The Estonian Cultural Foundation in Australia (ECFA) Ltd has as its objectives: • To promote literature, design, crafts, performing arts, radio, TV, moveable cultural heritage, music, community arts, video, visual arts, and film, which are of Estonian origin, in Australia; • To advance any purpose that are secondary or ancillary to the object in the above.
Expressions of Interest are now being sought from individuals and organisations who wish to apply for funding of projects which satisfy the objectives of the Foundation.
Total funding for these projects during the 2024-2025 financial year may be limited to approximately $20-30,000, subject to the discretion of the ECFA Ltd Board. Please note that all past recipients of funding from the ECFA will be required to make an application under this funding arrangement.
Individuals and organisations seeking funding should clearly outline the following matters in their application: 1. Name of individual and Organisation; 2. Contact details; also details for the project leader 3. A detailed description of the project proposal; 4. The total amount of funding being sought (applicants should note that funding is for the 2024-2025 financial year only – there is no guarantee that funding will be extended into subsequent years); 5. All applicants should submit a program of activities and a timetable for the implementation of the Project; 6. All applications are to be lodged in English.
• All successful applicants must submit a short article and photographs of the completed project that can be used for promotional purposes. • We also ask you to submit pictures from your project that can be used in promotional materials and the ECFA website. • All applicants will be required to submit a half-yearly progress report, due 1st November and 1st May including an Annual report which details the implementation and outcomes of their project; • The Annual report should also state whether the funding provided has been fully expended, and if there are some funds remaining, whether it will be refunded to ECFA, or a proposal submitted as to how these could be used for a purpose related to the project. • All applicants are also required to acknowledge the funding support on their web pages, Facebook, etc
A zoom meeting will be held at 08:00 p.m. on Tuesday 11th June 2024 where prospective applicants will be able to ask questions about the funding.
Please register your interest for this event online at ecfa.eesti.org.au/register or email to ecfa (a) eesti.org.au and we will send you the relevant details closer to the time.
Tere kino lovers! It has been a while since our last Sydney screening and we have two more planned movie nights at the moment with our first night to be held on the 2nd June and second on the 7th July.
In June, Kino is screening the short film Salme saladus / Another Dimension (2018) and Vee peal / On The Water(2020) looking at the chaotic lives lived behind the quiet facades of the village. This will currently be the penultimate planned Kino screening, with the next one planned on the 7th July.
Moonika Siimets’ short documentary Salme saladus / Another Dimension (2018) takes viewers to the small coastal borough of Salme in Saaremaa where modernity meets the past. Superstition and traditions are as common everyday phenomena as fishing and harvesting crops in Salme. We then follow the lives of the Sõnajalg family, an infamous 90s singing Christian quartet-turned business empire who fly helicopters and build wind farms. In a town where UFOs and spirits can be seen amongst Viking skeletons and the Sõnajalg dynasty’s wind turbines – there are two realities here that do not fit together. What on earth is going on there?
Our feature film for the night is Vee peal / On The Water (2020) directed by Peeter Simm. Selected as the Estonian entry for the Best International Feasture Film at the 94th Academy Awards, the comedic coming-of-age film takes us to the sleepy village set in the small southern city of Võru in 1982 where Andres is raised by his strict grandparents. Wanting to escape from the constant bullying at school, Andres takes to the nearby lake to fish beside colourful characters including convicted criminal Valter and the simpleminded fisherman Kolla. A dramedy full of oft-risqué humour comes as an adaptation of Olavi Ruitlane’s autobiographical novel of the same name – “Vii pääl” – released in 2015.
Wishing you all the best and see you there! You can watch the trailer for “Vee peal” on YouTube here!
EVENT DETAILS
Date: 2nd June, 2024 Admission: Free Doors open: 5:00pm Film starts: 5:30 pm 10-minute intermission: from 6:00 pm Language: Estonian with English subtitles Address:141 Campbell St, Surry Hills, NSW, 2010 Note: Parking is free on Sundays around Reservoir St, Samuel St and Goodchap Street
Kino! is kindly supported by Sydney Eesti Selts and the Estonian Cultural Foundation in Estonia (ECFA)
Saima's family in 1937, from Saima Riner's private collection.
We have been collecting stories about people who participated in the Mass Flight of 1944 as part of a campaign to support the Mass Flight memorial in Pärnu. Here we bring you the story of Saima Riner in English and Estonian.
