Estonian Youth Groups

Figure 1.--Baden-Powell after World War I traveled widely to promote Scouting around the world. One of those trios included a journey aboard the liner "Calgaric" in the Baltia Sea during 1933. Here he is greeted by Scouts in Talinn. Photographs of Estonian Scouts are very rare. The Soviets considered Scouting to be a Fascist reactionary movement. Thus after the Soviet Occupation (1940) and reoccupation (1944) it was not advisable to be assiciated with Scouting. Thus most photographs and memorabilia were destroyed.

We have little information on Estonian youth groups at this time. Scouting began tp appear in informally in Estonia while the country was still part of Tsarist Russia. Theearliest reported activites are note a few years before World War I (1912). I know of no other youth groups in Estonia at the time. After the World War I as Estonia fought for its independence from the the Bolsheviks, the Eesti Skautide Ühing (Estonian Scout Association) was formed (1919). The Estonian Scout Association was one of the founding members of the World Scout Organization (1922). Scouting was popular in Estonia during the inter-war years, but we have few details at this time. The Soviet Union occypied Estonia (1940) and banned Scouting. Any attempt to participate surepticiously in Scouting was dangerous as the Soviets view it as a Fascist organization and counter-revolutionary. I am not sure to what extent the Soviet Pioneer movement was organized in Estonia pripr to the NAZI invasion. The NAZIs invaded the Soviet Union (June 1941) and within weeks reached Estonia (July). I do not know if the NAZIs attempted to organize any nationalist youth group. The Red Army retook Estonia (1944) and for several decades the only youth group allowed to function was the Young Pioneers. The Eesti Skautide Ühing was reformed (1989) as Estonia began to move toward independence.

Boy Scouts

Scouting began tp appear in informally in Estonia while the country was still part of Tsarist Russia. Theearliest reported activites are note a few years before World War I (1912). I know of no other youth groups in Estonia at the time. After the World War I as Estonia fought for its independence from the the Bolsheviks, the Eesti Skautide Ühing (Estonian Scout Association) was formed (1919). The Estonian Scout Association was one of the founding members of the World Scout Organization (1922). Scouting was popular in Estonia during the inter-war years, but we have few details at this time. Here we see Scours in Talinn greeting Baden-Powell as part of his promotional Baltic Sea cruice on the Calgaric. There appears to have been a Sea Scout movement. We have little information on the uniforms at this time. The Soviet Union occypied Estonia (1940) and banned Scouting. Any attempt to participate surepticiously in Scouting was dangerous as the Soviets view it as a Fascist organization and counter-revolutionary. The KGB rounded up large numbers of people associated with the old regime, many were arrested and whole families were deported. Photographs of Estonian Scouts are very rare. The Soviets considered Scouting to be a Fascist reactionary movement. Thus after the Soviet Occupation (1940) and reoccupation (1944) it was not advisable to be assiciated with Scouting. Thus most photographs and memorabilia were destroyed. The Eesti Skautide Ühing was reformed (1989) as Estonia began to move toward independence and is now recognised as a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The ESÜ is a national scout association and is pen to all young people in Estonia. There is no descrimination as to race, national origin, religion or gender. We suspect that Scouting may be more popular among the Estonian children than the children of Russian origins, but can not confirm that at this time. The ESÜ had about 1,000 members in the early 2000s. The ESÜ's national headquarters is in Suure-Jaani, in the center of the country. ESÜ members since independence regularly participate in international Scouting events.

Young Pioneers

The Soviets seized complete control in Estonia (June 1940). I am not sure to what extent the Soviet Pioneer movement was organized in Estonia prior to the NAZI invasion. The NAZIs invaded the Soviet Union (June 1941) and within weeks reached Estonia (July). I do not know if the NAZIs attempted to organize any nationalist youth group. The Red Army retook Estonia (1944) and for several decades the only youth group allowed to function was the Young Pioneers. We have some information on the Soviet Young Pioneer movement, but no information as to its operation in Estonia. The movement was centrally run and the uniform and operations would not have been different in Estonia. The uniforms were stanfdard throughout the Soviet Union. The Young Pioneers were was organized around the school and membership was virtually mandatory. As soon as Estonia became independent, the Pioneer movement collapsed.

Other Groups

We have no information on other estonian youth groups, either during Republic of Estonia (1918-40) or the NAZI occupation (1941-44). We note an unidentified group that we believe may be aocialist group.