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12 January, 2018


✔︎ Full-size high-resolution map of DP camps
(National Library of Estonia archives)


Refugee Camps in Germany (1944-1951)
(Baltic Archives)
"Close to 19,000 Estonians lived in the US zone by the end of 1945, in at least 80 different areas, though concentrated mainly in Bavaria. Close to 4,000, the largest number of Estonians, lived in Geislingen. It is estimated that children made up at least 20% of the Estonian population that reached Germany. …
“The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) operated in Germany from 1945 until it shut down operations in 1947: "… the activities of the UNRRA were based in particular on political interests, and the UNRRA allowed unhindered visits from Soviet Union repatriation teams to Baltic DP camps, creating propaganda for repatriation as well as forced repatriation.



Life in Displaced Persons' (DP) camps
(Estonica - 2012)
"The circumstances in a DP camp largely depended on the specific military power administering the zone and on the refugee organisation. The living conditions differed considerably. Some refugees were accommodated in well-ordered sanatoriums in pretty natural spots, while others had to make do with unheated sports halls."


- Sõjapõgenikena Saksamaal
(Eesti Ekspress - 2004)
“… venelased nõudsid välja ka baltlasi. DP-laagritesse ilmusid repatrieerimisametnikud, kes püüdsid baltlasi kodumaale meelitada. Sakslasedki näitasid üles erilist innukust, et eestlastest lahti saada. “Kohapäälsed Saksa võimud, kuivõrra neil siin on praegu kaasa rääkida, kohtlevad meid kui “verfluchte Ausländer” ja soovimatuid külalisi nende kehvas söögilauas."


- UNRRA’s work rehabilitating the Displaced Persons in the American zone in Germany, 1945-1947
by Laura Megan Greaves
(University of Waterloo thesis)
"Within Europe, UNRRA carried out two tasks. First, it supplied food, clothing, and other equipment to sixteen receiving countries … UNRRA’s second task in Europe was the administration of the DP camps. This was originally envisioned as a short-term task which involved caring for the DPs only until such a time as they could be repatriated. This was in keeping with the wishes of the Soviet Union, who wanted to ensure that all of their nationals were returned to them, regardless of their individual wishes, and who made their own involvement contingent on this point.” 


Remembering Estonia’s WWII refugees
(Estonian World - 2015)
"The camps offered a degree of security; a roof over their heads, regular meals and the possibility of being reunited with their lost loved ones. But people couldn’t afford to be complacent; they lived in daily fear of being extradited to the Soviet Union. Many Estonians had hoped the US Army might go and liberate Estonia from the Red Army, but this never happened; in fact it was never on the Americans’ agenda."
--
"The Einwanderungszentrale (Immigration Office) of Nazi Germany had the complete vital statistics of every foreigner entering into Germany (name, age, place of original, date of entry and two photos (full face and profile). Using these files, the UNNRA and IRO (replacement organization for the UNNRA) categorized, provided medical exams, X-rays, TB and VD, mental and educational exams to determine who was eligible for immigration to the US and distant ports.”


“Mudilased” back in Geislingen
by Priit Vesilind
(Estonian World Review - 2008)
"Some of us barely remembered Geislingen; we were the youngest of the 4,000 people who were brought together in the largest Estonian Displaced Persons Camp in Germany. We were toddlers and grade-schoolers then …"


My grandmother Elli Harju was a 1st grade teacher at the Geislingen DP camp. Photo 1949.


A Look at Camp Geislingen
by Tania Lestal 
(Estonia - Paradise of the North blog)
[Collection of scanned photos from a booklet on Geislingen.]


- Geislingen DP Camp Years, 1945-49
by George Rebane - 2013
[His recollection of life in Geislingen.]





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Friday 12. 
January
_____________


✔︎ Atlas of Radon Risk and Natural Radiation in Estonian Soil
[Eesti pinnase radooniriski ja looduskiirguse atlas]
(Eesti Geoloogiakeskus)
"The Atlas of Radon Risk in Estonian Soil and Natural Radiation has now been published for the first time in Estonia. It has been compiled to inform the general public that Estonia is one of the countries with highest radon risk in Europe.”
"Siin avaldatud pinnase radooniriski Atlas on Eestis esmakordne. Atlase koostamise tingis vajadus informeerida Eesti elanikkonda, et kuulume Euroopa kõrgema radooniriskiga riikide hulka."

- Ilmus Eesti esimene radooniatlas
(ERR)



- Arvo Pärt on seitsmendat aastat enim esitatud elav helilooja
(Postimees)



- Noora - National Archives of Estonia
(Atlas Obscura)
"The archive bills itself as the home of Estonian written memory. Noora contains millions of documents, one so old it dates back to 1240. It’s packed with treasures like church books, court documents, and royal records."



