Vesilind, Priit. ‘Return to Estonia’ National Geographic Magazine, Vol. 157, No. 4, April 1980, p. 485-511.
Thirty years after leaving his homeland of Estonia, Priit Vesilind returned for two months to document the landscape and the people with photographer Cotton Coulson. In the dead of night at age one and a half, Vesilind left with his mother and brother for Czechoslovakia, meeting up with his father later and then spending five years living in a displaced persons camp in Germany. Previously, in June of 1941, a new government was established in Tallinn, with only communist leaders allowed on the ballot; Estonia had fallen to the Soviet Union. In fact, a year later, over 10,000 Estonians who could have lead public opinion were shipped trained away to labor camps. Directly following, June 22, 1941 Germany invaded the Soviet Union and nearly 45,000 Estonians were forced into the German army. Speaking of living during this time, Vesilind’s father said, “The German’s were brutal but the Russians had been worse. People disappeared, and if you asked ‘Why?’ you would yourself.”
His return in 1980 was his first since his departure. He spoke with many local people, enabling him to paint a detailed picture of life in Estonia. A great concern to Estonians is that 40% of the population is non-Estonian, mostly German and Russian. Among the different ethnicities, there is no social mixing. Concerns of nationality are growing, as Heinrich Valk explains, “Our biggest problem is nationality –how to hold and keep the language. Our chance to assimilate to become German or Russian –has been great.” As a nation that has spent over 700 years being conquered by others, Estonians are still very proud of their heritage, sparked by a publication of Kalevipoeg, their national epic, in the late 19th Century. The prevailing mood of these enduring people is, “We are not intimidated. We exist.” But the younger generations are indifferent; they have no interest in the past, only a vague notion of what happened before them.
Though there are many concerns, Estonians are an adaptive people, they excel and innovate in whatever they must, be it industrial or agricultural. In 1980, state stores were low in stock; people waited in line for hours, unsure if there was anything to purchase. People had money, but there was nothing to buy. Many private owners with cucumbers, onions, raspberries, currants, and flowers sold them at local markets for prices 30-50% higher than in state stores. There are six institutes of higher learning in Estonia where tuition is free, most prestigious is Tartu State University, but many citizens would rather “be conspicuous than get better pay.” The best jobs around were paid under the table; taxi driver, waiter, doorman, or bartender. There is even a joke that a father would rather his daughter marry a waiter than an engineer.
Priit Vesilind takes a very direct look at the hardships that Estonians have face, and the determination they have to see through each problem. As an Estonian, he is objective, giving a real description of the residents, including positive and negative aspects. He exposes the concerns of these people without dramatizing their lifestyle, but also depicts their positive attitude. With intent on spreading knowledge of a country that most know little of, he shows the true people of Estonia. (KB 2006)