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After the war anti-Semitism started to develop in Estonia. There was no anti-Semitism, when Estonia was independent [see First Estonian Republic] [21], before it was annexed to the USSR. At least, there was no state-level anti-Semitism, which was there during the Soviet regime. However, it was only demonstrated by newcomers from the USSR. It was evident at that time. For example, Jews were employed by the companies with Estonian management, while when it came to Soviet directors they actually didn’t employ Jews. I didn’t face any anti-Semitism. I worked hard, and got along well at work. In general, things weren’t as hard in Estonia, as they were in the USSR. The Doctors’ Plot [22] in 1953 didn’t actually affect Estonia. Fortunately, there was nothing like what had happened in Russia or Ukraine where Jewish doctors were fired and patients refused to see them.
My husband and I were happy about the establishment of Israel, a Jewish state. It was like a miracle that Jews had regained their own land after 2000 years of wandering. It’s a pity that their Arabic neighbors think differently. I wish my father had lived longer to know that Jews have regained their motherland.
In 1953 Stalin died and it was disastrous for me. It was disastrous for many people, though for the most part they were those who had moved to Estonia during the Soviet regime. Stalin was an idol for them, and for us he was a ruler, who had issued an order to deport our dear ones to Siberia just for one reason, and that was that they had developed their own businesses and built houses for their own families. There was no reason to cry for him whatsoever. Those who were innocent, but had been away to Siberia from their homeland, and those who were in the Siberian land forever, were to be cried for. After Stalin’s death I hoped that those who had been deported would be allowed to come back home, but it wasn’t to be. Only after the Twentieth Party Congress [23], where Khrushchev [24] denounced the cult of Stalin, the official commission for rehabilitation [25], was established, and only then people started to come back. A few men had survived. Even those, who had survived in exile, were also victims of the regime. They had lost 15 years of their life, when they suffered from the cold, hunger, poverty, humiliation and lost their health.
My husband and I were happy about the establishment of Israel, a Jewish state. It was like a miracle that Jews had regained their own land after 2000 years of wandering. It’s a pity that their Arabic neighbors think differently. I wish my father had lived longer to know that Jews have regained their motherland.
In 1953 Stalin died and it was disastrous for me. It was disastrous for many people, though for the most part they were those who had moved to Estonia during the Soviet regime. Stalin was an idol for them, and for us he was a ruler, who had issued an order to deport our dear ones to Siberia just for one reason, and that was that they had developed their own businesses and built houses for their own families. There was no reason to cry for him whatsoever. Those who were innocent, but had been away to Siberia from their homeland, and those who were in the Siberian land forever, were to be cried for. After Stalin’s death I hoped that those who had been deported would be allowed to come back home, but it wasn’t to be. Only after the Twentieth Party Congress [23], where Khrushchev [24] denounced the cult of Stalin, the official commission for rehabilitation [25], was established, and only then people started to come back. A few men had survived. Even those, who had survived in exile, were also victims of the regime. They had lost 15 years of their life, when they suffered from the cold, hunger, poverty, humiliation and lost their health.
Period
Year
1953
Location
Talinn
Estonia
Interview
Maria Sorkina