2012 - For the Benefit of the Estonian Community in Melbourne

For the Benefit of the Estonian Community in Melbourne 

– a tale of generosity

by Rex Urmas Rattur

The policy of ‘no donations’ is clearly explained on my website http://eyewitnessestoniabook.blogspot.com. While it is my policy not to donate a copy of my book Eyewitness: Estonia 1909-1949 to the multitude of libraries around the world, I have no objection to a donor/benefactor purchasing a copy of the book to donate it to the organization or institution of their choice.

When I published the book in August 2008, an issue that I had to resolve, was the ‘donations’ issue. As I made an approach to the major libraries - the Library of Congress, the British Library, the German, French and Scandinavian, it became clear to me that they already had well-established policies on donations and also that they relied on donations.

Locally in Australia, the issue of what libraries an author (or publisher) has to donate a copy of a book to is set out in law by Legal Deposit legislation. The number of books that one must donate varies according to state legislation, in other words it depends upon what state you live in.

In the state of New South Wales, the state where I live, it is four copies of the book each time a new edition is published; a copy for the National Library of Australia located in Canberra, and one for the State Library of New South Wales, one for the University of Sydney library and one for the State Parliamentary Library of New South Wales, located in Sydney.

Naturally I had discussions with publishers and authors as well about the issue to get a sense of what would be an appropriate policy. Much to my surprise at the time, a person from the Estonian community in Sydney approached me offering to arrange for the meeting of all statutory obligations in Estonia as well. Following this experience, I have developed an understanding of what is obligatory and what is not. A question arose about what to do in this situation.

As a consequence of the experience, a ‘no donations’ policy was established, however I reiterate that I have no objection to the following: if a person wants to buy copies of my book, and then donate them to whatever institution or person, they are free to do so.

Nevertheless, I was surprised when a customer took up this offer and bought a copy of my book and asked me if I could arrange for its delivery to the State Library of Victoria, for the benefit of the Estonian community in Melbourne.

I would like to report that now their request has been fulfilled and that the State Library of Victoria has confirmed receipt of the book in a letter stating that they were delighted to add it to their collection, and adding that the book Eyewitness: Estonia 1909-1949 would be for the benefit of all of the residents of the State of Victoria.

In our discussions, the donor, who prefers not to reveal their name, explained that their children had married Australians and much to their disappointment their grandchildren, now adults, did not speak Estonian. I can sympathise with them as I am also in the same predicament.

My queries to the donor about their relationship to the Estonian community in Melbourne were ignored. The only comment they made was that Estonian has become the language of the Estonian society in Melbourne. Their comment seems to infer that we have two communities, a foreign one that speaks Estonian and another, a local one that speaks English.

Naturally this raises the question of donations to libraries in general by Estonians who want to make a bequest or a donation to their local library or to a person or organization/ institution, where an understanding of their own life and times may be of benefit to the Estonian community in general.

Loomulikult tõstatab see üldisema küsimuse annetustest raamatukogudele eestlaste poolt, kes soovivad pärandada või annetada kas kohalikule raamatukogule või isikule või organisatsioonile/institutsioonile, kus nende arusaam elust ja ajast omandab väärtuse kogu Eesti kogukonna huvides. 

Although a lot of younger Australians know where Estonia is because of their travels, most Australians have no idea about who we are. They have a vague perception that we are East Europeans from somewhere in the middle of Europe and especially no idea about our lives before World War II. 

Kuigi paljud noored austraallased teavad oma reiside kaudu kus Eesti asub, ei tea enamik austraallasi meist midagi. Neil on ähmane ettekujutus eestlastest kui Ida-Eurooplastest kusagil Euroopa keskosas ja neil ei ole mingit aimu meie elust enne II Maailmasõda. 

In 2008 a copy of the book was donated to all of the state libraries in error. My experience showed me that the state libraries of Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania have policies regarding the categories of books held in their collection. These libraries advised me that they do not hold books on Estonia. Before making a donation to a library in the above states, it is recommended to enquire whether the book is acceptable in terms of their collection parameters.

As of this date, no copies of the book are available in second-hand or rare and valuable bookstores. The only way a person can buy a book is directly from me. With donations in Australia I am prepared to undertake enquiries with a particular library to ensure the book meets its requirements and forward a copy direct to the library by registered post.

Originally the title of the book was translated into Estonian in a newspaper article in Saaremaa as Pealtnägija: Eestimaa 1909-1949   but as my sense of the real meaning of Estonian words has grown, I think it should not be in the sense of an observer or sightseer but as a witness to historic events in the nation of Estonia and accordingly I believe a more precise title is Tunnistaja: Eesti 1909-1949.

