Selected text
I remember the day of Stalin’s death. It was the 5th of March, 1953. There was a mourning announcement on the radio early in the day due to Stalin’s death. I dashed into my parents’ bedroom to break the news to my father, who said, ‘God, what a fortune, that Stalin kicked the bucket and they announced it!’ There was a meeting of teachers and students at school. Our school principal was crying when she was addressing us. The teacher and students burst into tears. I was also crying, and my tears were sincere. Probably I was just touched by the atmosphere.
The Twentieth Party Congress [26], where Khrushchev [27] divulged Stalin’s crimes, was not a big astonishment for us. Of course, we were rejoicing in the official recognition, as in Estonia everybody understood that Stalin was a criminal and a tyrant. People here were not as much stressed as those from Moscow or Leningrad. We took it with relief. Of course, Estonians were happy to find out about it. Rehabilitation began [28], the deported, repressed were coming back home. Those Estonian citizens who were deported in 1941, had been in exile over 15 years, and those who were deported in 1949 for seven to eight years.
The Twentieth Party Congress [26], where Khrushchev [27] divulged Stalin’s crimes, was not a big astonishment for us. Of course, we were rejoicing in the official recognition, as in Estonia everybody understood that Stalin was a criminal and a tyrant. People here were not as much stressed as those from Moscow or Leningrad. We took it with relief. Of course, Estonians were happy to find out about it. Rehabilitation began [28], the deported, repressed were coming back home. Those Estonian citizens who were deported in 1941, had been in exile over 15 years, and those who were deported in 1949 for seven to eight years.
Period
Location
Talinn
Estonia
Interview
Etta Ferdmann