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EESTI ELU reedel, 20. mail 2022 — Friday, May 20, 2022
Nr. 20
A conversation with the founders of NET
English-language supplement to the Estonian weekly “EESTI ELU” Tartu College Publications Founding Chairman: Elmar Tampõld Editor: Laas Leivat 3 Madison Avenue, Toronto, ON M5R 2S2 T: 416-733-4550 • F: 416-733-0944 • E-mail: editor@eestielu.ca Digital: www.eestielu.ca
Russia repeating Estonian history in Ukraine In March, 73 years ago, thousands of Estonian families were split and packed into cattle cars. Men were shipped to one remote Russian destination, women and children to another. Moscow called it Operation Priboi. The co-ordinated mass de portations from occupied Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were executed in territories occupied by the Red Army. Ukrainians are now taken from territories occupied by the Russian army. History repeated in real time. A total of half-million resi dents of the three Baltic coun tries were deported between 1941 and 1952. The total for Ukraine has yet to be estab lished. The far-flung chain of hundreds of labour camps, the destination for Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians de ported in the 1940s and 1950s, later named the Gulag by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, is now mirrored by numerous camps stretching from Belarus to the Kamchatka on the Pacific, the locations for Ukrainian de portees. Human rights organizations put the total at 1.2 million who were deported against their own will. This total is difficult to verify. It includes 210,000 children. For Estonia in 1949, 70% of the deportees were children, including a three month-old infant. A 97-year-old man also met the criteria to be shipped elsewhere. Moscow is well aware that the 1949 Geneva Convention, which established legal stan dards for humanitarian treatment in conflict, strictly prohibits the mass forcible relocation of civilians to the territory of the occupying power. Violation of this is classified as a war crime. Under international human rights law, forced displacement or transfer doesn’t necessarily mean people were forced at gun point, but rather that they found themselves in a situation that left them no choice. Mass for cible transfers or deportations of civilians from occupied terri tory are prohibited, regardless of the motive or reason. Witnesses to the deportation proceedings have stated that
“people were not given any option to vacate to a safer place in Ukraine. Many found them selves in a situation when their only choice was essentially crossing into Russia or dying as shelling intensified”. Before shipment to the vast ‘Gulag’ network, deportees are vetted in ‘filtration camps’, usually interrogation centres in the locality of the civilians detained. The Russian Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a government news paper, has reported that by midMarch, some 5000 had been ‘processed’ at one of the filtra tion camps to “prevent Ukrai nian nationalists from infiltrat ing Russia disguised as refugees so they could avoid punish ment”. The FSB security ser vice conducts the interrogations. A Red Cross volunteer who was later returned in a prisoner exchange transaction describes his experiences: Driving a school bus to evacuate civilians from a village near Kiev, he was arrested by Russian forces. He was placed into the base ment of a local factory with 40 others, where he was savagely beaten and repeatedly tased, tortured for information. This lasted for a week before being transferred to Belarus. In Belarus they were given an identity document, describing him as being born in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. From Belarus he was transported to a prison in Russia, where the brutal interro gations continued. After three weeks he and two women were exchanged for Russian prisoners of war. Almost everyone re turned on exchanges have cited torture during detention. Ukrainians have been able to identify 6000 civilians deported to Russia. This from a total of one million Ukrainians that Russian media claims have been transported into the vast ness of Russia. Reports say that most will spend at least two years at some form of labour before being returned. As expected, Russia denies any deportations, but refers to civilians who have been re located out of Ukraine as ‘refugees’ escaping the war. This according to Moscow is humanitarian aid to those who
Eesti Elu got to sit down with Liivi Sermat Cooke, Genevieve Perron, and Tory H. to discuss their experiences creating Noored Eestlased Torontos (NET). The three co-founders reveal their inspiration for creating NET, their recent Ukraine fundraiser, and what events they have in store. NET’s aim is to bring together young Toronto-based Estonians by creating events and community projects. What inspired you to create NET? What will NET bring to the community that hasn’t been done before?
