Estonian folklore collections in the context of Late Stalinist folkloristics
Date
2021-07-12
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Abstract
Kes Eesti Rahvaluule Arhiivis 1940. aastate lõpus ja 1950. aastate alguses kogutud materjale sirvima satub, võib imestada, kui ootuspäraste vanasõnade, muistendite ja kõnekäändude vahel leiab tekste, mis kiidavad elu kolhoosis, Stalini tarkust või metsatööplaane. Selline nõukogude folkloor ei peegelda tollast rahvakultuuri, vaid eelkõige folkloristidele esitatud poliitilisi nõudmisi okupeeritud riigis. Varase Nõukogude Eesti rahvaluulekogud tsenseeriti, ülikooli programmid kohandati teiste Nõukogude Liidu riikide sarnaseks, rahvaluule dokumenteerimine pidi aset leidma kollektiivsete ekspeditsioonide vormis. Rahvaluuleteadlased õppisid tundma uurimissuundi, millega neil varem kokkupuudet ei olnud, nad pidid ümber hindama oma senise töö ja talletama kaasaegset rahvaluulet, mis kujutas elu Nõukogude Eestis positiivses laadis. Folkloristid pidid selliseid tekste tutvustama nõukogude kolleegidele ning uut laadi rahvaluulet ajakirjanduses populariseerima. See näitas, et eesti rahvaluuleteadus kohanes uute oludega ning sellel on koht nõukogude ühiskonnas.
Nii ennesõjaaegse haridusega folkloristid, Tartu Riiklikus Ülikoolis rahvaluuleteadust õppinud tudengid kui rahvaluulet kogunud vabatahtlikud arhiivi kaastöölised huvitusid pigem vanemat laadi folkloorist kui harvaesinevast nõukogude rahvaluulet. Folkloristid leidsid oma töödes võimalusi vanemaid arhiivimaterjale kasutada, näiteks kirjutades folkloorist nõukogude ideoloogiaga hästi sobiva klassivõitluse teema kaudu või lisades kirjutiste algusesse marksismi klassikute tsitaate. Pärast Stalini surma taandus Nõukogude rahvaluule otsimine, kuid rahvaluuleteadlased polnud siiski vabad oma uurimissuundade valimisel. Rahvaluule tuli ümbermõtestada igal pool Nõukogude Liidus ja idablokis. Ka teistes Ida-Euroopa riikides eelistasid folkloristid jätkata nõukogudeeelse talupojakultuuri uurimisega ning olid hädas uut laadi teadusliku lähenemise kasutamisega.
While browsing through the materials of Estonian Folklore Archives that were documented in late 1940s and early 1950s, interesting to see that between folklore that one could expect like proverbs, legends and sayings, there are texts that praise the life in collective farms, Stalin’s wisdom, or logging plans. This kind of folklore was not a reflection of folk culture, but rather the political expectations on folklorists in an occupied country. In the early Soviet Estonia, folklore collections were censored, university curricula reformed to resemble other universities in the Soviet Union, folklore was documented during collective expeditions. Folklorists learned about new theories and methods, they were expected to re-evaluate their work, and document contemporary folklore that would depict life in the Soviet Estonia in a positive way. Folklore scholars were expected to present this kind of folklore to the Soviet colleagues and popularize the Soviet folklore in the newspapers to show that the discipline of folkloristics has adapted to the new political situation and carries an important role in the Soviet society. Folklorists who were educated before the war, students at the Tartu State University, and volunteer correspondents of the archives alike were rather interested in classical genres of folklore, not the Soviet folklore that was hard to find. The researchers used older archival materials in their studies, for example by analysing folklore as an example of class struggles, or by quoting Marxist-Leninist works in the beginning of their writings. After Stalin’s death, folklorists did not need to find Soviet folklore anymore, but they were still not free to follow their research interests. Folklore was reconceptualised in the whole Soviet Union and also in the Soviet Bloc. Also in the other East European countries, folklorists preferred to continue to study pre-Soviet peasant culture and struggled with Soviet approaches to folklore.
While browsing through the materials of Estonian Folklore Archives that were documented in late 1940s and early 1950s, interesting to see that between folklore that one could expect like proverbs, legends and sayings, there are texts that praise the life in collective farms, Stalin’s wisdom, or logging plans. This kind of folklore was not a reflection of folk culture, but rather the political expectations on folklorists in an occupied country. In the early Soviet Estonia, folklore collections were censored, university curricula reformed to resemble other universities in the Soviet Union, folklore was documented during collective expeditions. Folklorists learned about new theories and methods, they were expected to re-evaluate their work, and document contemporary folklore that would depict life in the Soviet Estonia in a positive way. Folklore scholars were expected to present this kind of folklore to the Soviet colleagues and popularize the Soviet folklore in the newspapers to show that the discipline of folkloristics has adapted to the new political situation and carries an important role in the Soviet society. Folklorists who were educated before the war, students at the Tartu State University, and volunteer correspondents of the archives alike were rather interested in classical genres of folklore, not the Soviet folklore that was hard to find. The researchers used older archival materials in their studies, for example by analysing folklore as an example of class struggles, or by quoting Marxist-Leninist works in the beginning of their writings. After Stalin’s death, folklorists did not need to find Soviet folklore anymore, but they were still not free to follow their research interests. Folklore was reconceptualised in the whole Soviet Union and also in the Soviet Bloc. Also in the other East European countries, folklorists preferred to continue to study pre-Soviet peasant culture and struggled with Soviet approaches to folklore.
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Keywords
Estonia, folklore, Soviet period, Stalinism