Off Topic: Dutch Reporters Stun US Ambassador By Pressing Him to Admit He Lied
(The Intercept)
“Why don’t you answer the question? This is the Netherlands; you have to answer questions.”



Border Guard gets surveillance drones
(Baltic Times | ERR)
"The Police and Border Guard (PPA) have ordered nine ELIX-XL-type drones that they will use in their work checking the border. … The cost of PPA's drone project is set at half a million euros.”
From the manufacturer's website: “ .. small, man-portable, ruggedized Vertical Take-Off and Landing Unmanned Aerial system designed to capture and transmit high quality digital video.” [6km operational radius. … Flight time: max 45 minutes. Operational ceiling: 500 m. Operating Temperature: -20˚C to 50˚C  (4˚F to 122˚F).] 





_____________

Thursday 11. 
January
_____________



- A Bridge to Saaremaa
(BNN)
“… the full plan was to build two bridges as once the bridge across Suur Väin is open, a second one would then have to connect the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa in the future. … the first bridge could cost 500 million euros and the plan is to attract funding from private investors."

- Bridge to Saaremaa was discussed in 2002
(BNN)
"According to research completed by business consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers in March 2001, risks related to the Saaremaa bridge project may be many. The biggest has been the absence of any guarantee from the state to support the project with concrete sums."




- Ettevõtja tahab ehitada 500 miljoni euroga Saaremaa silla
(Postimees | ERR | Äripaev | BNN)
“… plaanis on tegelikult kaks silda - teine peaks pärast seda, kui Suure väina sild toimib, hakkama ühendama Saare- ja Hiiumaad. "Toome saared Eesti riigi juurde tagasi ning pöörame demograafilise ja majandusliku poole uuesti positiivseks.” - ettevõtja Raivo Hein.
--



- Ratase sõnul Maarjamäe punamemoriaali lammutamiseks ei lähe
(ERR)
“Midagi ei hakata lammutama, kindlasti mitte. Küll vajab objekt konserveerimist ja lisainvesteeringuid. See on vaja korda teha.”



- Kui palju ja mis hinnaga sinu linnaossa uusi kortereid ehitatakse
(Eesti Ekspress)
"Tallinnas valitseb uute korterite ehitus- ja müügibuum."



- Idapiir sai juurde neli piiriveekogu
(ERR)
"Eesti idapiiri väljaehitamine ei tähenda üksnes töid maastikul, vaid ka senise riigipiiri seaduse ümbervaatamist ja kohandamist uute oludega. Nii on arvatud näiteks neli väikest rohepiirile jäävat järve piiriveekogudeks, mis eelkõige tähendab kohustust teavitada piirivalvet järvele minekust."

- Number of Estonia's transboundary waterbodies increases
(ERR)
"The currently ongoing modernization and overhaul along Estonia's border with Russia doesn't just mean installing equipment and clearing the border line, but also brings along changes to the State Borders Act. One of them includes declaring four small lakes in the southeast transboundary waterbodies."



- Finland strengthens its border with Russia
(UAWire)
"The decision was made due to an increase in the number of tourists from Russia as well as the international situation."

- Finnish ships face increased scrutiny in Russian harbors
(Yle)
"Since Christmastime, seven Finnish freighters have been stopped in Russian harbours to be thoroughly inspected by local officials, according to the ministry. … Russia has not explained why the increased checks are being carried out."




_____________

Wednesday 10. 
January
_____________


- Putin’s Asymmetric Assault on Democracy in Russia and Europe
(Committee on Foreign Relations - U.S. Senate)
[Chapter 6, pg. 100 covers Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.]




- European Countries Have Battled Russian Interference for Years
(Mother Jones)
"Estonia’s intelligence service, which has a reputation for success, practices a ‘‘zero tolerance’’ approach to illegal activities by Russian intelligence operatives within its country’s borders. Where many counterintelligence agencies downplay the arrest of intelligence agents or trade them back to Russia, the Estonians prosecute them to the maximum extent of the law. The agency also works to expose Russian skullduggery, publishing an annual report that reveals major counterintelligences cases and names organizations and people suspected of working with Russian intelligence services."



Report: White House Official Floated Withdrawing U.S. Forces from Baltics to Please Putin
(The Daily Beast)
"The official who offered the proposal, a deputy assistant to Trump for strategic planning, mused in February 2017 about withdrawing U.S. troops close to Russian borders as part of a strategy proposal to “refram[e] our interests within the context of a new relationship with Russia.”
“(Kevin) Harrington is the NSC’s senior official for strategic planning. He had neither military experience nor significant government experience before joining the White House. But he had an influential credential: As a managing director for the Thiel Macro hedge fund, he was close to Trump patron and ally Peter Thiel."
"With a large map showing Europe hanging on a wall in a White House office, Harrington was dismissive of U.S. interests in the Baltics and wondered aloud about their importance in the context of U.S.-Russian relations."


