The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

We also visited the Latvian Open-air Ethnographic Museum, located on Jugla Lake in the outskirts of Riga. The museum was first established in 1924 and is still a popular tourist attraction today. The buildings and implements were from all regions of  Latvia, moved to the site to re-create a traditional rural village from before the industrial, transportation and communications revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries. 

For more information about the museum, see Link: Latvian Open-air Ethnographic Museum

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

(Source: http://euroheritage.net/warsawpact.jpg - shading of city names and travel route added

Following our brief visit to Riga, we returned to Tallinn by train.

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

Freedom Monument - Riga

The tall pedestal and statue is the Freedom Monument, which was erected in the 1920's to celebrate Latvian independence. Soviet authorities threatened to demolish it after the Second World War. It was saved through the efforts of many, including prominent architects from other parts of the Soviet Union.

Pēteris Stučka monument - Riga

At the time of our visit, the national university in Riga was known as "Pēteris Stučka Latvia State University." This statue of Pēteris Stučka was on the university grounds. He was a Latvian Bolshevik leader who served as head of the communist national government from 1918-1920. After the "Reds" were defeated by the "Whites" in the civil war of that era, Stučka lived in exile in Moscow and served in the Soviet government until his death in 1932. When Latvia regained its independence in 1991 the university was renamed "University of Latvia" and the statue was removed.

Supreme Soviet/Saeima (Parliament) Building - Riga

This is the main entrance to the Saeima (Parliament) Building, which was constructed in the 19th Century when Latvia was part of the Russian Empire. It served as the seat of the national legislature before and during the period of Soviet rule and has continued in that capacity since independence was restored in 1991. Notice the plaques to either side of the doorway - in Latvian on the left and in Russian on the right.

Flag of Latvian SSR

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Latvian_SSR.svg) 

Flag of the Republic of Latvia

(Source: http://www.hansatravel.ee/upload/Destinations/latvian_flag.JPG)

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

Three Brothers - Old Riga

  

Dome Cathedral (Lutheran) - Old Riga

We had a walking tour of the "Old Riga" district, which was just a short distance from our hotel. Most of the buildings are hundreds of years old. The photo to the left shows one of three adjacent houses known as "Three Brothers." This residence, the middle of the three, was built in the mid-17th century. The Latin inscription above the door is "Soli Deo Gloria," a phrase from Lutheran doctrine. It means "Glory to God Alone."

Riga was a cosmopolitan port city, and architectural styles in Old Riga reflect various nationalities and cultures of northern Europe. It was more reminiscent of Stockholm than of other cities in the Soviet Union that we visited.

St. James Cathedral (Roman Catholic) - Old Riga

Lower left corner - notice the street sign in both Latvian and  Russian.

Our Lady of Sorrows Church (Roman Catholic) - Old Riga

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

Swedish Gate - Old Riga

The river trade routes eventually declined in importance, but by then Riga was the established commercial and administrative center for the region.

The descendants of the early German traders dominated the political, commercial and cultural life of Riga well into the 19th century. The local indigenous population of Latvians and Livonians (an ethnic group closely related to Estonians and Finns) were primarily peasant farmers and provided a manual labor force in Riga. They had virtually no political influence.

Following the decline of the Hanseatic League, Sweden ruled Riga and much of what are now the Baltic States for about one hundred years - from the early 1600's to the early 1700's. The region was then incorporated into the Russian Empire as a result of Peter the Great's wars with Sweden and others.

The medieval heart of Riga survives as "Old Riga" ("Vecrīga" in Latvian). Many of its buildings date from the heyday of the Hanseatic League. The photo above shows one of Riga's best known landmarks, the "Swedish Gate." It was built into the city walls in the late 1600's to connect the medieval town with soldiers' barracks just outside the walls and the growing districts beyond. The walls adjacent to the Swedish Gate are all that remain of the city's medieval fortifications.

