After the Soviets occupied Estonia following the Second World War, the communist occupiers determined that certain elements of society, namely those with eduction, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills had to be eliminated. Thus in 1949 over 20,000 Estonian men, women, and children were deported in cattle cars to Siberia. Many of the children survived the ordeal, found ways to go to Russian schools, and returned to Estonia to professional careers. One such group was centered in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, and these now-retired men and women still get together annually to reminisce about their stolen childhoods. A few years ago they decided to write down their Siberian memories and collected these in a book, edited by Rita Metsis. Kristiina Paul was then asked to translate the book into English, and Peep Aarne Vesilind edited it for an English-speaking readership. This oral history is both of interest to historians as well as those who might not remember the suffering endured by the Estonian people during Stalinist times.
After the Soviets occupied Estonia following the Second World War, the communist occupiers determined that certain elements of society, namely those with eduction, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills had to be eliminated....
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