How Estonians fooled the occupying Soviets

The Estonian Cultural Garden was dedicated June 19, 1966. Each year, the Estonian community and friends gather to celebrate Estonian Victory Day (Võidupüha) and St John's Day (Jaanipäev).

Toomas Tubalkain served as MC and introduced speakers including Lithuanian Honorary Consul Ingrida Bublys, Congressman Dennis Kucinich and Estonian Garden delegate Erika Puussaar.

Erika Puussaar and Toomas Tubalkain

Estonian Garden Group

Estonian Garden Monument

Here’s how they fooled the occupying Soviets. (from our Ambassador Toomas Tubalkain).

Victory Day is the day Estonia won its final battle in the war of independence on June 21, 1919.  St. John's Day is always celebrated as midsummer on June 24th.  Victory Day and midsummer are linked through history.  But during the Soviet occupation, Victory Day was banned, but midsummer (a pagan holiday) was allowed.  Estonians decided to celebrate the two together, without informing anyone that Victory Day was being combined with midsummer celebrations.  

See the Estonian Victory Day celebration

Serbian Cultural Garden in Cleveland Ohio USA

 The Serbian Cultural Garden is one of over 30 ethnic heritage gardens in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens in Cleveland Ohio. 

The founder and driving force of the Serbian Cultural Garden is Serbian Honorary Consul Alex Machaskee. 

Alex gave some history and led a tour of the Garden explaining the various features including the large icon of St. Sava and the busts of Nikola Tesla, King Peter 1, Mileva Maric, Nadezda Petrovic, Michael Pupin, Milutin Milankovic, Petar Njegos, Stevan Mokranjac, Vuk Karadzic and other Serbian cultural figures. 

See more of the Serbian community of Cleveland

St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral Choir Master Ken Kovach

 On June 1, 1971 Ken Kovach became Choir Master at the historic St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland Ohio. In his 50 (and counting) years he has witnessed many things in the Cathedral.

  One of which is being part of the filming of the movie The Deer Hunter, a 1978 American epic war drama film. Ken met and worked with Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, writer/director Michael Cimino and others.

 Ken is an Ellis Island Medal Recipient and inductee in the Cleveland International Hall of Fame.  

He also sings with a Russian folk group called the Cuyahoga Cossacks. 

 In this video, Ken tells about the Choir Master role and some of these stories. And then he gives a brief example of his great singing voice – singing The Lord’s Prayer. 

St.Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral in Cleveland

 St. Theodosius Cathedral is the oldest Orthodox Christian Church in the State of Ohio. 

It is located in the historic Tremont area of the City of Cleveland. The historic cathedral was constructed between 1911-1912 and is considered one of the finest examples of Russian church architecture in the United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States.

 The parish of St. Theodosius Orthodox Christian Cathedral was organized by immigrant Russians living in Tremont in 1896. St. Theodosius Cathedral was the "Mother Church" for most of the Orthodox Christian churches in northeast Ohio today. 

The cathedral is perhaps best known for its appearance in the 1978 Best Picture winning film, The Deer Hunter with Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and Meryl Streep. 

 Ken Kovach has been Choir Master at St Theodosius for 50 years.  He gives us a tour of the inside of the Cathedral and shares some thoughts on the Eastern Orthodox Church. 

See more of the Cleveland Russian community 

Soldiers’ and Sailors' Monument

 The Rotary Club of Cleveland hosted Timothy Daley, Executive Director, Cuyahoga County Soldiers’ and Sailors' Monument for a Zoom meeting.  

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument commemorates the American Civil War; it consists of a 125' column surrounded at its base by a Memorial Room and esplanade. The column, topped with a statue of the Goddess of Freedom, defended by the Shield of Liberty, signifies the essence of the Nation for which Cuyahoga County veterans were willing to and did give their lives.

Four bronze groupings on the esplanade depict, in battle scenes, the Navy, Artillery, Infantry and Cavalry. Inside the Memorial Room are four bronze relief sculptures:  Women's Soldiers' and Sailors' Aid Society, Beginning of the War in Ohio, Emancipation of the Slaves and End of the War at City Point, Va., as well as busts of Gen. James Barnett and Architect/ Sculptor Levi T. Scofield, together with 6 officers, who were either killed in action, or died of disease or their wounds.

 The interior of this old Monument built in 1894 has just been gloriously rehabilitated with its original coloration restored, new lighting, heating, air conditioning and ADA access.   

Watch the entire presentation on the Soldiers’ and Sailors' Monument below.

Meet the Author

I am honored to have taken part in the Lakewood Public Library Meet the Author Series for my book Murder in the Cultural Gardens. 

Filmed in the Hungarian and British Gardens and in front of the Mark Twain bust I tell the story of the book, the Cultural Gardens and the writing process. 

See more at https://www.lakewoodpubliclibrary.org/dan-hanson/