Several grisly legends are associated with the Swedish Gate. In one tale, the city executioner always put a red rose on a window ledge above the gate the night before an execution. Another story, even more gruesome, tells of a young local woman who was walled up (alive) near the gate because she had fallen in love with a Swedish soldier. Amatores cavendum!

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

National Opera House - Riga

This photo of the National Opera House also looks out of our hotel room window. The banner across the front of the building announces a performance by a traveling ensemble or cast. Note that the text is in Russian, not Latvian. «Гастроли» ("Gastroli") is the Russian word for "concert tour."

Daugava River - Riga

Riga lies at the mouth of the Daugava River, where it empties into the Gulf of Riga. It was an important trade route throughout the Middle Ages - part of a network of rivers that carried trade between northern Europe and the Middle East, through the interior of  present-day Russia and Ukraine. More than 400 meters wide and 15 meters deep at Riga, the Daugava could easily accommodate all types of shipping in a day when most commerce moved by water.




In the early Middle Ages, the nordic Varangians (Vikings) established temporary camps at the mouth of the Daugava to support their customary activities - trading, raiding and extorting tribute from people living along the river trade routes. German merchants and missionaries later followed. They founded Riga as a commercial center and base for the conversion (often by force) of the indigenous Baltic and Finnic peoples. Riga thrived. In time it became a member of the Hanseatic League - a confederation of cities that dominated northern European trade for centuries.

This is the only photo that I have of the Daugava River, taken from a park on the riverfront. A pontoon bridge can be seen at the left edge of the photo. I think we were told that it was the only bridge over the river in the Riga area. It was dismantled every spring as warming temperatures broke up the river ice. Otherwise the ice would back up against the bridge, destroying it or flooding the surrounding area. More recent photos of Riga show a modern suspension bridge over the river. I assume that the pontoon bridge is now a thing of the past.

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

Latvia State University - Riga, Latvia, USSR

I took this photo from our hotel room window, which looked out over a park separating Old Riga - the city's historic center - from the campus of the national university. The park borders a small canal that follows the outline of the city's medieval fortifications, most of which were dismantled in the mid-19th century. The university's iconic "main building" is in the center of this photo. The domed tower is an observatory. It tops a science building a block or so behind the main building.

I shared a hotel room with my friend, Geoff, and two high school boys from Florida. A private bathroom was not included. Instead, common bathroom facilities were located on each floor. This was typical of our hotels in the Soviet Union. Other than the bathroom arrangements, I recall the hotel as pleasant and attractive.

After breakfast, my travel group met with our Intourist guides. They welcomed us to Riga and told us about the plans for our time there. Then they went through a list of "do's" and "don'ts" to follow while we were in the Soviet Union. The "do's" were pretty much common sense - stay with the group, pay attention to the scheduled time for meals and excursions, and so on. The "don'ts" were a different matter:

• Don't talk to local people unless they are introduced by our guides.
• Don't give or accept gifts unless our guides give the ok.
• Exchange currency only at official locations. We were warned that we would be approached on the street to exchange currency at better than official rates. Don't do it. It's part of the "black market." (More about that later.)
• Don't buy or sell clothes or personal items on the street. Again, the individuals are involved in the black market.
• Don't photograph military or naval facilities, equipment, or uniformed soldiers and sailors.
• Don't photograph factories, bridges, dams, power plants, transmission lines, airports, train stations, port facilities, or other industrial or "infrastructure" facilities.

I think we were given a written list of these prohibitions, but unfortunately I did not save it. The penalties for breaking the rules included possible expulsion from the country. I was sufficiently intimidated, and I steered away from most of these activities. Some other members of our group were more bold.

After the meeting, I returned to our room to find Geoff in an awkward conversation with two of the hotel maids. They apparently spoke some German, as did Geoff. (I had studied German for a few years in school, but I was a mediocre language student and no help at all in this situation.) The maids were angry because our roommates had left a mess - bedding and clothes on the floor and so on. The message was that we were a bunch of slobs, and they should not have to clean up after us. Geoff managed to placate the maids after a few minutes, and they left. We cleaned up the room.

