“Stories of War” Collection Campaign

Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, various forms of media have broadcast the events in Ukraine as well as the quality and state of life of Ukrainian refugees in Estonia. However, a lesser degree of focus has been put on how the war has affected Estonians and what role Estonians have played overall in the war. Another question that needs to be posed is how this war has affected diaspora Estonians and their respective communities. There’s no doubt that the war in Ukraine has revived personal and familial memories for many Estonians from the era of the Second World War, the fears related to it, and the trauma of leaving their homeland. With the upcoming collection campaign titled “Stories of War” from the Association of Estonian Life Stories and the Estonian Cultural History Archives (Estonian Literary Museum), we wish to collect stories related to the Ukrainian war from individuals belonging to various generations. VEMU/Estonian Museum Canada in Toronto is a partner for the collection campaign. When documenting your story, the following questions can be considered:

1. What do you remember from the beginning of the war?
2. How did the knowledge of the outbreak of the war affect your everyday life?
3. Do you discuss the war in your family? If so, what themes related to the war have come up as conversation topics?
4. Have you or a family member had personal connections to the war in Ukraine? If so, then what have these connections/experiences been?
5. Have you come into contact with Ukrainian refugees? If so, how?
6. What emotions have the war in Ukraine brought forth in you? Have they changed over the course of the war?
7. Does the war currently affect your everyday life? If so, how?

Stories can be written in both Estonian and English. Please send your story to one of the following email addresses: elulood@kirmus.ee or piret.noorhani@vemu.ca Deadline: December 31, 2023.