past the age of 18. The Estonians don’t have anything like that. Of course, there’s always people in the Estonian community that are happy to organize events, but I think Liivi: While working at the NET is different because it will Northern Birch Credit Union be a more concrete, structured alongside the Latvians, it was body that we can easily pass mind-blowing for me to find down through elections or what out that they have an estab have you. Tory: NET also is unique lished youth group in Toronto that organizes events for youth because of our efforts to col laborate with other baltic youth groups in Toronto. Why is it important for you want to leave for Russia. to collaborate with these Deported mothers who have groups? been able to contact family in Genevieve: Our parents’ Ukraine indicate the Russian generation used to be connected re-orientation efforts aimed at with other Baltic communities, children: “They teach our but somewhere in between then children in Russian (in the and now we’ve lost it. It’s nice 1940s, only Russian language to rekindle that. schools in Siberia were avail Liivi: Our communities are able for deported Estonian so similar in so many ways children) and Putin’s history. when it comes to cultural dress, They are destroying the identity traditions, and extracurricular of our children, depriving our involvement so it makes sense country of its future.” to collaborate with them. We’re One cannot establish that all small communities to begin Russia is now targeting deport with and it’s always nice to ed people today by ethnicity, meet new people. language, education, social How have your experiences status or some other criteria. growing up in the TorontoBut in the 1940s Moscow’s aim Estonian community impacted was to eliminate the Estonian the scope and design of NET? social and political elite, includ Genevieve: A trend I’ve ing those who were suspected n oticed is that once people of being anti-Soviet (now antiRussian) by defending Estonian reach an age where they’re too culture, language and identity. old for their extracurriculars Deportations, then and now, (Estonian school, camps, etc.), were/are targeted assaults against they become disconnected from the community because there is the Estonian/Ukrainian nations. When we now commemorate nowhere for them to go. They the June 1941 and March 1949 go off to school or wherever deportations, those repressions and only return to the commu of Estonians, Latvians and nity once they have kids of their Lithuanians won’t remain so far own and the cycle repeats. But the Latvians and away, so remote in the distant what Lithuanians have are youth past. ‘The past repeats itself’ is not just a trite, over-used cliché. groups that last until you’re Accepting this without pro- about 35. I think that’s what action allows the same atro we’re trying to emulate with NET. cities to repeat themselves. LAAS LEIVAT Liivi: It seems like the only
options for involvement past a certain age are working in something you used to be a part of (helping out in Estonian school, being a counsellor, etc.) Although those still provide a sense of community, it still feels more like a work position. I’m not saying that it’s labour intensive to volunteer, but it would be nice to be involved in a way that’s not based on giving your time or working. Tory: We also want to get rid of any cliquey-ness. Your participation doesn’t have to be consistent and you don’t have to know everyone to go. We want to make NET events as open as possible. If you haven’t been involved in the community for a few years we’re open for you to come back! Liivi: Also, with my ex periences being visibly mixed, I hope to make a space that is inclusive to everyone, regard less of expression and identity. What types of events can we expect to see from NET? What will their timing be like? Liivi: I feel like everyone who has gone to Estonian camps loves the weekly dances, so upcoming events will try to host something similar to those in the city. These will be catered for people around 18 35. Overall, I think we’re aim ing for 4-5 events a year. Where will these events be posted? Tory: On our instagram, @ nooredeestlased.to and our facebook, which is the same. You can also get in contact with us via email, nooredeestlased. to@gmail.com Your first event, A Night At The Movies: The Baltics Stand With Ukraine was a big success! Why was it important for you to have a fundraiser for Ukraine? Genevieve: It’s important for us to show that baltic youth are strong and aren’t going any where regardless of Russia’s aggression. Liivi: We recognize the simi larities between the current crisis and the type of subversion our community has historically gone through. Looking forward, we could also be in the same vulnerable position, so it’s important to show our solidarity and support.