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

(Source: http://euroheritage.net/warsawpact.jpg - shading of city names and travel route added)

I do not remember the details of our welcome dinner. I do remember being told about a change in our itinerary. Instead of staying in Tallinn, we were flying that evening to Riga, Latvia, some 280 kilometers (175 miles) to the south. That news caused some grumbling among our tired group of travelers, but after dinner our buses drove us to Tallinn's small airport.

I am not normally a nervous flyer, but I did feel a little anxious as we boarded a twin-engine prop airplane operated by Aeroflot («Аэрофлот» in Russian), the state-owned Soviet airline. Perhaps it was a combination of fatigue and the small size of the plane compared to airliners I was used to. But also, whether warranted or not, I had minimal confidence in Aeroflot and the Soviet aircraft industry. My worry increased as we watched the airport workers pile our luggage in the aisle at the back of the plane - almost to the cabin ceiling. I knew that was not standard procedure. Many memories have faded after 40+ years, but I distinctly recall looking back at the stack of luggage, and then meeting eyes with a fellow student sitting across the aisle. He was obviously feeling the same worries.

Fortunately, our short flight was uneventful. We landed in Riga, boarded buses and drove to our hotel, and checked into our rooms.

“And the evening and the morning were the first day.” 

(My anxiety about our airplane - if not the loading procedures - was unfounded. If you would like to know why, click "Read more.")

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

Song Festival Grounds - Tallinn

I took this photo a few days later, after the song festival had concluded. Notice the large monochrome portrait of Lenin mounted between the stage and the tower.

(Music link: "Mis maa see on")

As I mentioned, the singing traditions of the Baltics later played a part in re-establishing those small countries as independent nations. Starting in the mid-1980's, mass demonstrations and other acts of civil disobedience occurred in the Baltics and other parts of the Soviet Union. Such events gave voice to the national aspirations of citizens in the non-Russian parts of the USSR, and to widespread dissatisfaction throughout the USSR with the stagnate, state-owned economy, the scarcity of consumer goods, and the lack of personal, cultural and political freedom. 

The mass protests in the Baltics featured the singing of national songs and hymns that were forbidden by the Soviet government. The Song Festival Grounds became a focus of the demonstrations in Estonia. At the peak of the demonstrations, more than 300,000 people crowded the amphitheater and surrounding grounds - this in a country of only about 1.3 million people.The story of these events is told in a 2006 documentary film, The Singing Revolution. (Link for trailer: "The Singing Revolution")

(Music link: "Ilus Maa")

All three of the Baltic countries regained their independence in 1991, a few months before the final dissolution of the Soviet Union. 

Flag of the Republic of Estonia

(Source: http://placesaroundtheworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/eestilipp.jpg)

Laulupidu continues as a cherished national tradition in Estonia. The Soviet flags you see in my photos of the Song Festival Grounds have been replaced by the blue, black and white flag of independent Estonia. The portrait of Lenin is long gone. Gustav Ernesaks, composer of "Mu Isamaa on Minu Arm" and one of the heroes of the 1969 Laulupidu, lived to see Estonian independence restored - he died in 1993 at the age of 84. A larger-than-life statue of him was dedicated on the Song Festival Grounds in 2004. It shows Ernesaks seated on the ground, chin resting on his hand, gazing toward the stage - as if enjoying the festival performances. The combined choirs and the audience sing "Mu Isamaa on Minu Arm," the once banned national song, at the conclusion of each Laulupidu. The festival torch is extinguished at the last notes.

The most recent Laulupidu was held in July 2019. Here are links for the official website: "My Fatherland is My Love" and one of the massed choir songs: "Ta Lendab Mesipuu Poole"

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

1969 Laulupidu - Tallinn

This photo gives some idea of the scale of the Song Festival Grounds. The stage is large enough to accommodate 15,000 singers. The chorus in the center of the stage was performing when I took this photo. Below the chorus, center-front, you can see a military band that accompanied the singing.