In the Mass Flight of 1944, about 30,000 people escaped to Sweden and about 33,000 to Germany, according to the Estonian War Museum. The Estonian Archives in Australia (EAA) shares that about 6,000 Estonians ended up in Australia. EAA‘s digital exhibition raises the question – do you know how you ended up in Australia?
There are not so many among us anymore who can share their stories. Please reach out to them, so we can make our Australian collection of stories – 1944 to 2024. Below are some questions you can ask.
Milline oli elu Eestis, mis jäi maha? / What was life like in Estonia and what was left behind?
Kuidas läks põgenemine? / How did the escape go?
Kuidas algas uus elu Austraalias? / How did the new life in Australia begin?
On 5 May 2024, Sirje Jõgi-Rivers asked Saima Riner, aged 92, for her story.
Annual family photo, taken 28th May, 1943. Photograph by Kõdar Studio (Fotoateljee), Kõver street, Nõmme Estonia. Photo courtesy of Saima Riner.
Saima lived with her mother, father, and sister Maila in Nõmme, at 2 Metsa Street (previously Kahro House), where the Nõmme House Owners’ Bank, directed by her father Karl Aleksander Nõmmisto, was located.
Her mother, Emma Elisabeth, supported her husband’s social activities, such as the Children’s Protection Association and the Tennis Club.
Both parents were born in 1902 and were on the deportation list in 1940, but managed to escape deportation with the help of good people. On September 21, 1944, with the help of friends, the family made their way to Tallinn harbor, where they were allowed onto the last convoy of ships without written permits.
“Among the convoy was the ship Moero, marked with a red cross, which was torpedoed and sank within fifteen minutes. Also in the convoy was Lapland, an old cargo ship converted to transport people, from which we departed our homeland. The last image of the harbour, like a sea of fire, left the feeling that the whole of Tallinn was burning. When Moero sank, our Lapland also stopped to save whoever could be saved. As a 12-year-old girl, that image was very shocking to me, those poor half-drowned people, some so young…”
The ship reached Danzig, then under German occupation, from where we were sent by train to a transit camp near Berlin, then directed to where labor was needed. Our family was sent to Thuringia, near Jena, where my father was assigned to make optical lenses in a factory.
After the end of the war, when the division of lands came, Thuringia went to the Russians, and we had to flee again. This time we were helped by Americans with their large trucks and then by train in cattle wagons. Later, the DPs, displaced persons, were gathered into camps from where, about four years later, Western countries organised workforces for themselves.
Saima with her beloved dog Bella, who she had to leave behind during the mass flight of 1944. Photo courtesy of Saima Riner.
On April 3, 1949, the ship arrived in Australia at Fremantle, and on April 7, Melbourne. The Estonian Assistance Committee in Australia guaranteed that the family would not be a burden on the Australian state but would find work themselves, so they did not come with work contracts but with a “landing permit”.
In the premises of the Swedish Church in Melbourne, an Estonian congregation operated, pastor Stockholm invited the then 17-year-old Saima to the congregation. Saima became the church organist, a position she held for over 50 years. A new life in a new country had begun.
Today, Saima has two sons, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren in Australia. Her sister Maila has a total of 9 great-grandchildren. Their parents are buried in Falkner Cemetery.
In addition to the burning of Tallinn harbour and the rescue of the wounded from Moero at sea, the departure from her Nõmme home is forever on her mind – leaving behind her grandmother and dog Bella, as well as other relatives, and all the joys and sorrows of childhood with the Nõmme pine forest.
Saima Riner, aged 92, playing piano at Melbourne Estonian House on mothers day, May 2024. Photo courtesy of Kristel Alla.
Eesti keeles
Perefoto, 28. mail 1943. Foto Kõdar Fotoateljee, Kõver tn, Nõmme Eesti. Foto Saima Rineri erakogust.
Saima elas ema, isa, ja õe Mailaga Nõmmes, Metsa tanav 2, eelnevalt Kahro Majas, kuna samas asus Nõmme Majaomanike Pank mille direktor isa Karl Aleksander Nõmmisto oli.
Ema Emma Elisabeth kodune toetades abikaasa positsioonist tulenevaid seltskondlikke ettevõtmisi nagu Lastekaitse Ühing, Tennisklubi jne.
