Nr. 18
EESTI ELU reedel, 7. mail 2021 — Friday, May 7, 2021
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On the Wall: Artwork at the Headquarters of the UN Vincent Teetsov
The spirit and determination of Hilda and Nicholas Küttis lives on to support the Estonian community’s future The newest members of the KESKUS International Esto nian Centre Capital Cam paign’s $100,000 Kalevipoja Laud are no strangers to the dedication and inspiration it takes to build a successful future. The Küttis family is proud to make this donation to honour the legacy of Hilda and Nicholas Küttis, their parents, grandparents and great grandparents. Estonia was their homeland and Canada their adopted country. Nicholas, a graduate in Forestry at Tartu University, was employed in the forestry industry in Estonia and was in charge of promoting exports to international markets. He was also a star athlete in track and field, representing Estonia and winning a gold medal in Turin, Italy in 1933. He won the medal at games that were part of what would become the International University Sports Federation, an international athletic competition for university students. The athletic events mirror those of the summer Olympics. His company sent him to London in 1934 to investigate emerging markets in forest products in the UK and to learn English. He had a fateful encounter at the Estonian Embassy with Hilda Truumees, who was working as an au pair in London and studying English. A few years later they met again in Tallinn, fell in love and married. The war interfered just as they were building their life together, and they had to escape their homeland with two small children, Tiina and Juta. They escaped first to Finland, then to Sweden, where they lived for several years before emigrating to Canada in 1948. They settled in Toronto, joining a young Estonian expat community. Their fluency in English and other languages served them
well, as did their strong work ethic and commitment to integrate the family into their adopted country. Canada after the war was a land of opportunity and Nicholas, along with two partners, purchased a small firm called Home Lumber Company. The company expanded rapidly to emerge as Alpa Industries Inc., which he ran successfully with his partners for many years. At home, Hilda was in charge of the family now grown to four children, with Paul born in Sweden and Linda in Canada. The couple always spoke of their lives and marriage as an equal partnership, supporting and enriching each other and their children in culture, athletics, the arts and education. Hilda was an avid reader and their beautiful modernist home was filled with books and the walls covered with paintings reflecting her refined aesthetic. They both loved opera and their home was always filled with music. Hilda and Nicholas instilled in their family the value of education and the importance of the hard work necessary for a successful and happy future life. They were always proud of their family’s varied achievements. They both enjoyed many hobbies. Nicholas was an enthu siastic tennis and chess player and together they were a formidable competitive bridge team. Summers were spent at their cottage on Lake Simcoe where saunas were a regular family ritual. In the winter months they retreated to Florida to join a lively community of Estonian snowbirds. They were proud Estonians. They also embraced fully their new country that gave them sanctuary.
In between the Conference Building and the General Assembly Building of the Headquarters of the UN in Manhattan, a tower of skirts stands on a pole in the corri dor, with a pair of plush white gloves adorning the top. The skirts, nine of them in total, came from Manija and Kihnu islands in the Liivi laht (Gulf of Riga). The artist that put it all together is Anu Raud, a master of textiles and Pro fessor Emeritus of the Esto nian Academy of Arts. The artist’s intention was to express the phenomenon of life being given by mothers down the generations. Each skirt overlaps the one below it, as the life of a mother overlaps and oversees the growth of her child before a subsequent life takes form. Akin to how a tree propagates and overlooks its saplings below it. This is actually a more suitable comparison than a tower, as the artwork is called Emapuu (“Mother Tree”). Emapuu was gifted to the United Nations in 1995 by Raud and then President of Estonia Lennart Meri. As seen in Mark Soosaare’s 2002 documentary Anu Raud – elumustrid (“Life Patterns”), the ceremony was an important celebration, as
