Wellesto

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Wellesto T-Shirt, 1989 (Wellesto member Cornelius Hasselblatt , 2015)

Wellesto was an Estonian cultural-literary group founded in Tallinn in 1988 .

history

The group's first public appearance took place on March 3, 1988 in the home of the Estonian Writers' Union , but preparatory meetings had already taken place in late 1987. The various sources here are unsure whether a first meeting took place on December 7th, 25th, 25th or 26th or December 26th. The meeting point was Ott Raun's office in the editorial office of the literary magazine Looming .

Initially, the name of the group was "Vellesto", which was later changed to "Wellesto". The following reasons were given: “1) to accommodate foreign members who preferred an international spelling; 2) a greater distance from the “Veljesto” student society from the interwar period; 3) the possibility of playing on words with the English "Well, Esto"; 4) and the cultural and historical tradition. "

As far as is known, Wellesto has never been officially dissolved, although the activity "practically fell asleep" in 1994. The active period of the group falls in the years of the Singing Revolution in 1988 and 1989.

Members

The founding members, the majority of whom were present at the manifestation on March 3, 1988 in Tallinn, were:

Ülev Aaloe , Maimu Berg , Sven Grünberg , Mati Hint , Indrek Hirv , Merle Jääger , Doris Kareva , Peet Kask , Sirje Kiin , Hasso Krull , Rein Kruus , Madis Kõiv , Toomas Liiv , Ülo Mattheus , Paul Mõtsküla , Linnart Mäll , Ott Raun , Olev Remsu , Mati Sirkel , Sergei Stadnikov , Mihkel Tiks , Haljand Udam , Udo Uibo , Jaan Undusk and Märt Väljataga .

Later joined or were elected: Tapio Mäkeläinen , Toomas Raudam , Peeter Puide , Cornelius Hasselblatt , Astrid Ivask , Ivar Ivask , Toomas Hendrik Ilves , Lia Peet and Juhan Kristjan Talve

Mihkel Tiks left at his own request in the course of 1988.

On August 1, 1989, Doris Kareva, Indrek Hirv and Ott Raun announced their departure.

activity

Two manifestos were read at the opening event, one by Doris Kareva and a second by Mati Hint. The first was lyrical, the second programmatic. Doris Kareva expressed the Estonians' will to survive: “The world is our home, our home is the whole culture. (…) Each a servant of one's own abundance, a mirror and support for the other. Not the first, not the last, not the power of black, white and red, but a rainbow of possibilities. ”In his text, Mati Hint emphasized the importance of Estonian culture for the members of Wellesto :“ We do not strive for convulsive Estonia. Living in Estonian culture and taking responsibility for it is a matter of course for us. […] We cannot wish for a future in which the Estonian language becomes secondary in Estonia and the Estonians themselves become the secondary people, while at the same time an Estonian singing and dancing ensemble dances and laughs for the international tourists and the photographers of the propaganda authorities. "

The group organized excursions into the countryside and organized various literary evenings across the country. A regular information sheet was also planned, but only one issue was published (December 1988). The most sustainable product was a compilation that, thanks to Finnish support , was able to be printed in Oulu in 1989 . Its 152 pages contain texts by over 30 authors, including some poems by Kalju Lepik and three letters from Uku Masing to Linnart Mäll.

literature

  • Vellesto: Uue kultuuritegelaste caramelized mituse sin. - Estonia 1/1988, pp. 28-29.
  • Sirje Kiin: «Vellesto» sin. - Kultuur ja Elu 5/1988, p. 25.
  • Toomas Haug: Well, Esto. - Kultuur ja Elu 5/1988, pp. 25-28.
  • Cornelius Hasselblatt: Wellesto. - Estonia 3/1988, pp. 107-111.
  • Olev Remsu: Kultuur, aina kultuur. - Kultuur ja Elu 2/1989, pp. 34–35.
  • Toomas Raudam: Wellesto, olematuse matus. - Postimees December 14, 1994, p. 15.
  • Wellesto . Oulu: Kirjapaino Osakeyhtiö Kaleva 1989. 152 pp.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Peeter Artist : Wellesto aasta (päeva) lõpupidu. - Kultuurileht, December 16, 1994.
  2. ↑ Sirp ja Vasar 13/1988, March 25, p. 12.
  3. ^ Toomas Raudam: Wellesto, olematuse matus. - Postimees December 14, 1994, p. 15 - the year "1986" must be an obvious misprint here, it was without doubt 1987.
  4. ↑ "Wellesto" Kroonika. - Wellesto infoleht December 1988, also in the Wellesto Almanac . Oulu 1989, p. 151.
  5. ↑ Sirp ja Vasar 30/1988, July 22.
  6. ↑ Peeter Artist: Wellesto aasta (päeva) lõpupidu. - Kultuurileht, December 16, 1994.
  7. ↑ Roadstead 33/1989, August 18.
  8. ↑ They are published in Sirp ja Vasar 13/1988, March 25, p. 12; also in Estonia 1/1988, pp. 28-29, in German in Estonia 3/1988, 108-109.