Mõlemad olid sündinud aastal 1902, olid aastal 1940 küüditamise nimekirjas kuid pääsesid heade inimeste abil küüditamise eest varjule. 21. Sept. 1944 sai perekond sõprade abiga Tallinna sadamasse, kus viimase konvoi laevadele inimesi lasti ilma kirjalike lubadeta.
“Selles konvois olid ka punaseristi laev Moero, mis tee peal torpeedoga hävitati ja mis põhja läks veerand tunni jooksul. Samuti oli konvois Lapland, vana kaubalaev ümber tehtud inimeste vedamiseks, kus ka meie oma sünnimaalt lahkusime. Viimane mälupilt sadama poole — see oli nagu tulemeri, jättis tunde, nagu terve Tallinn oleks põlenud. Kui Moero põhja läks, jäi ka meie Lapland seisma, et päästa keda veel päästa sai. See pilt minul kui 12 aastasel tüdrukul oli väga vapustav, need vaesed pool uppunud inimesed, mõned noorukesed….”
Laev jõudis Danzigi, tookordne sakslaste okupeeritud ala, kust meid rongiga edasi saadeti Berliini ligidale läbikäigu laagrisse, kust siis suunati sinna, kus tööjõudu vaja. Meie pere saadeti Thüringeni, Jena ligidal, kus isa vabrikus pikksilmaklaase määrati.
Pärast sõja lõppu kui maade jagamine tuli, sai Thüringen venelastele ja meie pidime uuesti põgenema. Seekord aitasid meid ameeriklased oma suurte veoautodega ja edasi rongiga loomavagunites. Siis koondati ka DP’d, displaced persons, laagritesse kust siis umbes neli aastat hiljem lääneriigid endale tööjõudu organiseeris.”
Saima oma koerake Bellaga, kelle ta pidi maha jätma 1944. aasta massipõgenemise ajal. Foto on Saima Rineri lahkel loal.
3. aprillil 1949 jõudis laev Austraaliasse Freemantle’sse ja 7. aprillil Melbourne’i. Eesti Abistamise Komitee Austraalias garanteeris et pere jai ja Austraalia riigile koormaks vaid leiab ise töö, nii ei tulnud mitte töölepinguga vaid perel oli “landing permit”.
Melbourne’i Rootsi Kiriku ruumides tegutses Eesti kogudus, mille pastor Stockholm soovis 17 aastane Saimat kogudusse. Saimast sai koguduse organist, mis ametit ta pidas üle 50 aastat. Uus elu uuel maal oli alanud.
Tänaseks on Saimal Austraalias kaks poega, neli lapselast ja kaks lapse-lapse- last. Õde Mailal on kokku 9 lapse-lapse- last. Vanemad on maetud Falkneri kalmistule.
Lisaks Tallinna sadama põlemisele ning Moero vigaste päästmisele merest, on silme ees alatiseks ka Nõmme kodust lahkumine – jäid maha vanaema ja koer, ning teisi sugulasi, ja kõik lapsepõlve rõõmud ja mured koos Nõmme männimetsaga.
92-aastane Saima Riner mängimas klaverit Melbourne’i Eesti Majas emadepäeval, mai 2024. Foto on Kristel Alla lahkel loal.
This story was collected as part of a campaign in support of the Mass Flight Memorial – a worldwide Estonian diaspora project. If you, or someone you know, have a story to share about the mass flight experience, please write to us at news@eesti.org.au
Each year Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians commemorate the 14th of June, 1941 mass deportations from the three Baltic States. For the Baltic States that historical event has again become acutely relevant since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and we feel deeply Ukraine’s suffering.
Sydney
83rd anniversary of mass deportations from the Baltic State by Soviet Union occupying forces 1941
Speakers from the Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian and Ukraine communities
Performances by
the Melbourne Latvian choir Daina, male choir Veseris and youth choir Ausma
Lithuanian mixed choir Dainos Samburis, and
the Estonian Women’s Choir, Kodu
Entry by donation
Organised by the Association of Latvian Organisations in Melbourne, with the Australian Lithuanian Community in Melbourne and the Estonian Society of Melbourne.
The Council of Estonian Societies in Australia (AESL) is an umbrella organisation that unites around 20 Estonian organisations all over Australia, belonging to the Estonian World Organisation.
