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EESTI ELU reedel, 18. veebruaril 2022 — Friday, February 18, 2022
Nr. 7
Remembering Johan Pitka – sea captain, entrepreneur, freedom fighter, protagonist for Estonian independence – and leader of an immigrant group to Canada in 1924 As we approach the comme moration of the 104th anniver s ary of Estonia’s courageous Declaration of Inde pendence on Feb. 24, 1918, it would also be timely on Feb. 19th to acknowledge the 150th anniversary of the birth of Johan Pitka – a legendary Estonian hero. It is commonly recognized that, in the course of history, major events and tides of change are often advanced through the initiative and ac tions of key individuals – indi viduals who fortuitously with their vision, brilliance, passion and courage inspired others in a noble cause. Johan Pitka cer tainly is in this category of no table individuals in the course of Estonia’s history. But Pitka also had a notable Canadian connection. Fortunately, much has been written in books and news papers about Johan Pitka over the years. Wikipedia has a won derful overview of Johan Pitka’s life, his travels and achieve ments. Johan Pitka was born on February 19, 1872 in Jalgsema, Jarva County, when Estonia was still a governate of Tsarist Russia. At a young age Pitka was intrigued by the seas, of which he caught his first glimpse from a hilltop near the inland farm he was raised on. Pitka was able to study in several maritime schools and became a Master Mariner. He started working aboard sailing ships in 1889 and sailed across the seas and oceans as a mer chant ship captain. Pitka’s home
1919 Soomusrong.
base from 1904 to 1911 was in Great Britain. During World War I and with the start of the Russian Revo lution in 1917, Pitka was drawn back to Estonia and became deeply engaged in Estonia’s nascent independence move ment. Inspite of great risks to his own life and family, he started organizing with the re turning Estonian soldiers that had fought for the Tsar’s army. When the Bolsheviks sentenced Pitka to death, he went under ground to further advance the Estonian resistance. When Ger many occupied Estonia in 1918, Pitka began to organize the Estonian Defence League (Kaitseliit) which became one of the main fighting forces for the newly proclaimed Estonian Republic. Estonia’s fight for indepen dence began quickly in the late fall of 1918 after the armistice in Europe between the Allies and Germany. The Soviet Red Army took advantage of the peace in Europe and invaded Estonia with overwhelming forces. However, the Estonians were able to quickly organize and resist the Red Army on slaught with amazing patriotic resolve. Pitka was one of several military leaders involved in the recruitment, logistics and pre parations for the Estonian war effort. Pitka’s knowledge of mechanics and equipment was put to maximum effect in rapidly assembling and outfitting 12 armoured cannon assault trains (soomusrongid). Many military historians claim that these armoured trains
Photo: Google
Pitka’s log house near Fort St. James, British Columbia. Photo: “Eestlased Kanadas kahe maailmasõja ajavahemikul”
gave the Estonian army signifi cant tactical advantage against the Red Army invasion from the east, and subsequently against the German Landeswehr in vasion from the south. Pitka also founded and became Com mander of the Estonian Navy in 1918 and led all of its major operations in the Gulf of Finland and on the Baltic Sea. His own maritime experience was fortuitous in both directing Estonia’s ships and also in coordinating with the allied British navy ships in the theater of sea battles against the Russians. The Estonian forces were victorious against the Red Army and the German Landes wehr, securing Estonia’s inde pendence and also in assisting Latvia achieve its independence as well. Pitka was awarded a KCMG knighthood by Britain’s King George V for his navy service on the Baltic. With Estonian peace and independence secured by 1920, Pitka was again tempted by faraway adventures. Through his connections as a merchant sea captain with the Canadian Pacific Railway, Pitka became aware of Canadian land grants and was lured to the wild fron tier in British Columbia in 1924 to forge a new settlement with several other Estonian families. The book “Eestlased Kanadas Kahe Maailmasoja Ajavahe mikul” (Estonians in Canada Between the World Wars) has a fascinating account of Pitka’s adventures in trying to forge a settlement near Fort St. James, B.C. This chronicle includes all of the classic romantic pioneering experiences imaginable: the long journey by sea, train and then wagons; a wild welcome at the last train stop for the new immigrants; trudging deep into the forest to establish camps; building log cabins; living with their indigenous, trapper and prospector friends; working to exhaustion and trying to estab lish some kind of sustainable enterprise through farming, smithing and logging; and sur viving the harsh winters and cursed clouds of black flies and mosquitos in the springtime. Inspite of all the hope and effort however, the settlement wasn’t sustainable and the Estonian families went separate their ways by 1932. While their homesteads are long gone, several Estonian place names are a reminder of their legacy. They include Pitka Mountain, Pitka Bay on Stuart Lake, Pitka Creek and Paarens Beach. Later in life Pitka expressed his regret that their British Columbian settlement project was simply several decades ahead of its time. Nevertheless in recognition of the Pitka colony, a monument along with a plaque and time
Johan Pitka.
