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EESTI ELU reedel, 10. juulil 2020 — Friday, July 10, 2020
Nr. 27
“We are all in this together COVID-19” Project submission deadline extended to July 31, 2020
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
The Russian vote – a gross abuse of “participatory democracy” On July 1, Russians voted in a referendum that gave a 76% approval to constitutional amendments that conferred Vladimir Putin the presidency practically for life. It wasn’t ‘direct democracy’ in action, but rather a blatant manipu lation of the voters’ patriotic instincts. From the start, the govern ment-run campaign was rigged to guarantee public affirmation of Putin’s extended political longevity – a truly well-orches trated scam. Other than paving the way for Putin to retain power virtually indefinitely (retiring at the age of 83), the referendum also dealt with protecting family value, the Russian language, pensions, animals (yes, ed.) the memory of Russian World War II casualties – all presented in a package that assured a confirm ing vote. In fact it was invoking the heroics of WWII fallen Rus sians, both military and civilian, that was the focus of the provote promotion. The message was simple – if you do not sup port something as nationalisti cally sacrosanct as our dead veterans, you are negating the sacrifice they made for mother Russia. Recruited to get this narra tive across were long-in-thetooth prominent figures of the show business and media sec tors – individuals who depend ed on government-sponsored gigs for most of their income. In general the younger members of the entertainment sector and internet celebrities avoided en joining the fraudulent messag ing, thus avoiding a distortion of their emerging image among a younger audience. Workers at state-run enter prises were under forced mobi lization to vote on penalty of dismissal. Publishing, broad casting or posting any dissident opinions on government con trolled media was not an option. They did not have the journalis tic independence to point out that Putin has always been a single, unchallenged leader and that the farce of such a public acclamation does not give him the authentic legitimacy his acolytes claim he has.
Critics pointed out that the referendum was an unnecessary exercise, instituted to divert public attention from a severely crippled economy abetted by sanctions and the glaring in competence of Putin’s team. The constitutional amendments had already been ratified by the State Duma and regional legis latures across Russia. But Putin had to still amass the appear ance of public support to legiti mize decisions that he had made and that the State Duma had already adopted. In fact the changed constitution had al ready been printed and was available in book stores – before any vote. One is reminded of elections to local and state ‘legislative bodies’ before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The results were known to the KGB and Communist Party officials long before voting ended and the numbers compiled. In fact in at least one instance, the nu merical results in a region were published and distributed before the local elections had to be cancelled for technical reasons. In theory, referendums are meant to improve democracy. They should be used to inject vitality into stagnating govern ment institutions. Used properly, they help to alleviate public misgivings of elected represen tatives and invigorate democratic processes in society. The recent Russian referendum was the direct antithesis of this. They are not meant to be ini tiated by the political elite and used as convenient tools at its disposal, especially if disguised as decision-making by the people. Nothing possibly would motivate the voters to organize a popular movement to allow an authoritarian leader to wield uncontested power more or less indefinitely. Public ratification of autocratic power and grass roots decision-making are con tradictions in terms and prin ciples. Without any informed and open public debate, Putin’s re ferendum was an in-your-face mockery of any democratic process. In consolidating his personal authority, it once again underlined the contempt he has for fellow Russians as well as international public opinion. It was an extravagant but ugly show. How many more will he stage in the nearly two and a half decades he has swindled out of Russians? LAAS LEIVAT
On a personal as well as so cietal level the normal routine of human activity and con tacts have been drastically interrupted beyond anybody’s expectations or fears. And these radical shifts have no definite end in sight. The Baltic Canadian Imprint working group is collecting and preserving individual accounts of this period for future study.
Along with institutions in Estonia, VEMU, the Canadian Baltic Immigration Aid Society, the Lithuanian Museum and Archives in Canada, the Cana dian Latvian Archives and Museum and the Latvian National Federation in Canada are partners in this program. All written experiences, a pprehensions, adjustments, thoughts, diaries, blogs, videos, humorous situations etc., are welcome. An exhibit of the submissions will be presented in the future.