The song festival was not explained to us very well. In fact, if you have read my last few posts you know considerably more about Laulupidu than I did when I was there. I don't think that we were even told the reason for the huge stage - to allow for performance by the combined choirs. What we were told focused on the "celebration of the Soviet Union" angle. I have to confess that both the event and the facility puzzled to me. It seemed like an odd location for a major Soviet cultural event - a relatively small city far from the main Soviet population and government centers. But there was an energy in the audience - a sense that this was a special event. What I was missing, of course, was an understanding of Laulupidu's special significance to Estonians as an expression of their traditional culture and national identity.

Unfortunately, we were not there for any of the massed choir performances. We spent an hour or two at the amphitheater and heard performances by several choirs. The singing was fine, and the crowd was large, energetic and enthusiastic. I was not disappointed, however, when our keepers rounded us up and herded us back to the buses. It had already been a full day, and our hosts from Intourist had a special dinner planned to welcome us to the Soviet Union. I was looking forward to a meal and then off to the hotel for a good night's sleep. 

We did not know about it at the time, but after we left the Song Festival Grounds a dramatic and unanticipated event occurred. One of the participants in the 1969 Laulupidu was Heinz Valk, a young Estonian artist and journalist who would become a voice of the independence movement of the late 1980's. He tells what happened at the close of the 1969 festival:

"And so it was at the famous anniversary Laulupidu of 1969. ... The choirs finished the official program, but refused to leave the stage. The officials told the brass bands to drown out the singing, but it didn't work. The whole crowd began shouting, 'Mu Isamaa on Minu Arm! Mu Isamaa on Minu Arm!'"

The singers refused to leave. The audience refused to leave. The chanting went on. Someone began singing the banned national song. Then more joined in. The singing spread through the amphitheater, among singers and audience alike. Looking for a way to calm the situation, the festival officials allowed Estonian composer Gustav Ernesaks to take the conductor's podium. Everyone knew who he was, and the spontaneous singing died away. Waiting. Then, with great dignity and passion, Ernesaks led the singers and audience, more than 120,000 voices, in "Mu Isamaa on Minu Arm," the tender, treasured national song that he had composed before the 1947 Laulupidu.
 
(Music link: "Mu Isamaa on Minu Arm")

Heinz Valk again:

"And in the end, it turned out that we had prepared five years for this Laulupidu, [but] the main purpose of it really was to come together as a nation, and sing this one forbidden song. Each person could go to work the next day knowing that the Estonian spirit survives. Yes."

Needless to say, we were told nothing of this.

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

Song Festival Grounds - Tallinn

All of which brings us to the Estonian Song Festival. 

(Music link: "Ta lendab mesipuu poole")

Estonia and the other Baltic countries have a long tradition of choral singing. It played an important role in the development of national feeling and aspirations leading to the independence of those countries in the aftermath of World War I. The singing tradition would again become a powerful means of popular expression in the 1980's, as pressure built for restored national independence. 

The first Estonian "Laulupidu," or Song Festival, took place in 1869, and it has been held every five to ten years since then. Over time, Laulupidu grew into a major national event featuring hundreds of choral groups, with upwards of 25,000 singers, performing before audiences of more than 100,000 over a two-day period. Many of the singing groups wear traditional Estonian costume. In its modern form, Laulupidu begins with a parade of the participating groups and opens and closes with performances by the massed choirs.

Laulupidu has been held since the 1920's at a beautiful natural amphitheater in Tallinn, which came to be called "Lauluväljak" ("Song Festival Grounds"). The audience gathers on a gently sloping hillside facing the stage, with a view of the Tallinn bay as the backdrop. The facility shown in these photos was built in 1959, and it is still in use today.

Soviet authorities did what they could to re-cast the festival as a celebration of the Soviet Union, but for many Estonians it remained an expression of their traditional culture and identity. The first Laulupidu following the Soviet occupation and annexation of Estonia was held in 1947. At the close of that festival, the massed choirs sang a newly-composed setting of a 19th-century national poem, "Mu Isamaa on Minu Arm" (usually translated as "My Fatherland That I  Love"). The song proved so popular among Estonians that it came to be known as the "unofficial national anthem." The Soviet authorities banned it. 

