I am pleased to announce that my latest article The Aggressor Next Door has been included in the tenth Azuria anthology. Azuria is published by the Geelong Writers Inc and is funded in part by the Estonian Culrural Foundation in Australia. The book includes a collection of essays, memoirs, poetry and short stories. This year's theme is 'Peace and War'
The Aggressor Next Door
Anti-Russian sentiment didn’t exist in Estonia prior to World War Two. In fact, many Russians like the Russian Old Believers, sought refuge in Estonia to escape persecution in their homeland and they, like many other Russians lived peacefully in Estonia for generations. Estonia has always had a small Russian minority. In 1939, eight percent of Estonia’s population were ethnic Russian and they lived normal lives in society, some of them serving in the Estonian armed forces and in public office. There was no inter-ethnic tension to speak of. It was only in 1940 when the Soviet Army invaded Estonia and began repressions that anti-Russian sentiment appeared.
For the past seventy-five years the words ‘never again’ referred to the civilized world’s vow to never allow the atrocities committed during World War Two to be repeated. Yet on 24 February 2022, Estonia’s Independence Day, the unthinkable happened - Russia invaded Ukraine. As the world reeled in shock from Russia’s brazen move, many others were not surprised. Those who have experienced Russian aggression in the past knew full well what Russia is capable of and wouldn’t put anything past its government. The leaders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have always had their eyes wide open when it came to Russia.
The solidarity shown for Ukraine from around the world has been outstanding. People deeply sympathise with the plight of the Ukrainians, what they have been forced to endure and suffer. Widespread outrage and disgust across the globe at Russia’s brutal treatment of its neighbour have given rise to mass protests against the war. Something like this should never happen in the 21st century but unfortunately for Ukraine, its citizens had this horrific war thrust upon them and they had no choice but to defend their country. The stakes are high; all Ukrainians know if they lose the war, they will not only lose their country but also their language and culture. Ukraine will cease to exist as a nation because Russia is hell-bent on erasing the very notion of Ukraine.
The war in Ukraine has made many Estonians think about their own families’ experiences of Russian aggression. The 1940s and 1950s were such dark decades for Estonia that are still etched in living memory for many. Every family in Estonia was affected by Soviet Russia’s repressions in some way, either personally or they knew someone who had been arrested, tortured, deported or murdered by the evil occupying forces. It was a terrible period in Estonia’s history during which Soviet Russia committed horrendous crimes against humanity, and sadly we are witnessing them again in Ukraine today. There may be new players in the Russian government, but they are using a familiar playbook we’ve seen before. As they try to instil fear in those they terrorise, that fear swiftly turns to anger, and anti-Russian sentiment has never been stronger in Ukraine than it is now.
When I think of my Estonian grandmother Hertha and her experience during World War Two, I can only imagine the turmoil and anguish she went through. My father often said she had a deep fear of Russian soldiers and that fear stayed with her for a long time afterwards, even after she emigrated to Australia in 1949. My grandmother never elaborated on those war years, perhaps the memories were too painful, but she did say she had had an eventful life and could have written a book. Unfortunately, she never put pen to paper, not even in diary form so many of those experiences were never shared. It was only through genealogical research, the tracking down of old documents that my family gained a better understanding of her story.
During the war my grandmother was living in what Nazi Germany called the Warthegau. She moved there with her Baltic German husband shortly after they married in Tallinn in 1939. In 1941 their son Kuno was born in annexed Poland but in 1943 my grandmother separated from
her husband Helmut who turned out to be physically abusive and unfaithful. In 1944 when the Soviet Army took control of territories previously occupied by Nazi Germany, more and more accounts emerged of the atrocities they had committed against civilians in the villages they passed. My grandmother heard these stories and was one of the many thousands of people who fled to the West trying to escape the advancing Red Army. At that time my grandmother was completely alone, she was an only child, both parents deceased and the only family she had was her three-year-old son. Like all those who fled, she could only take whatever possessions she could carry. Precious photos were swiftly removed from heavy albums because they were a burden to carry. This practice stayed with my grandmother until the end of her life, she always kept her photos ‘loose’ in a drawer, never in albums, it was a wartime habit she never changed.
At the end of World War Two my grandmother and young uncle made their way to Hamburg and found refuge in a Displaced Persons’ (DP) camp known as ‘Zoo Camp’ (it was located in the grounds of Hamburg Zoo). There were hundreds of these camps across Germany housing refugees from the Baltic States, Poland, Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. The feeling of relief after reaching one of these camps must have been immense after travelling days, weeks or months on end to reach safety. To have a bed, shelter, regular meals and access to healthcare was all due to the assistance of the Red Cross, UNRAA and the International Refugee Organisation. These charitable organisations helped save lives, including my grandmother’s, and I am very grateful.
When you have family members who were refugees or suffered from Russian aggression, you have greater empathy for those who find themselves in similar circumstances. Both my paternal grandparents were refugees from Estonia, and with the help of various aid organisations they managed to get back on their feet again and rebuild their lives. Today, Estonia is one of the biggest supporters of Ukraine as they fight against Russian aggression. Estonia has provided over €220 million in military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and will continue to help until Ukraine wins the war. No other country has donated more to Ukraine as a percentage of its GDP (0.8%) than Estonia.
Over six million people have now fled the war in Ukraine and sought protection in nearby countries. As of July 2022, Estonia has taken in over 47,700 Ukrainian war refugees. Ukrainian refugees are very much welcome in Estonia and schools have been created so that children can continue with their education. At times the government faced the challenge of finding suitable accommodation for them all, but Estonia is good at implementing swift solutions. When the hotels were full, the Estonian government chartered a cruise ship. Estonians really have opened their hearts and doors to Ukrainian refugees, the Estonian Red Cross has been flooded with donations and regular charity events take place across Estonia to help raise much needed funds.
It has been said that ‘evil prevails when good men do nothing’. In this case, there are a lot of good men, and women determined to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and win this war against Russia. Sadly, other Western countries didn’t come to Estonia’s rescue after World War Two and so Estonia was forced to endure 50 years of Soviet occupation. We will not abandon Ukraine to the same fate.
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