The second day of VEMU and the Chair of Estonian Studies' The Great Escape of 1944 – The Baltic Experience conference, held at Tartu College, Toronto, was an immersive and reflective event. On Friday, September 20th, attendees explored the multifaceted legacies of the Baltic refugees and their experiences in Canada.
Presentations delved into themes of memory, identity, and resilience, with speakers like Piret Noorhani and Andris Ķesteris offering insights into the emotional and cultural relics carried by families. Later, a special focus was placed on children of the 1944 mass flight and the preservation of Baltic stories for future generations.
In the afternoon, the conference turned towards creative representations of the escape. Reet and Tom Mae screened their Great Baltic Escape 1944: Short Film Triptych. Speakers like Antanas Sileika and Anne Remmel examined their work through memoirs and literature, while Camille Intson showcased the role of photography in intergenerational imagination. A full schedule of the day as it happened can be found here. Photographs of the day's sessions and speakers can be found below:
Fotogalerii
Photos by Peeter Põldre