At the last meeting, the AESL Board decided to support the establishment of the Mass Flight monument in Pärnu. Since then, Juho has written an introduction about the monument plan and started collecting donations in Australia. In the May board meeting, we discussed the next steps and what else we can do to keep the donations coming.
Sirje reiterated the need to publish a series of articles: if we all find a person whose childhood was in Estonia before the 1944 escape and ended up in Australia, then interview and publish these stories, this catches two birds – it increases donations for the monument and provides value to us as such stories are timeless. The AESL Board agreed to this action.
Additionally, this initiative is not only for AESL to write the stories, but is an open invitation for everyone across Australia to find someone in their circle who could share their escape story.
The second topic covered was children’s camps. AESL has supported the camp at Sõrve for many years, which is considered the most significant enterprise for our youth in Australia. In recent years, there has been a wonderful revival and enthusiasm for organising camps in other cities. Marin reported that Perth is in the process of organising its own kids camp, and Ingrid reported the same for Melbourne. The Board decided to support these developments and include funding for all ongoing camps in next year’s budget. It was also discussed that sometimes it is complicated for applicants to be aware under which organisation to put the application in; AESL is able to coordinate on behalf of the applicant.
Third theme related to AESL’s media presence. Ongoing work includes: Mission Statement (Juho), Constitution (Juho), AGM Wrap (Juho), Annual Booklets (Siiri); followed by explanatory articles about AESL initiatives, including the Eesti Päevad Festival (Sirje), Sõrve Camp (Siiri), Estonian Media in Australia (Siiri), and Language Teaching (Sirje).
Once the material is written and collected, we will approach the Australian Estonian Media Project for help to set AESL up under eesti.org.au.
5 years, 37 countries, and 125 cities – The award-winning TV presenter-journalist Roald Johannson has circumnavigated the world for his show, “Roaldi retked”.
Kui üks Eesti tuntumaid naistrummareid Helena Victoria Kirss kolis seitse aastat tagasi ootamatult Austraaliasse, said Eesti kontserdikorraldajad tõelise šoki! Kuidas küll julges andekas muusik lahkuda kodumaalt oma populaarsuse tipul, kui saalid olid rahvast täis ja esinemisgraafik ülitihe? Roald Johannson suundub Austraalia idarannikule ning leiab eest topeltkodakondsusega eestlanna, kes üritab kaugel kängurumaal muusikalist läbilööki ning punub koos elukaaslase Tõnniga ühist pesa maalilisel Tamborine’i mäel!
Watch the funny and substantive history programme Eesti (täielik ja kontrollitud) ajalugu– “The (Complete and Verified) History of Estonia” – which takes people on a journey through Estonia’s history.
Language: Estonian Subtitles are available in Estonian.
Series description:
Kes olid esimesed inimesed Eestimaal? Kust ja millal nad siia tulid, mida siin tegid, uskusid, sõid ja jõid? Algab Andrus Vaariku retk läbi Eesti ajaloo.
Sarja stsenarist on Tauno Vahter, režissöör Raivo Maripuu, toimetaja Kai Väärtnõu ning kunstnik Siiri Taimla-Rannala.
A huge thank you to all the wonderful people who took the time to cast their votes. With over 700 participants, your support and engagement have been invaluable.
If it weren’t for your invaluable input, we’d still be wondering which logo truly captures the essence of EstWest among the incredible choices we had available.
Tiina Morton’s logo claimed the top spot with the highest number of votes.
Triinu Pankratov secured the second-place position.
And the fortunate recipient of the third-place position is Paul Kadak!
We truly value the importance of a logo in representing our identity. It’s not just a symbol; it’s the face of EstWest, embodying our values, vision, and identity.
🌟 That’s why we’re immensely grateful to all the participants who invested their time and talent in creating their logo submissions. A massive thank you to each and every one of you! 🌟
We’re thrilled to start using the logo and can’t wait to send our
Estonian-themed hampers to the TOP 3 logo authors.
Join Lachlan Bell in his mission to restore and revitalise the Estonian niche wall section at Rookwood Cemetery. Following an exhibition held at Rookwood in 2023, this project will to bring life back into the site by helping preserve Rookwood’s natural heritage whilst honouring the memory of our relatives by creating a sanctuary that celebrates the unique flora of the Cumberland Plains ecosystem. The project seeks to remediate the site through the addition of endemic species as well as new gravel, native-friendly soil, and tools for the project’s success that will allow visitors to tend to the garden as well as clean the site which extends into the grave plots.
