis/index.php?type=2&id=611770 Slide 22
http://www.tartu.ee/data/kivisild1.jpg Tartu stonebridge before and
after the war Slide 23
http://www.rindeleht.ee/foorum/phpBB2/download/file.php?id=4138&mode=view
Damaged Tallinn Slide 24 Slide 25
http://www.estonica.org/et/Teises_maailmas%C3%B5jas_h%C3%A4vinud_Eesti_arhitektuurip%C3%A4rand/#/104/7124/13798/13822/14342/14343/14344/18404
Theatre Estonia before and after the war
http://vanadasjad.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/tlm-f-2004.jpg Slide
26 The flight of Estonians to the West during 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 Slide 27 The flight of
Estonians to the West http://migrationsmap.net/#/EST/departures
Slide 28 Escaping to Sweden About 25,000 people escaped to Sweden
because Sweden was a rich, prosperous and neutral country Swedish
government was ready to help the refugees hot cocoa and warm, clean
clothes were ready Leaving home Slide 29 Waiting for the boat Slide
30 http://www.saartehaal.ee/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/4149.jpg
Refugees leave for Gotland Slide 31 Swedish warship saving the
refugees Slide 32 Arrival in Gotland Slide 33 Slide 34 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 the German Army left Estonia with the German Army
Refugees were placed in refugee camps where food and shelter were
poor because Germany was full of refugees In 1947 - 1949 people
left Germany and went to other countries with better living
conditions the USA, Canada, Australia Slide 35
http://www.kool.ee/failid/pogenik.jpg On the road to Germany Slide
36 Slide 37 After the flight Estonians had to get used to the new
society, find new jobs People had to learn a new language Swedish,
German or English and do hard physical labour in the forests,
factories or fields Estonians were valued because they worked hard
and were well educated They were homesick because of lack of
contacts with their relatives in homeland It was 30 years after the
war that the emigrees could visit their homeland for the first time
Laul - Ma tahaksin kodus olla
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDwaXL4_rro Slide 38 Estonians in
the Estonian House in Sweden Slide 39 An Estonian school in
Stockholm Slide 40 Better to die at the sea as a free person than
to die in Siberia as a forced labourer Slide 41 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 the next morning and saved us. Slide 42 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. Slide 43 The second mass deportation in Estonia
In 1949 The second mass deportation in Estonia took place in March
1949. The deportation happened during one night, at the same time
in all Baltic countries. From Estonia almost 20,000 people were
deported to Siberia. The 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 Slide 44 Transportation Slide 45 Slide 46 Slide
47 Wagons Slide 48 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. When captured, they were sent to prison camps in
Siberia Metsavennalaul http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZIcn YcGmJA
Slide 49 Life in Siberia Slide 50 Slide 51 Slide 52 Slide 53 Young
Ants Laaneots and uncle Elmar
http://www.saartehaal.ee/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/13915.jpg
http://arhiiv2.postimees.ee:8080/leht/99/03/25/2lk1.jpg Slide 54
Memories One captured woman poisoned herself at the train station,
the woman's body was sent to the hospital. The 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 heard
the warning. My grandmother escaped to the forest. The parents of
the children, however, were deported to Siberia. Slide 55 Life
after deportation After deportation in 1941 Almost all men died in
prison camps, few came back Their wives and children could return
to their home country After deportation in 1949 People returned to
their home country after being away for 8 years Their property had
been destroyed, strangers lived in ther homes People who moved back
to their home country could not live in big cities anymore
Occupation bans, limited learning opportunities and other various
restrictions remained for a long time Slide 56 Influence of
deportations Investigation and commemoration of deportation was
banned for 50 years Deportations destroyed Estonian economic,
political and military elite Small farmsteads were replaced by
collective farms The lives of about 30,000 people were destroyed
People lived in fear, they did not know what would happen next
Slide 57 Commemoration of deportees in Tallinn Slide 58
Commemoration of deportees in Tartu Slide 59 Slide 60 The
immigration of Russians into Estonia after World War II From 1945
-1991 about half a million people from Russia and Ukraine migrated
to Estonia Mostly the immigrants were Soviet Army personnel and
Russians who began to work in the factories and oil shale mines
State companies and ministries required cheap workforce Good salary
and living space in blocks of flats were used as bait Some of the
immigrants came to Estonia because of marriage or family relations
Slide 61 Soviet Army Slide 62 Workers in the Kreenholm factory
Slide 63 New residential area for immigrants in Tallinn Lasname
Slide 64 Town of immigrants: Sillame Slide 65 Conclusion The Second
World War changed Estonian population a great deal About 8% of
Estonians fled to the West, they were isolated from their homeland
for decades After the restoration of Estonian independence a
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 start their life from scratch Russian
immigration led to the Russian-speaking community, who did not
speak Estonian and was located mainly in the North-East of Estonia
and in Tallinn. Slide 66 During the restoration of Estonian
independence many Russians were against it and part of them
returned to Russia and Ukraine. Nowadays the Estonian Government
tries to integrate the Russian-speaking community - about 300,000
people - into the Estonian society Slide 67 The Estonian flag on
top of the tower Tall Hermann in Tallinn Slide 68 Slide 69 Tallinn
old town Slide 70 Tartu city centre Slide 71 Snail tower in Tartu
Slide 72 Jgala waterfall in spring Slide 73 Jgala waterfall in
winter Slide 74 Thank you for your attention!