- Trumpi nõunik pakkus võimalust USA väed Balti riikidest ära viia
(ERR)
"Kuigi seda ettepanekut ei võetud vastu, on tegu esimese avalikkuse ette jõudnud juhtumiga, kus Trumpi kõrge nõunik püüdleb selle poole, et paigutada USA vägesid ümber selleks, et Putiniga suhteid parandada. Ühele allikaks olnud eksnõunikest jäi sellest ettepanekust ka mulje kui soovist teha Putinile vastuteene USA presidendivalimiste ajal üles näidatud toetuse eest."



- Taani kontingendi põhikoosseis jõudis Ämarisse
(ERR)
"President Kersti Kaljulaid ütles Taani kaitseväelasi tervitades, et nende ülesanne on oluline mitte ainult Eesti rahvale, vaid ka Taani inimestele ja kogu NATO-le. "Teie ülesanne on heidutada ja vajadusel Eestit kaitsta, et poleks kahtlust, et rünnak ühe liikmesriigi vastu võrdub rünnakuga kogu alliansi vastu."




_____________

Tuesday 9.
January
_____________


- Tuliuus rünnak Kremli meedias: 
“Maarjamäe kompleks lammutatakse!”
(Propastop)
"Nädalavahetuse jooksul vallandus artiklisadu, milles süüdistatakse Eestit kavatsuses lammutada järjekordne nõukaaja mälestusmärk."




Tallinnas Maarjamäel leiti sajakonna Saksa sõduri säilmed
(Delfi)
"Ehitajad peatasid tööd, kui nad luudele sattusid ja järgnevalt on seda olukorda uuritud. Tegemist on Teise maailmasõja aegse Saksa sõjaväekalmistu ühe osaga, mis sinna praegusele ehitustandrile välja ulatub."

- Riik peab leitud Saksa sõdurite säilmed ümber matma
(ERR)



- Remains of some one hundred German soldiers have been found at Tallinn's Maarjamäe area.
(ERR | BBC | Reuters)



- War in Ukraine: A struggle over Russia’s identity
(CEPA)
“The Russia-Ukraine war enters its fifth year …"

- The Downtrodden in Ukraine’s Conflict
(Carnegie Europe)
"Kyiv politics is making the humanitarian problems of eastern Ukraine even worse."




_____________

Russia
Trust No One"
_____________


- A Baker’s Double Dozen of Neglected Russian Stories
by Paul Goble
(Window on Eurasia)



- The repressive state
by Edward Lucas
(CEPA)
"How many political prisoners languish in Russia’s jails and penal colonies? The short answer is that nobody knows."



- Five Big Russia Questions For 2018
by Brian Whitmore
(RFERL)



Opinion: Putin Is 'Unwolffable.' That's Not a Compliment
by Leonid Bershidsky
(Moscow Times)
"Reading Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury” - last weekend's most-talked-about literary sensation - I came away with the distinct impression that Americans have it good. Here's a mental exercise: Try to imagine the "Wolffing" of Russian President Vladimir Putin."




- St. Petersburg, Russia's Troll Factory Expands
(EU vs Disinfo)
"The impressive threefold increase of work space is testimony to the success of the “factory”. … the trolling activities have now branched out into a conglomerate of at least 16 different online outlets, all of which voice strong support for Kremlin’s policies, while systematically linking to each other’s products."

- Russian Embassy Press Secretary Tweets Misleading Facts About World War II
(Polygraph)
"On January 2, the official Twitter account of the American National WWII Museum tweeted an announcement about an upcoming historical tour dedicated to the topic of the Baltic region prior to and during the Second World War. … Nikolai Lakhonin, press secretary of the Russian Embassy in the U.S., retweeted the announcement. While some content mentioned by the press secretary is not untrue, per se, his Tweet has a number of problems."




-  OpEd: Who Will Control Putin's Fourth Term?
(The Moscow Times)
"The nighttime rulers of the regime are quietly challenging Putin’s role."



- Assassination Attempt on Putin at Sochi Games Led Him to Change Course Against West
(Window On Eurasia)
"Officially, Vladimir Putin has been the target of 14 assassination attempts, Stanislav Belkovsky says; unofficially, there have been dozens. … the most important consequence of these attacks, the Russian commentator says, is their impact on Putin’s paranoia and policies.”



- Russia’s invisible, ubiquitous lobbyists
(Meduza)
"Technically speaking, lobbying doesn’t exist in Russia. The concept, at least, isn’t established anywhere in the country’s laws, and the activity itself isn’t formally regulated in any way."



- 'Youngest Soviet Defector' Tells His Tale Nearly 40 Years Later
(RFERL)



- And finally:


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