1988. aasta ENSV loominguliste liitude juhatuste ühispleenumi ja selle kõnede analüüs

Abstract

The Master's thesis „The Analysis of the1988 ESSR Joint Plenum of Creative Unions and Its Speeches“ is a study on the joint plenums of the ESSR creative unions' boards held from 1-2 April, 1988 in the large hall of Toompea castle (then the hall of sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the ESSR), and speeches given there. The official reason for this gathering was to discuss the role of creative unions in carrying out the decisions of the 27th Congress of the CPSU and preparing for the 9th all-union party conference. At the same time, the plenum of creative unions represented the transformation of cultural sphere into political sphere, and therefore, constituted the breaking point of the times of perestroika and a step closer on the way towards the independence of the Republic of Estonia. As architect and the organizer of the plenum of creative unions Ignar Fjuk said in an expert interview: “When this event was over, it was called the new parliament of Estonia”. During the two-day plenum the speeches were given by 14 writers, 8 journalists and architects, 6 theater people, 4 artists, 2 musicians, historians, candidates of philosophy and one candidate of philology. The floor was also taken by five politicians of whom Indrek Toome, the Secretary of the Estonian Communist Party (ECP), occupied the highest position. Toome said the opening words of the plenum and, also, summed it up. The results of the expert interviews conducted in the course of this study enable to conclude that the plenum was a successful rhetorical action the aim of which was to ensure as democratic regime as possible by elating the nation and undermining the authorities. All the other raised questions served the purpose of the main goal without attracting greater individual attention. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the content and the interviews allow to conclude that the plenum of creative unions in 1988 is characterized by constant growth and development of reflexivity emanating from verbalization. There was a significant shift from collective values towards individual values. The supporting factors were the forethought of the organizers of the activity and the constant analysis and planning of the plenum. The plenum of creative unions was an important milestone in the process of formulating the idea of independence. The question of autonomy and state regime that was mentioned by Mikk Mikiver in the opening words of the plenum and summed up by Indrek Toome was the central issue that was directly or insinuatively discussed during the two days. The most prevalent problem/example was the sustainability of the nation. Thus, it could be said that, emotionally, the plenum was focused on the mental and cultural preservation of the nation, and on the basis of that the main subject was profoundly developed idea of the independence. Largely because of the plenum of creative unions in 1988, where the ideas were intensively generated and vigorously formulated, the vague perception of the independence started to turn to more and more realistic vision, which, in turn, played a significant role in achieving the independence of Estonia just three years later. Ideas are born in exchange of opinions. In the course of the study the author used content analysis and grounded theory on which the qualitative analysis of texts and interviews was based. For the purposes of this study the interviews were conducted with four representatives of the creative unions and one representative of the soviet power. The interviews were conducted with architect Ignar Fjuk, writer Paul-Eerik Rummo, singer and actor Tõnu Tepandi, artist Heinz Valk and the Secretary of the ECP Indrek Toome. The plenums of creative unions are described, for example, in the memoirs of the people who participated in them; in 2003, a conference “15 aastat loomeliitude pleenumist“ (15 years from the plenum of creative unions) was organized; and each year, on the anniversary of the plenum, different articles on the subject are published, but this is the first, and hopefully not the last, academic study on the plenums of creative unions.