In August of 2024, Ave-Marleen Rei was in Toronto to conduct interviews with Estonian families who left Estonia in September 1944 to escape the invading Soviet Army. The series “Abroad and Home” visits seven Estonian- Canadian families — each one has their own personal story to tell of how they remained Estonian. In each episode, we will hear from three different generations: those, who had lived through the escape and the tough first years as immigrants, those from the second generation who were born and have grown up abroad and for whom Estonia seemed unreachable, and the youngest generation, who live in an expansive world in which cultural identity needs to be reimagined and recontextualized.
What are these Estonians that live 6500 thousand kilometres away from Tallinn like? Do they eat sprat sandwiches and dance the “reilender?” What have they had to sacrifice in order to remain Estonians? What is their perspective on Estonia and what do they most long for? The answers to these questions and many more can be heard in Vikerraadio’s new series “Abroad and Home.” You can listen to the series here.
The author of the series is Ave-Marleen Rei, the sound producers are Andres Olema and Johannes Ek, the sound designer is Andres Olema, and texts
are read by Lee Trei and Leino Rei. The series received support under the Diaspora Estonian Action Plan and from the Department of Global Estonian and Cultural Diplomacy of the Republic of Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.