In later life they were happiest surrounded by their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. The Küttis family is delighted to support the new KESKUS International Estonian Centre, a project that would have been close to Hilda and Nicholas’ hearts. Get involved and help support our future Are you interested in helping build this spectacular new home for the global Estonian community? Please join our growing list of capital campaign donors! The International Estonian Centre’s donor categories are Kalevipoja Laud for gifts over $100,000 (including naming rights for specific areas), Viru Vanemad for gifts over $10,000, and Kungla Rahvas for gifts up to $10,000. Stay tuned for the launch of the Kungla Rahvas campaign in 2021. To make a donation, please contact donations@estoniancentre.ca. Donations may be made as a family gift, or in honour of an individual or family. All Canadian and U.S. donations will be issued a tax receipt. Let’s keep in touch! • Visit our website www.estoniancentre.ca for all the latest news • Sign up for our monthly email newsletter at www.estoniancentre.ca • Follow us on Facebook: @ EestiKeskus
it marked a re-entry of Estonia into independent international discussions. The film is uplifting, showing the dichotomy of life on her farm in Estonia, framed side by side against her watching with pride as a crowd and photographers admire Emapuu. Of course, it isn’t the only art around in the Headquarters of the UN. Even the grey walls of the General Assembly Hall are the canvas for two murals by French cubist Fernand Léger. Art is everywhere. Nigerian sculptor Ben En won w u’s grand sculpture Anyanwu (“Sun”) shows a woman in the finest garments and jewellery of the Kingdom of Benin, which ruled in southern Nigeria from the 12th to the 19th century. She is six feet and ten inches tall, gazing below at passersby with a regal stance. This artwork was given in 1966. Tunisia donated a mosaic from the 3rd century, which shows the rotating of seasons. The mosaic is from a time when Tunisia was a central point in the Roman Empire’s flourishing Mediterranean trade network. Pheasants and four different crops can be seen around the square mosaic that would have been a floor originally. It summons the sensations of a sun-soaked, bountiful country and recalls the legacy of millions of gallons of olive oil making its way across the sea in ceramic amphorae centuries ago. Then there’s “Arrival” by John Behan. In the North Garden, the sculpture shows Irish immigrants stepping out from a crowded ship. Dense shadows bathe the planks of the ship and the quiet profiles of the passengers. The figures are walking towards a future in a new land, to whichever place circumstances brought them. Each piece represents another realm of the human experience; and proposed donations, selected by the UN Cultural Activities Committee, exhibit many different ways of looking at all of these nations. What warms my heart most about the collection is threefold. Firstly, its optimism. No matter what political changes sweep through nations, these pieces stand for a consistent right to be represented in the world. For a country to have a physical part of itself given space in the headquarters is to be at the democratic table of discussions. Secondly, the art welcomes the individual identities of the international community. There are 195 member states represented in the United Nations, and yet, their individual cultural qualities are emphasized. Thirdly, the presence of these creations in the UN Head quarters effuses a duty to act according to what will benefit the people represented by these works of art. Art represents humanity across borders.
Simply delicious Buckwheat Crepes Annaliisa Kapp Buckwheat is a great alternative to wheat flour for a gluten free option that tastes mild and sweet. Buckwheat is richer in nutrients compared to other grains, such as wheat or rice, and contains a good amount of fibre, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron. These nutrients make buckwheat beneficial for optimal blood sugar, heart health, and digestive health. Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 20–30 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients 1 1/3 cup buckwheat flour 1 1/3 cup oat flour 2 tsp baking powder aluminum free Pinch of Himalayan salt 4 organic eggs 3 1/3 cups coconut milk unsweetened, from carton, not can Coconut oil for cooking Instructions Mix together dry ingredients first, then add the rest. Mix until batter is smooth. Use a small amount of coconut oil to make crepes. Add about 1/4 cup of batter per crepe and swirl around to cover pan to make thin crepes – cook until you start to see bubbles, then flip. Recipe notes To make a fresh strawberry jam, blend desired amount of strawberries with some honey or coconut sugar.
Photo: Anu Raud’s Emapuu, from movies.ee
