Diverse starting points for the origins of the narratives of the Estonian diaspora communities

Everyone is invited to a research salon at the Literary Institute Museum on October 1, 2026, at 4 PM, featuring a conversation with Aivar Jürgenson, a senior researcher at the Estonian National Museum.

In his presentation, Jürgenson will examine three Estonian communities abroad that experienced different fates: those exiled to Siberia during the Tsarist era, those who migrated voluntarily to the Caucasus, and those who fled to the West in the 1940s. He explores how stories about leaving the homeland—and the events preceding that departure—have evolved into “foundational narratives” for these communities, and how these narratives help shape and sustain the identities of Estonians living in the diaspora. Finally, the presentation will address the “foundational traumas” at the core of these accounts, and how collective memory can transform diverse personal experiences into a unified narrative of suffering—a narrative that helps make sense of the past, justify past decisions, and reinforce a sense of belonging.

The event will take place at the Literary Institute Museum, located at Väikese Illimari 12.