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EESTI ELU reedel, 12. juunil 2020 — Friday, June 12, 2020
Nr. 23
Mahtra matters
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
From patriotism to treason, a classic case revisited (III) In 2014 Russia kidnapped KAPO counterintelligence officer Eston Kohver on an operation allegedly on the east side of the border. After spending a year in a Russian prison, he was exchanged for a Russian FSB spy Estonia had caught. This prompted the government to issue a general advisory for all state and military personnel (a ban, practically) for travel to Rus sia. Metsavas could no longer pass on documents to Anton in St. Petersburg. The GRU had made contact with him in 2008 as he left his mother’s home in Lasnamäe, and in December of that year he was contacted by his GRU handlers in St. Petersburg. This is when his assignments started. In 2014, being forbidden to travel to Russia, where he met his handler, Metsavas thought he could extricate himself from a self-destructive situation. The travel ban gave him a solid excuse to opt out. In fact in 2013 he had already told Anton that he wanted to quit. Other circumstances com pounded his motive to abandon the GRU. While serving with Estonian soldiers in Afghanistan, in a war zone, a deeper feeling of camaraderie in Metsavas built up while facing an enemy together. Military risk pay, in a combat region, was three times higher than the normal rate. It was this growing sense of belonging, coupled with a strengthened financial exis tence, that also spurred Met savas’ d ecision to end the GRU tasks. But the KGB was well pre pared for Metsavas’ inability to visit Russia. In 2012, when Metsavas was in Afghanistan, the GRU made a visit to his father, Pjotr Volin, to Russky Island, off shore from Vladi vostok in Russia’s far east. Volin, divorced from Metsavas’s mother, had moved there, to the home of his partner’s parents. He had remained loyal to Russia even after gaining his Estonian citizenship. He was easy to recruit. Added to his allegiance to Russia, he needed money for his wife’s treatment from ill ness. His previous role as a Soviet border guard, a branch
of the KGB, was probably also an incentive to co-operate. KAPO has even considered the possibility of Volin’s role right from the start. First in his son’s decision to join the Estonian defense forces, then Metsavas’ recruitment by the GRU. Up until 2014, when the travel restriction was applied, the GRU didn’t need Volin’s services. But Metsavas stuck to his agreement to meet with Anton in St. Petersburg even after the travel ban. Com pounding his conflicted sense of obedience and loyalty was the news of his partner’s – future wife’s – pregnancy. Now it was too late to give himself up. His bridges were burned. He was forced to continue his life’s dichotomies – a mili tary defender of his country’s independence while helping to advanced the interests of its aggressive adversary – a Rus sian spy and a loyal Estonian soldier. He had been asked if he were forced to chose between two loyalties, would he fight against Russia if Estonia was attacked. Unequivocally he stated his loyalty to Estonia. It seemed to be a genuine de claration. He knew he was betraying fellow soldiers, those with whom he served in a war zone. He betrayed his students. And he fooled his own constituency, ethnic Russians for whom he was an authentic model of suc cess in the Estonian army, an organization that supposedly attracts and advances Estonian “real patriots” – a perception that in Metsava’s case proved to be false. Even though Metsavas never blamed anyone but himself for the trap he created for himself, he was still blackmailed into committing treason. Anton knew exactly the buttons to push to keep his recruit comp liant. Metsavas will never know if by divulging his story to the Estonian military he could have fed the Russians deliberately misleading information. After being unmasked by KAPO he confessed all. Metsavas’ vexing dilemma ended one morning when he drove his young son to nursery school for his first day. The boy
This Sunday, June 14th, marks the 79th anniversary of the beginning of the first mas sive deportation of innocents by the Soviets from the Baltic States. The second took place in March of 1949. Thousands upon thousands of innocents were cruelly ripped from the bosom of families and homes. Toronto area Balts have long marked this awful date with an ecumenical service of mourning and remembering. Not this year. Not allowed by the authorities. Let us think on the past. For Orthodox Russians, still follow ing the Julian, or old calendar (replaced throughput most of the world by the Gregorian) the 14th of June is the present-day anniversary of the Mahtra up rising of 1858. To clarify the calen dar question – the Gre gorian one follows the sun’s movement, established to cor rect the marking of seasons. That happened in Europe in the 16th century. Pope Gregory XIIII called for the marking of days to be moved back to re flect this. The practice was not adopted in Tsarist Russia and Estonia until 1918. As a com mon rule 12 days separate the two, explaining why old be lievers celebrated Christmas a dozen days after Western Christians. It is an interesting syn chronicity. For deportation to Siberia had taken place for cen turies before the Soviets em ployed it at such a mass scale. Falling afoul of the regime, deserting from compulsory Imperial army service (or even when, much was the case in other countries, being sent to serve in the military was often a form of penal punishment) or even crossing internal borders in Estonia, from county to county, parish to parish in search of a better master, meant exile. Last century’s Estonians called Siberia the cold land; in the 19th century it was usually the empty land. Eduard Vilde wrote a splen did book about the Mahtra up rising. War, as it was known. Mahtra sõda, published in 1902, relied very much on facts. Official documents and memoirs of participants, when married with the author’s own dialogue, produced a classic historical fiction novel. It has been trans (Continued on page 10)