Photo: Wikiwand
capsule was erected in Fort St. James in 2008. According to a 2009 Estonian World Review article, this memorial was the first such monument outside of Estonia honouring an Estonian statesman. Upon returning to Estonia, Pitka and his family enjoyed some prosperous years and he also served as a member of the National Constitutional As sembly. After the 1940 Soviet occupation Pitka fled to Finland. Sadly his three sons were arrested in Estonia by the Soviets and perished. Pitka returned to Estonia in 1944 to join the fight against second invasion by the Soviets upon the retreat of the Germans and, at the age of 72, organized the last defence of Tallinn. The exact details of how and where Pitka died in November of 1944
are uncertain, but there is some belief that he died on the battle field near Koue parish. Pitka’s wife and daughters managed to escape to Sweden in 1944 and re-immigrated to Canada in 1948, settling in Vancouver. Pitka was also an accom plished author and translator. Several of his own books are about his seafaring days. A recently translated book about his sea captain years aboard his ship “Lilly” entitled “My For mative Years” (ISBN9780 986751011) (translated by Hillar Kalmar) is an enjoyable read. Johan Pitka’s life story and legacy are remarkable. Esto nians around the world can be grateful that his actions and inspiration contributed greatly to Estonia’s independence.
What it takes…
and extra cost, of course. Through this same organiza tion’s website, you can search for costumes by region (north, south, west, or the islands) or kihelkond (parish). To identify the items you need, the organi zation recommends contacting their network of regional cos tume advisory boards, assem bled in a joint effort with local museums and folk costume specialists. Each contact can guide you in acquiring one item or a full set, and also provide advice on maintenance. A shop like Eesti Käsitöö Maja (Estonian Handicraft House, located at Pikk tänav 22 in Tallinn. https://crafts.ee/) sells authentic and folk cos tume-inspired items in their e-store and takes orders. Alternatively, if you want to scavenge around more, “Rahva rõivaste ost-müük” is an active, public Facebook group where members buy and sell every thing from tunics and hats, to fabric and vintage books on textiles. The occasions in which you’ll be able to wear a folk costume are not that numerous, and the search for your own set can be discouraging. Neither will all folk costumes be pris tine artifacts from long ago like the kind you see in the Eesti Rahva Muuseum in Tartu. Ultimately, though, it will be yours to keep and celebrate your identity when the right times come along.
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its silver jewelry. It’s said that one can hear a Seto woman coming before one sees her, be cause her silver chains and dangling coins make so much noise. The emblem of a married woman is a great brooch: it shows she is of fertile age and protects the woman’s most sen sitive place, her soul, from the evil eye.” One book with a pictorial focus to help you analyze the outfits is Eesti rahva rõivad, compiled by Annika Jalava, which shows the photos of seven key photographers who documented rahvarõivad from before 1940. If you have the courage to make your own costume by hand, MTÜ Rahvarõivas is one organization that has offered courses in this field. In 2021, the Estonian Cultural Society of Chicago launched a two year lecture series together with MTÜ Rahvarõivas, with the goal to guide participants to eventually make their own folk costumes. Many of the courses they promote are offered in Estonia, in Estonian, but con tacting rahvaroivad@folkart.ee would be a sensible first step in finding the right course for you. If making your own folk costume is not of interest, it’s also possible to put in a custom order, though this will take time
TOOMAS EICHENBAUM