Eyewitness: Estonia 1909-1949 is written in English. The narrative is drawn from a manuscript my father wrote of his life, shortly after coming to work on a Swedish ship travelling on a route between Australia and Japan. His story is not as detailed as a story drawn from a diary would be because he lost all of his possessions, when his ship was bombed and sunk off the coast of Norway in the early part of World War 2.

His story is not typical of the story of most Estonians, who came to Australia as refugees in migrant ships. His struggles to survive were in Estonia, in Sweden and in the post-war years as a navigation officer visiting ports around the Baltic behind the Iron Curtain.

His story is seasoned with anecdotes about people, in the heady days that follow the proclamation of the Republic, in the struggles that ensued in the War of Independence. Through an account of his own experiences, he captures a sense of life in Tallinn during the Republic in the 1920s.

Tema lugu on vürtsitatud anekdootidega inimestest ja oludest Vabariigi väljakuulutamise järgsete õnneuimas päevade  ja seejärel Vabadussõja võitlusaastatel. Omaenese kogemuste kaudu kirjeldab ta haaravalt elu Vabariigi 1920-te aastate Tallinnas.

With vivid strokes he also deftly paints portraits of well-known Estonians, good and bad, in the inter-war years 1920-1930s too, his life as a sailor on a sailing ship, about politics in the days of the Republic, about the rise of totalitarian ideologies and their impact on the Estonian people through eyewitness accounts about the VAPS.

Elava kirjelduse kaudu maalib ta pealtnägija ja osalejana tuntud eestlaste portreesid aastatest 1920-1930, kirjeldab Vabariigi tolleaja päevapoliitikat, totalitaarse reziimi teket ning selle mõju inimestele, samuti oma elu madrusena laeval.

In the early days of World War 2 his own struggle to survive in those times is mirrored in the national struggle, as well as his torment in describing his eyewitness account of the use of deceit and cunning to enable a forcible takeover of the Estonian nation; the subsequent use of terror to subdue the Estonian people, culminating in the annexation of Estonia by the Soviet Union.

II Maailmasõja alguspäevade ajal toimuva kirjeldustes peegeldub tema enese ellujäämispüüdlus läbi rahvusliku võitluse vaenlase vastu, kes pettuse ja salakavaluse kaudu püüab saavutada Eesti rahva vägivaldset anastamist, kasutades terrorit rahva alistamiseks, mis kulmineerub Eesti annekteerimisega Nõukogude Liidu poolt.

The tale depicts the suffering of the Estonian people, from reporting on daily life of a people under occupation, first by Communists and secondly by Fascists. A portrait of a secret policeman is an example which offers a rich, passionate, original take on life during the Soviet occupation of Estonia.

See on jutustus Eesti rahva kannatustest ja kirjeldab tõetruult inimeste igapäevaelu algul kommunistliku ja seejärel fasistliku okupatsiooni ajal. Salapolitseiniku portree on üks näidetest, mis pakub rikkalikku, kirglikku ja tõepärast pilti elust Nõukogude okupatsiooni ajal Eestis.

It is a story packed with twists and turns. It offers insights into the human condition, into Wello Rattur, which underpin his resolve to undertake life and death decisions despite the risks, in a struggle with the Nazi German bureaucracy and even with his own countrymen, who are both conscientious and single-minded in their dedication in carrying out the policies of their German oppressors without any heed for the Estonian people.

See lugu on täis erinevaid keerdkäike. Jutustus annab sissevaate ühe inimese, Wello Ratturi, olemusesse, rõhutades tema otsustavust ja tahet minna elus edasi vaatamata riskidele ja surmaohule, tema võitlust Natsi-Saksamaa bürokraatiaga ja isegi kaasmaalastega, kes oma püüdliku kohusetundlikkuse ja lihtsameelsusega viivad ellu Saksa rõhujate poliitikat mõtlemata seejuures Eesti rahva saatusele.

   

But there is more… and I wish that you enjoy the read.

Selles on veel palju muud … ja ma soovin teile head lugemist.

Therefore it is my pleasure that a copy of my father’s story in my book is part of the collection in the State Library of Victoria for the benefit of the Estonian community in Melbourne through the generosity of a fellow Estonian.

Seetõttu on mul heameel teada, et minu raamatu koopia minu isa eluloost asub kaaseestlase heatahtlikkuse tõttu Victoria Riigiraamatukogu kogus Melbournis elava Eesti kogukonna heaks.

Some paragraphs in the narrative about the book are followed by their Estonian equivalents.For this courtesy and translations I wish to acknowledge and thank my cousin

Dr Silvi Teesalu, the author of a book renowned in Estonia, Sirelid õitsevad juunis.  

For enquiries: please contact Rex Rattur

Email: rurattur@yahoo.com

Postal: PO Box 22 ROZELLE  NSW  2039 Australia.