Historian: Estonia's historical narrative must include women and the left
Researcher Piret Karro-Arrak argues that Estonian society has not yet fully come to terms with figures like Alma Ostra-Oinas, calling for recognition of women's and leftist contributions to building democratic Estonia.
Estonian history and cultural programs have long presented a male-centered narrative, neglecting the role of women in key events, according to Piret Karro-Arrak, curator of the exhibition "Out From Behind the Stove!" In an opinion piece published by ERR, she discusses how society remembers its history, focusing on the figure of Alma Ostra-Oinas.
Ostra-Oinas was a left-wing politician active in the early 20th century against tsarist rule and later in the Republic of Estonia. She served in the Constituent Assembly, helped draft the Land Reform Act, and headed Tallinn's welfare department. Yet her legacy remains controversial, partly due to her association with leftist movements.
Karro-Arrak notes that left-wing ideas in early 20th-century Estonia were not sharply differentiated. Many prominent cultural figures, such as Gustav Suits, Anton Hansen Tammsaare, and Eduard Vilde, were associated with the Social Democrats. In the Constituent Assembly, one-third of the seats belonged to the Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party.
To highlight this forgotten history, artist Flo Kasearu created a series of bronze equestrian monuments titled "Monumental Neglect," installed at the Arter Quarter in Tallinn. The series includes figures such as Lilli Suburg, Kreenholm workers, Alma Ostra-Oinas, film director Leida Laius, Marju Lauristin and Eha Komissarov, and Anna-Stina Treumund. The final piece is a riderless horse, symbolizing the next generation.
Karro-Arrak emphasizes that society must come to terms with the fact that leftists and women played a crucial role in building democratic Estonia. She recalls that 80% of eligible voters participated in the 1919 Constituent Assembly elections, and many elected represented social democrats. The author explains Ostra-Oinas's personal ties to communists as contextual and temporary.
"The case of Ostra-Oinas's monument shows that we as a society must also come to terms with the role of women and the left in shaping democratic Estonia," Karro-Arrak concludes.
