1. Short overview of VEMU and the Estonian archive (Archive and Library of Tartu Institute, named after Prof. Endel Aruja)

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1 Placement in VEMU archive, Toronto, Canada Lea Kreinin In August and September 2012, I completed a 6-week placement in one of the biggest Estonian archives abroad which is part of the collection of VEMU (Museum of Estonians Abroad), hosted by Tartu College in Toronto. This placement was a great opportunity to gain valuable knowledge about archival work. As my PhD topic is the Estonian diaspora in Scotland I also hoped to gain some data for my research. At the start I did not have any practical knowledge of archival work, although I had used archives (British State Archives in Kew, different Estonian archives) as a researcher before. 1. Short overview of VEMU and the Estonian archive (Archive and Library of Tartu Institute, named after Prof. Endel Aruja) After WWII, a lot of Estonians lived abroad. They formed numerous cultural, educational and political organisations and institutions their aim was to keep the continuity of the Republic of Estonia alive during the occupation by the Soviet Union, as well as to preserve and develop their Estonian culture. This 70 years of continuous work has created documents and written materials which are preserved in VEMU archive, also a huge collection of books (issued both in Estonia and abroad) and artefacts. Diaspora members private archives are also kept in VEMU archive. VEMU archive: Piret Noorhani with a volunteer (photo 1) and Tartu College (photo 2)

2 According to their website ( the objective of VEMU is to become the depository of the archives, printed materials, art and artefacts of the Estonian diaspora. These items are to be kept and made available for the research and study of Estonian history abroad. The collaboration of the Estonian Studies Centre with the University of Toronto s Chair of Estonian Studies and other Estonian organizations is shaping VEMU into a North-American centre of Estonian history and culture. The archive/library has also several volunteer workers (mostly retired people) who come to the archive 1-2 times a week to do some work. 2. Tasks completed in the Archive during my placement At the start of my stay, I was learning practical archival work and was introduced to the general principles of the collection in VEMU archive by the Chief Archivist Piret Noorhani. I found out about the personal archives what they contain and what might be relevant to my own research. Piret Noorhani with Väikemäe collection #56 My first task was to organise the personal correspondence of Dr. Artur Ekbaum who was a founder of the Estonian Credit Union in Toronto. His personal archive, collection # 9, is in four boxes and contains speeches and articles, writings on social organizations, correspondence, personal documents and materials on the credit union. I had to organise all the letters according to their sender/receiver (in alphabetical order and by date). The second task was very challenging as I was given a box which contained documents, photos and letters of Mr and Mrs Väikemäe which were totally unorganised. This box was given to an archive after the recent death of the lady. First, I had to look through everything (including private letters which I had to read) and then sort and organise different parts of this collection as well as produce a detailed description of this collection. It took me almost ten days complete the task. The description was five pages long. After that the collection was given a number and inserted into the system (#56).

3 Work in progress (photo 1) and the completed box #56 - Väikemäe collection (photo 2) Both these tasks gave me, alongside the learning of skills, an invaluable insight into refugee life. My next task and also a great honour was to organise the personal correspondence of Dr Endel Aruja, the founder of VEMU archive (which also bears his name). His personal archive is in his previous home (his daughter s home) and contains an incredible amount of different materials which are only partly sorted. I was given an old suitcase which contained Dr Aruja s correspondence from the end of 1930s until The legendary suitcase These letters contain invaluable information about Estonian refugee society life in the UK shortly after WWII. Endel Aruja had come to the UK already in 1939 and stayed there during the war. When the first Estonian EVW-s started to come to the UK he did everything to help

4 them and corresponded with many of them. By that time he was also active in distributing Baltic and Estonian magazines, books and newspapers and had opened a publishing house himself. During my work I also found correspondence with many influential figures in British society, for example Winston Churchill, John F. Stewart and others. By the end of my work the letters were organised into two archival boxes in alphabetical (and partly chronological) order. 3. Other activities During my stay I tried to get to know the Estonian society in Toronto I took part in several events and meetings and visited different places which are part of diaspora life summer camp sites, churches, Estonian bakery, weekly newspaper Eesti Elu, the Estonian House, Toronto Estonian Credit Union, Estonian Foundation in Canada, Estonian café. I was invited as a quest lecturer to the biggest and already legendary summer event the 45th Forest University at Kotkajärve (it was held in the scouts summer camp area which belongs to Estonian scouts). I also gave a public presentation at Tartu College (about my own research) which was very well attended.

5 4. Collecting data for my own research During my stay, I tried to find Estonians who had left Scotland for Canada at the end of the 1940s and beginning of the 1950s. During my first week, I put an announcement into the local Estonian newspaper hoping that numerous people who had come from the UK would contact me. I got no response at all. Then, my colleagues at Tartu College helped me to find people to interview and as I made more and more contacts with local Estonians, I also started to get offers to be interviewed. So, it was clear that first I had to prove that I am a reliable and trustworthy person. I ended up with eight interviews made with nine people who had emigrated from England to Canada. Ms Noorhani gave me permission to interview these people during my work time on the condition that the material I collected would also end up in the archive. I visited four interviewees in their homes, the rest of my interviews I held in public places, coffee shops and restaurants. Some people also showed me photos and documents from the past. Interviewing Estonian diaspora members Results The placement in an archive gave me some useful knowledge about the compiling and working principles of such collections. My work in the archive was very exciting and challenging. Also, I had the possibility to collect data related to my own research (interviews). At the same time I gained invaluable information and knowledge about Estonian life in exile.