Tallinn, 1989, behind my desk at the newspaper.
Amended in autumn 2009 after the tragic events when my son perished in Tallinn hospital where I met some most cruel and devil people I have ever seen in my life.
My book with memories about our struggle 1989-1991 to restore the independence of Estonia that I planned to publish in late autumn 2009 together with my son Oliver who assisted me with research in archive, will be published in 2010. The book includes also my memories about our battle in Moscow in 1989 at the Soviet parliament commission that was set up to "find out whether Hitler and Stalin had made a secret deal to divide Europe" as Baltic nations had claimed during all the years in Soviet empire.
The handful of Estonians, supported by other Baltic members in commission and some democratic Russians forced the Soviet Congress to admit on December 24, 1989 such a deal really was made prior to the occupation of Baltic States.
Some of my first memories about the work of that commission few Estonians were linked to were published already in summer in two books containing various articles by many authors.
The book that was launched on August 19, 2009 at Rahva Raamat book store in Tallinn Viru Centre contains mine and many other speeches at the conference "Restoration of the independence of Estonia", held at the Estonian parliament in August 2008.
Another book, launched on August 21, 2009 at Tallinn City Archive was compiled by H. Lindpere and includes also articles written by the 3 Estonian members (including Endel Lippmaa who played key role in that work) at the that time 26-member MRP commission that was set up in spring 1989 in Moscow.
In addition also an international conference to highlight our struggle in Moscow at the Soviet Congress in summer and autumn 1989 was organized in Tallinn on September 17-18, 2009 by Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, Foreign Ministry and State Chancellery and I am grateful to all people involved in organizing and to many outstanding speakers from Baltic States, Moscow, Ukraine, Germany, Finland and for chance to follow it in full also in net.
On photo: 20 years later. 2-hour marathon interview about MRP-memories at the KUKU radio, August, 2009. From right: H. Lindpere, Endel Lippmaa and me. (Radio program host Kristel Kossar).