To assist in reaching this goal, a fundraiser on GoFundMe has been set up with a goal of $1500 (with any additional monies going to the volunteers at Rookwood).
For those who may not be able to financially contribute, you can participate by attending a talgud (an Estonian-style working bee) on Saturday, 15th June, from 10 am onwards, to remediate the soil, polish the plaques, clean the bricks, get involved in planting, and tidy the site. If you wish to attend, please come with a hat, gardening gloves, water bottles and mosquito repellent.
For donors contributing over $100, you will receive a signed, unframed illustrated print by Lachlan, featuring the flora to be planted at Rookwood.
Your donations will directly support the purchase of native plants from Western Sydney Bush Native Nursery, essential materials, and tools for the project’s success. Let’s come together to create a beautiful and sustainable garden, preserving Rookwood’s heritage and supporting the community.
The Consular Mission to Adelaide will take place on Monday, 10 June 2024. If you wish to apply for new documents, please book an appointment on the following link:
Ella Tomson with her daughters Mailis and Dagmar (L-R)
We have been collecting stories about people who participated in the Mass Flight of 1944 as part of a campaign to support the Mass Flight memorial in Pärnu. Here we bring you the story of Esmée Okamoto.
Why did I donate towards the creation of this memorial in Pärnu? I did it in honour of my Grandmother, Ella Toovis (née Tomson/Pein), who escaped war torn Estonia to the safety of Camp Hochfeld, a Displaced Persons Camp in Germany. My Grandmother fled with one young child (Dagmar Neal, née Pein) and bore my mother (Mailis Wakeham, née Pein) whilst in Miltenberg. A few years later they immigrated to Australia, but I think my Mother and Aunt were too young to appreciate the enormity of it all.
Though they were young and keen to assimilate into their new environment, with no other immediate family travelling with them, I am glad to know they had a strong Estonian community here to support them. I grew up with bonus “Grandparents” and “family” that were Estonian family friends simply brought together by shared struggles (new jobs, friends, schools, a foreign language, etc) and adventures here in Australia.
I often reflect on how brave my Grandmother was, an incredible journey to make with two young kids in tow and no family in Australia to call on for support… it must have been an emotional and challenging time.
My Grandmother went on to marry an Estonian here in Adelaide, Heino Toovis (he even has a street named after him in Adelaide, having built the first house on the block) but very rarely did they talk of their struggles in Germany or Estonia… it was like they wanted to pretend it never happened. Blot it out… out of sight out of mind.
Though I admit I hid from it in my youth, I am so thankful and proud to be part of the Australian Estonian community now. With thanks to singing with the Australian Estonian Choir Kooskõlas (travelling over to perform at Laulupidu) and embracing social media I have been able to meet, stay in touch with and better get to know an extended family I previously never knew existed.
My friends in the Choir, Kasitöö (handicraft), Rahvatants (folk dancing) and local Estonian community (both here and interstate) act as my “family” here and continue to inspire me to be involved to do more to keep our unique community thriving.
For these reasons and more I am keen to honour those that fled during the Mass Escape in 1944. They helped shape who I am today.
This story was collected as part of a campaign in support of the Mass Flight Memorial. If you have a story to share about your family’s mass flight experience, please write to us at news@eesti.org.au
During the Cold War, the Estonian World Council’s (EWC / ÜEKN) focus was to support the struggle for the freedom of Estonia and the other Baltic States. Now, their focus is on addressing present and emerging security risks in the Baltic Sea region. To increase awareness on this issue, EWC is hosting the Hybrid Conference “Security and Defense in the Baltic Sea Region” on 14 May 2024.
The conference will feature keynote speeches and panel discussions on various topics related to security and defense in the region. Keynote speakers include Douglas Hickey, US Ambassador to Finland, and Jessikka Aro, Finnish journalist and author.
Panel discussions will cover NATO’s role in Baltic Sea Region Security and civil preparedness and disinformation, with speakers from organizations such as NATO, the Swedish Defence University, and the Estonian Parliament. The conference aims to provide valuable insights and discussions on safeguarding freedom and security in the Baltic Sea region.