Life during the pandemic Life during the three spring months has been a unique and unpleasant experience. Unique, because it engulfs the whole world and all the people in it. Young people ask if we lived through similar difficulties during WW2. They want a comparison. We were afraid of heavy war weapons, air raids, tanks and our ene mies were people. We were short of food and eventually we fled. Now the enemy is one minute deadly virus that we can see only through a micro scope, and we have nowhere to escape. How safe do I feel? It is up to me how safe I want to make it. Life needs to be lived whether it is within the walls of my house and garden or in the world around me. I am privi leged in not having to leave my safe surroundings, not having to go to work. Many do not have such choice. I am also at an age where I have to take extra pre caution. To keep myself mentally balanced, I have cancelled the subscription to the newspaper Toronto Star and also promised myself to watch the news only once a day. There are four members of our family together in isolation – daughter Karin; son-in-law Pieter; granddaughter Juliana and myself. Karin is a French teacher and our downstairs dining room is now converted via computer into a classroom from 9–4. Every morningearly (I am a late riser – read half the night) I hear the children con versing and reading in French. How well they adapt! They will be bilingual, maybe trilingual in no time. Karin has collected their work – pictures, sculpture, and created a virtual gallery of these. Amazing how real it looks with the artwork framed and background music by the young students. This may be the future of teaching. My days circulate between the rooms in my house and my yard, which I have DIS COVERED, is big and partly wild with plenty of flora and fauna – big oak trees, bushes, wild growth of many kind, and flowers I have no name for. Since I have an opening in the patio door for the ginger cat to exit and enter, I also get visits
from other animals. The rac coons are always curious. The chipmunks, skunks, rabbits, squirrels, lately even coyotes want to visit. The cardinals call and show off their red coats and the blue jay, blue black and white, is a pleasure to watch. So, I am not alone. But I am alone. At the end of January my husband Peeter Sr. (Juku) passed away. It was quite sudden, although he had not been well for a while. A couple of weeks later the COVID-19 pandemic was de clared. We were all saddened by Juku’s passing, but thankful that he missed being moved to a nursing home. Just when I needed my friends the most, I was isolated in my home, un able to be physically close to them. Plans for the summer have been changed, postponed. Mii na, one of our granddaughters, is also a French teacher and lives with her Swedish compan ion in Stockholm. The rules are not as strict in Sweden and the schools and restaurants have been open all spring. A friend’s wedding and other social events in Toronto were planned for this summer. Now they have been cancelled or postponed. That means we will miss Miina this summer and that is sad. Years pass so quickly. Granddaughter Laura lives with some friends in a shared house close to the center of Toronto. She walks here and we sit on the front patio, keeping a distance. She is always very positive and a joy to have around. Her housemates have adopted a St. Bernard pup. They have to take her for walks
All material that can be for warded digitally is to be sent to: piretnoorhani@gmail.com. Other submissions to: Estonian Studies Centre/VEMU, 310 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON M5S 1W4. Deadline: July 31. Piret Noorhani’s more de tailed description of the project is in the Estonian language section.
and the dog is ecstatic, hugging and licking everybody. She is not a year yet, but big and will grow to twice her present size. She will soon need a room of her own. She keeps everybody happy, which is important during present difficult time. Granddaughter Juliana, who stayed with us during this period, is restless by nature, but creative. She decided to build a vegetable garden and did all research on computer. She lo cated old boards in the garage, dug a bed 9 feet by 4 feet, lined with the boards, and ordered 12 bags of black soil which she carried up the slope to the bed. The seeds were planted and the box covered with chicken wire to keep away our hungry animal friends. The vegetables are now sprouting and it is a delight to see them grow every day. Pieter is reluctant to leave the house and the surroundings. Juliana ordered a big plastic screen to be attached to his Tilley hat. It looks a little strange, reminiscent of doctors in an operating room, but may be it will encourage him to wander a little further. His main activity at present is planting seeds and acorns, which he hopes will grow into a beautiful forest. Five generations of our family have lived in this house. My grandmother Liisa was permit ted to leave Estonia in 1960 when she was 75 years old. She stayed with us till she was 92. During this Covid pandemic, I forced myself to keep busy physically and mentally. I went on a cleaning spree and cleaned out closets and corners. Much has been left behind by all these relatives. I found treasures. Liisa brought with her five fine (Continued on page 10)
