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EESTI ELU reedel, 29. mail 2020 — Friday, May 29, 2020
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Thousands of KGBsnapped singing revolution photos enter archives fewer images. The pictures show uncon 6,000 original camera nega strained rallies, pickets, de tives were given to the film monstrations, commemorative section of the National Ar events, speech and wake-up chives (Riigiarhiiv) recently. meetings, even funerals, as well The negatives are from snaps as the expulsions of dissidents, by the KGB – the Soviet and of course, all the significant Union’s main internal security events in Hirvepark and Laulu organ – during the Singing väljak. Revolution era, and concern Almost all the leaders of the mass events between 1987people at that time, as well as 1991. The ETV show “Pealt some future stars, can be seen nägija” had the chance to see in the pictures. For example, at the photos. the opening of the memorial The film reels had been crosses commemorating the stored in a safe belonging to [World War Two] Battle of Jaanus Rohumaa, who has been Porkuni, young historian and a security company owner for 30 years. “To my knowledge, future prime minister Mart Laar the existence of these photos is speaks. Jüri Mõis, later founder unique, not mention that this is of Hansapank, demands a the only place in the former self-sufficient Estonia. The focus of the analytical Soviet Union where photos have been preserved of events work was among others, Heiki that affected us so deeply,” Ahonen and Eve Pärnaste. Ahonen was punished for agita Rohumaa said. The individual who shot the tion and propaganda against the photos methodically, at the Soviet Union and spent four same time trying to hide his ac years in prison, most of it in tual employer, called himself Perm labor camp in central “Oleg”. Even though he can be Russia. Both also participated seen in many of the old shots in the organizing of the legen and his name was published in dary meeting at Hirvepark in [State Gazette] Riigi Teataja, Tallinn in 1987. “Oleg” was also in the thick the 63-year-old former KGB officer agreed to an interview, of the events of May 15, 1990, on the condition that his almost 30 years ago to the day, appearance and name wouldn’t when members of the [pro- Soviet] interfront movement be published. The man, Estonian-born, re stormed Toompea. While several ceived training in the Red Army reports survived from the day in the field of encryption, in which have gone down in his today’s sense, and said that he tory, alongside Edgar Savisaar’s joined the KGB voluntarily in famous radio announcement 1976, serving most of the time “Toompea is under attack”, the in the 7th Department, which KGB photographer managed to was engaged in secret surveil capture the precise moment when the [Estonian] blue-blacklance. Secret surveillance was thus and-white was torn off the roof. a big part of his life for By law, former KGB decades. He never wore a uni collabo rators had to surrender form, and couldn’t even tell his to the security police following wife what he was up to. “My independence, but Oleg didn’t wife didn’t ask questions, she do so, and his name was pub knew that at home, not a word lished in the Riigi Teataja. The was to be said about it.” former KGB officer has no guilt The exact number of images or regrets about his actions, in the collection is unclear. In however. “If there would be an digitized form, a total of 6,500 other change of power now, I files were created from the think all, or at least half, of negatives, but since some [Estonian security police] frames may be repeated or are Kapo’s collaborators would be A selection of the thousands of KGB-snapped photos during the Singing Revolution of the late 1980s-early defective, there are actually come the e nemy,” he said. 1990s in Estonia. Photos: National Archives
ERR, May 2020
Survey: Graduates satisfied with studies, increase in working alongside BNS, May 2020
is very closely or largely related to the field in which they studied. Three-quarters of re spondents said their studies had met their expectations and twothirds said they had acquired skills they regularly use at work.
There has been an increase in students working during their studies, the results of a new survey of graduates from Esto nian higher education institutions show. Nine out of 10 say they are satisfied with their choice and studies. Three-quarters of the alumni surveyed think their current job
More than three-quarters of the alumni worked during their studies, including 80 percent of Estonian and 62 percent of foreign alumni. Compared to previous surveys, the share of students who worked both be fore and during their studies has increased significantly. Com pared to data from 2009, 45
percent of alumni worked be fore starting studies or during their studies. After graduation, alumni of Estonian higher education insti tutions are characterized by a high employment rate as 89 percent of respondents are employed. In total, 7 percent of all, and 5 percent of Estonian, alumni work abroad. About half of the Estonian alumni abroad are planning to return to Estonia in the near future. About half of the foreign gra duates work abroad and half in Estonia. Altogether 42 percent of foreign alumni working in
Estonia are planning to stay in Estonia for at least ten years and 19 percent for up to five years. In three cases out of four, the work done and the speciality studied are related. The largest number of gra duates with a job corresponding to their studies is among the graduates of the fields of infor mation and communications technology (ICT), education and health and well-being. Compared to 2015, the share of doctoral alumni engaged in work in their field has increased the most. When finding their current
job, alumni considered profes sional knowledge, the ability to apply theoretical knowledge in practice and the knowledge of Estonian and English to be the most important. Career services, experience abroad and the topic of the dissertation were con sidered less important. The survey was conducted by Ernst & Young Baltic AS in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Research. The web-based questionnaire survey was conducted among 5,000 alumni who graduated from higher education in Estonia in 2016–2018.