Whether by design or coincidence, we arrived in Tallinn during the 100th anniversary celebration of Laulupidu. I took the photo above as we walked toward the main entrance to the amphitheater. The torch atop the tower to the right is lit during Laulupidu and similar national events. In my photo, the flag of the Soviet Union is flanked on both sides by the flag of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic.

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

Lenin flag, Song Festival Grounds - Tallinn

This flag portrays V.I. Lenin, leader of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution that seized power in Russia and established the Soviet state. His image was ubiquitous in the Soviet Union at the time of my visit, as you will see in photos to come.

Continuing my brief summary of the historical background:

By and large, the people of the Baltic nations resented and feared the Soviet occupation of their countries and incorporation into the USSR. Some cooperated with the German occupation during the Second World War, seeing it as the lesser of two evils. Many fled to Finland or the west, until Soviet re-occupation of the Baltics late in the war closed off most avenues of escape. (Recall the man I met on the ferry as we approached Tallinn - see page 3.1.) Armed resistance by partisans known as "Forest Brothers" continued for years - supported by the CIA and other western security services. 

Soviet rule was harsh, particularly in the early years. The Soviet security services executed thousands during and shortly after the war. Under Stalin, hundreds of thousands of people were deported to Siberia and other remote parts of the Soviet Union. The majority of the deportees were women and children. The combined effects of war, flight and deportations reduced the native population of the Baltic countries by at least one million people - more than 10% of the total pre-war population.

Local government was placed in the hands of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian communists who had lived in exile in Soviet Russia during the 1920's and 1930's. Use of the Russian language was emphasized in schools, the work place and government. The familiar features of the Soviet system were imposed: Political parties were outlawed. Dissent was punished. Foreign travel was largely prohibited. Private ownership of business enterprise was eliminated. Agriculture was collectivized. Religious expression was suppressed, and cultural traditions were discouraged or co-opted to serve Soviet purposes. 

Beginning in the late 1940's, the Soviet government made major efforts to expand industry in the Baltic countries. Workers were recruited in large numbers from Russia and other Soviet republics. By the time of my visit 20 years later, about one-third of the people living in Estonia and Latvia were ethnically Russian, Ukrainian or Belarusian. Virtually all of the new arrivals spoke Russian as their primary language.
 

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

Flags of the Soviet Socialist Republics & USSR, Estonian Song Festival Grounds - Tallinn

Each of the three Baltic countries fought a war of independence and civil war in the aftermath of World War I and Russia's 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. The result was much like the outcome of similar struggles in Finland (see page 2.09) - the "Whites" defeated the "Reds," and each of the three countries emerged as an independent state with a parliamentary form of government, based on popular elections, and a non-communist, market-based economy. They were recognized as sovereign nations in 1920. 

Although their parliamentary political systems faltered in the 1930's, the Baltic nations remained independent until the beginning of the Second World War. From that point, their fates were decided by the armies of their powerful neighbors - the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.

The Soviet Union occupied the Baltics, early in the war, as part of the infamous "Molotov-Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact" that divided control of eastern Europe between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The Baltic nations were incorporated into the Soviet Union as "Soviet Socialist Republics." 

Hitler repudiated the non-aggression pact in 1941 and invaded the Soviet Union. The Baltics were quickly overrun and occupied by the German army. Soviet forces eventually drove out the Germans and re-occupied the Baltic states. After that, the Baltics remained part of the USSR for almost five decades. So, at the time of my visit in 1969, each of the Baltic countries was a Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union.

The photo above shows the flags of the fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics, with the national flag of the USSR to the right. The flags of the republics are all based on the national flag - solid red with a gold star and hammer and sickle emblem in the upper left-hand corner - with stripes or other variations added to distinguish the flags from each other.

