Siuru Literary Movement, Tallinn, Estonia

Siuru, named after a fire-bird in Finnic mythology, started here, in this bookstore in Vanlinn, or Old Town Tallinn. It was a literary group of the utmost importance in Estonia’s cultural context, founded in May 1917. It was the second-to-last year of World War I, bringing pivotal events that included the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and Estonia achieving extensive autonomy from the Russian Empire: a hint of freedom was in the air. Political exiles of the 1905 Russian Revolution were allowed to return home. According to the plaque outside, it was a neoiromantic and expressionist movement that also had an affinity for futurism and impressionism. In a country that had been jockeyed about since before the times of the Hanseatic League, Siuru philosophy stressed the freedom of the human spirit. The group had mottoes that included Carpe Diem! and May The Joy Of Creation Be Our Only Moving Force! Its symbol was the white chrysanthemum. A major result of the group's activities was popularizing literature among the Estonian population, which led to the development of original Estonian literature in the youg republic. The movement was short-lived, but the members rose to be major figures in 20th century Estonian literature. Those who write tell the story. This period of freedom between the World Wars was a template for independence when the Soviet Union crumbled in the late 20th centry.