clung anxiously to his father’s hand until he was promised some ice cream later. Metsavas phoned his wife to report on their son’s eventual willingness to join the other kids. He left the nursery for work. Less than one quarter kilometre away several KAPO cars waited for him and he was arrested for spying. With Metsavas, the GRU’s undeniable ability to clandestinely manipulate and build a relationship with a recruit had finally withered. LAAS LEIVAT
Youth Exchanges in Estonia Organized by: Seiklejate Vennaskond Dates of activities: 1st exchange: 21.09–02.10.2020 2nd exchange: 23.11–04.12.2020 Description: Each youth exchange brings together 30 young people aged 18–30 of Estonian origin; 20 living abroad and 10 from Estonia. The main aim of the youth exchange is to introduce the Estonian culture and language to participants. The programme includes: • introducing the Estonian his tory and cultural heritage to young Estonians living abroad; • sharing Estonian success stories, good practices and planned future developments; • teaching participants the Estonian language in the non-formal learning environ ment; • providing information about work and study opportunities in Estonia; • introducing the Estonian gov ernance system; • creating the network for young people of Estonian origin that might support repatriation. The programme consists of various activities organized in different parts of Estonia. The programme starts in Tallinn. The participants will have a chance to visit cultural and historic places in Tallinn. The programme includes visits to successful Estonian companies to learn about their innovative practices. The participants will get information about work and study opportunities in Estonia and build a network for the future. There will be visits to Estonian parliament, govern ment and presidential palace. A field trip to the wetland will be organized. Participants will hike in the wetlands and try out Estonian sauna tradi tions. Participants will partici pate in two-day brainstorming with local participants to ex press themselves through, music, art, video and writing. In the second part of the programme, the participants travel to South of Estonia to experience authen tic Estonian culture and heri tage. They will learn Estonian national dances and discover nature while canoeing in Tae vaskoja. After that the pro gramme continues in the city of good thoughts – Tartu – to explore the Estonian National Museum and learn about study opportunities in the University of Tartu and experience the
p ositive vibe of student life by taking a walk through the streets of the city. The pro gramme ends in Tartu. During the whole exchange programme the participants will have a chance to learn and practice Estonian in the nonformal learning environment. The youth exchange pro gramme is organized by youth organization Seiklejate Vennas kond, coordinated by Estonian Youth Work Centre and financed by the Compatriots Programme of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research. Check out what happened in youth exchanges in 2016 in project blog (www.rahvuskaas lased.wordpress.com) and in 2017 (www.rahvuskaaslased. blogspot.com) and in 2018 and 2019 (www.facebook.com/rah vuskaaslased-521909148284646). Profile of participants (coming from abroad): • Age 18-30; • Estonian roots, but living abroad for at least 10 years; • Motivation to learn and prac tice Estonian; • Willingness to participate in whole programme of youth exchange (participants need to choose to which exchange they apply for; they can participate only in one). Costs related to participation: If selected, all costs within Estonia are covered 100%, including accommodation, food, local transport, visits and excur sions. Travel costs will be reim bursed after the exchange up to 300€ based on actual costs. There could be exceptions of increasing/decreasing the limit depending on the overall travel budget and the distance of indi vidual journey. For instance, as travel costs from neighbouring countries are under the limit and from more distant countries over the limit, it will be balanced to be fair to everyone. Visa (if needed) is the responsi bility of each participant, but organizers can provide assis tance in getting the travel documents. Travel insurance is obligatory and will be obtained by the participant. This cost will not be reimbursed. Additional information and questions: rahvuskaaslased@gmail.com – all questions are welcome! Application form in English: (please fill the application form either in Estonian or English), Application deadline is 1st July 2020. Application form and additional information: http://www.seikle jad.org/rahvuskaaslased.html