Flag of the USSR

(Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png)

                                                                                                                              

Flag of the Estonian SSR

(Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Estonian_SSR.svg)

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

(Source: http://euroheritage.net/warsawpact.jpg - shading of city names and travel route added)

Before this trip I knew very little about the Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - except their place on the map and their history of domination by larger and stronger neighbors. "The Baltics" are located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. On this map they appear just to the right of center. The heavy black lines show our route up to our arrival in Tallinn. The Soviet Union is the area shaded red. The internal lines within the Soviet map mark borders between "Soviet Socialist Republics," each of which is now an independent country. The nations shaded blue were then part of the Warsaw Pact, a political and military alliance of nations aligned with the USSR.

The Baltics became part of the Russian Empire in the 18th century. Before that these countries were dominated, to varying degrees and at different times, by Danes, Germans, Swedes and Poles. The historical peoples of the three Baltic countries, however, are ethnically and culturally distinctive from each of these occupiers, and from each other. 

Estonians are a Nordic (but not Scandinavian) people, closely related to Finns in language and culture. Latvians and Lithuanians are Baltic peoples, or "Balts," and they share an ethnic and cultural heritage that is distinct from Estonians and their other neighbors. The Latvian and Lithuanian languages are related - they are the only modern languages in their language group. Estonia and Latvia were predominately Lutheran before their incorporation into the Soviet Union, and Lithuania was predominately Roman Catholic.

Despite the centuries of foreign rule, these ancient peoples made up the great majority of the population in each of their countries before the Second World War. In Estonia and Lithuania, the figure was close to 90%. More than 75% of the people living in Latvia were ethnic Latvians. A relatively small population of ethnic Russians lived in each of the Baltic countries - mostly in the larger cities and in the rural areas bordering Russia itself. In language, religion and culture, Russians shared little in common with Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians.

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

Tallinn skyline

We were met at our buses by “Nina,” the Intourist guide who would stay with us throughout our travels in the Soviet Union. Intourist was a government agency - the official state travel agency of the Soviet Union - and Intourist personnel accompanied virtually all foreign travelers in the USSR. We stayed in Intourist hotels as we traveled, and we ate most of our meals in the Intourist hotel restaurants. In each city that we visited, Nina was joined by local Intourist guides who assisted with our various activities. 

It may have been vanity (or paranoia) on our part, but we assumed that Nina and our other Intourist guides reported in some fashion to the KGB or other security services. Whatever reporting took place was probably pretty dull. We did not present much of a threat.

I took this photo on the way to our first event, the Estonian Song Festival. The spire near the center of the photograph is St. Olaf’s church, perhaps the best known Tallinn landmark. The high ground to the left is Toompea, which means "Cathedral Hill" in Estonian. It is the site of historic fortifications, churches, and government buildings of Tallinn’s “Upper Town.”

Before I tell you about the Song Festival, let's take a little detour for some context.

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

Soviet patrol boat - Tallinn harbor

This small patrol boat came alongside as we approached the harbor, and the uniformed men you can see on the foredeck boarded our ferry. After the ship docked, we debarked in single file via a narrow step-gangway to the dock. There we were met by one of the uniformed officers, who gave each of us a long look as he checked our passports and visas. 

Passport and border control, I understand, was the responsibility of a branch of the KGB - the Soviet security and intelligence service. To my mind, "KGB" evoked thoughts of "secret police" spying on, and arresting, ordinary Soviet citizens for political, intellectual or cultural dissent. I think this was a typical American point of view, and it is generally accurate.

So, the man who checked our passports was a KGB officer. He was perfect for the part – trim, compact and athletic, unsmiling, steely blue eyes, thoroughly intimidating. Even today, I can see him clearly in my mind's eye.

We then went through a close search of our luggage by customs officers. A number of items of reading material were confiscated, including newspapers, a Playboy magazine, and a copy of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. I remember one of the customs officers laughing as he held up the Playboy magazine to show his co-workers. Several elderly, retired teachers among our chaperones were trying to bring in Bibles for friends in the Soviet Union. The authorities allowed them to keep only one Bible each. 

