Briljandid’ in the Treasure Trove in Surry Hills: Diamonds in the Estonian Archive in Sydney, Australia

Cultural treasures take many forms. For some, it is in artefacts such as The President’s Regalia, and for others like myself, it is in memorabilia such as images of the time, in which poignant memories are lodged.

For the past two years, I have searched for information on Estonians in Sweden during the period 1944-1949 in an attempt to place my father’s life in perspective. In a book he wrote after arriving in Australia, he describes many events, beginning with our escape from Estonia in October 1944, and finishing in July 1949, with the time of our departure from Sweden to come to Australia.

Accordingly, I am delighted to write this account of a discovery I have made in the Estonian Archive in Sydney.

‘Briljant’ is an Estonian word used to describe a cut polished high quality diamond. I feel that this is a very apt word to use to describe the Vilper Collection. Fortunately, my queries at the Estonian Archive prompted Maie Barrow, the archivist, to point me in the direction of the massive photo albums of the said period, which are entitled Estonian People Fleeing From Native Country and Refugee Life in Sweden in Word and Picture 1944-1946. I refer to these as the Vilper Collection and they are to be found at the Estonian Archive.

The Vilper Collection consists of two massive photo albums which give a new meaning to the term ‘boat people’–especially in Australia where the refugee issue is a hot item in contemporary dialogue this very day. The images graphically depict the overcrowding in the sailing boats as they set off for a voyage across the Baltic Sea. The people faced a voyage across a sea full of minefields, the constant danger of being rammed by German U-boats, being sunk by Russian warships or being bombed by German aeroplanes, with a forlorn hope of rescue by their ancient friends, the Swedes.

The Estonians, along with their Baltic neighbours, had the dubious honour of being the first boat people in the world. No wonder we are sympathetic to the plight of the present day refugees.

As well as heart-wrenching images of men, women and children who risked everything for a chance to escape annihilation by the Soviet terror organs, the albums contain many other images, such as the burning and ruins of the capital city, Tallinn, the result of the Soviet bombing in March 1944.

Even though the events are sixty years past, I felt deeply moved by the scenes of people in Tallinn desperate to escape from the Soviet invasion. In the photos, you can almost hear the words of the German border guards, “Papieren bitte”, as the people queued at German control points. Images of the Estonia Theatre and other similar landmarks also serve to remind us of Estonia’s culture as it was before the Soviet conquest.

Until he escaped from Estonia in September 1944, Hans Vilper was an official photographer for the United Military Educational Institutions of Estonia. He documents clearly the times, the people and the events prior to the flight from Estonia, as well as the arrival of the refugees in Sweden.

The albums also contain a photographic account of the lives of the Estonian refugees in Sweden from the time of their arrival in the country. There are photographs of the processing of people in quarantine camps and of their initial living conditions, as well as of the activities in which they engaged, from making Estonian flags and printing Estonian books, to folk dancing and theatrical performances. The albums are a unique historical record of the Estonian people at a crucial time in Estonian history. My opinion is that every Estonian or person of Estonian descent should view this collection to see for themselves the images from the period 1944 to 1946. Even if your route to Australia was through Germany, the photographs will evoke poignant memories of your parents or grandparents during these years. So if you are visiting Australia, believe me, it is worth your while to look at some of the ‘Briljandid’ at the Estonian Archive in Sydney, Australia. By Rex Urmas Rattur