We boarded buses after clearing border security and customs, but our departure was delayed because the authorities held back some members of our group for more extensive questioning. One student had a copy of a book by Leon Trotsky - a leader of the Bolshevik Revolution who later fell from favor and was eventually murdered at Stalin's behest. That student was taken aside and hot-boxed for some time by the border control officers. He was visibly shaken when he re-joined the group. Eventually everyone was on board and we were ready to go.

All in all, this process was dramatically different from our entry into Sweden and Finland a few days earlier. It made an impression.

The Baltics - Tallinn & Riga

Tallinn, Estonia, USSR

We entered the Soviet Union through the port of Tallinn, Estonia. 

I was standing by the railing as our ferry approached Tallinn, and a man, perhaps in his middle 30's, came up to me. He asked if I was American, and I said that I was. He said that he was also an American, but in a way that surprised me - with an awkward rush of enthusiasm. I didn't know why he had approached me, but he seemed to be filled with emotion and anxious to talk with someone.

We started chatting. He was very friendly. He spoke English well, with only a slight accent, but his account was hard to follow. He said that he was going to Estonia for the first time, but then he said that he and his family "left on the last German destroyer." I didn't understand, and I'm sure I gave him a puzzled look. He said "yes, yes," that he "was born here," pointing toward Tallinn. It was a jumble. After we talked for a while, though, I pieced it together.  

Here is his story: The man was Estonian by birth, and he was a boy during the Second World War. Estonia had been an independent nation, but it was occupied by Soviet forces early in the war. Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941 and occupied Estonia for several years. The man's parents had opposed the Soviet occupation, like many Estonians, and they cooperated in some fashion with the German occupation. When Soviet forces re-captured Estonia in 1944, his family was evacuated by sea (hence, "the last German destroyer") along with other Estonians who had opposed the Soviets and helped the Germans. Had they not left, the man told me, they would have been killed by the Soviet authorities. The family survived the war, and eventually they emigrated to the United States. The man became a naturalized US citizen and made his home, I think, in Virginia. He was returning to visit his native country for the first time since fleeing as a child, 25 years before, in the midst of war, fear and chaos.

I never saw the man again after we debarked from the ferry. I have thought of him from time to time. Was his story true? Was he a KGB agent trying to ferret out visitors with dangerous sympathies? In any case, that brief encounter was one of the most remarkable events on the whole trip.

Here is a bit more about the historical context of the man's boyhood experience:

Getting There - Stockholm & Helsinki

Uspenski Cathedral - Helsinki, Finland

Finland is predominantly a Lutheran country, even in the increasingly secular Europe of today. It has a significant Orthodox minority, however - yet another sign that we were moving closer to Russia. Uspenski Cathedral, seen in the photo above, is the seat of the Orthodox Diocese of Helsinki. It dates from the period when Finland was part of the Russian Empire.

I find this photo interesting for another reason, although it meant nothing to me at the time. The posters on the kiosk in the lower left of this photo would be among the last commercial advertisements we would see for a month. Most economic enterprise in the Soviet Union was owned by the government - thus limited competition and minimal advertising. Much to my surprise, I  would find that I missed the annoying clutter of billboards, flyers, posters and other signs of commercial competition that was so familiar at home.

Suomenlinna and islands of the Helsinki archipelago

After our short stay in Helsinki, we boarded the Soviet-flag ferry MS Tallinn for the 80-kilometer (50-mile) crossing to Tallin, Estonia, where we would enter the Soviet Union. Our ferry cruised through the Helsinki archipelago and into the Gulf of Finland. The buildings on the islands to the right in this photo are part of Suomenlinna (which means "Castle of Finland"), an 18th-century Swedish fortress that guarded the sea approaches to Helsinki. It is now a popular tourist attraction. 

I took the photo below as we cruised past Suomenlinna.

Suomenlinna - Helsinki archipelago