The Epic Journey from Estonia to Crimea - 1861
From information obtained in an interview with Gustav Erdman and his sister, Liisa (Erdman) Silbermann, at Gus's daughter's home at Barons, Alberta, in 1963; from Emigration of Estonians to Crimea by Otto Laaman; and from The Salman Family in Estonia and Crimea by Leongard Salman of Simferopol, Crimea written in March 2005.
The farm house at Albu Estate, Estonia, (near Paide) where Jakob Erdman lived as a child. This photo was taken in 1927 and sent to Jakob in Barons by relatiues
This is a typical farm house - the left half of the building was the house, and the right half, the barn. The well was usually in the middle of the yard. There were additional buildings for storage of grains, cattle feed and household goods.
The central and only heated room in the threshing-barn-house was the threshing room with high, smoke stained walls. At harvest time the grain was dried in this room on top of the cross beam to prevent spoilage. (Modern farmers BUY expensive grain drying equipment to achieve the same results!) The unique taste of bread made from this wheat was prized. In one corner of the threshing room was a large limestone oven. Food was prepared for the family on this hearth. During the long, dark winter, the whole family gathered here, sitting on low stools, (below the smoke) to do their tasks; the women spun and knitted, the men repaired harnesses and footwear and made furniture, etc., from wood.
From early spring to autumn, the family life took place outside the dark and smoky threshing-room and food was prepared in the summer kitchen. Animals which were stabled in the barn half in the winter, were in pastures during the spring and summer. Also, during the summer, and after cleaning, the barn area was used as a work shop. It was also used on festive occasions such as weddings, for dancing and partying.
The Erdman Bear Story
As told by my mother, Ellen (Erdman) Johnson, Jakob's granddaughter. The story is about Juri Erdman, Jakob's father.
"Juri went out hunting in the Estonian marshy-land. He spotted a large black bear beside a hillock and shot it with his muzzleload flint-lock gun. The hunter only wounded the bear and he went up to it to complete the kill. However, the bear, not badly hurt, came to meet him. Before Juri could run, he was caught in a bear-hug. Since the gun was useless, he dropped it and it landed on the bear's foot. The bear just grunted.
To save himselj Juri shoved his fist into the bear's mouth and struggled mightily to keep it there until the bear choked to death. Juri managed to pull his bleeding arm from the bear's mouth and live to tell the story.
(I thought this was an amazing and unique happening, but then a relative told me that every family had a 'bear story' in their history.)
Until the beginning of the 1800s, Estonians were actually farmer-serfs, whose lot was especially hard under Russian domination. Russia gained Estonia from Sweden in 1721 through the Peace of Uusikaupunki (Nystad), the resolution of the Great Northern War. The Estonian serfs' lives were even more difficult when Russia came under the control of Katherine 11. Slavery had been abolished in Estonia by the Russian government in 18 16 and 18 19. Their economic situation was actually worse than when they were serfs. As serfs, they had a plot of land from the landlord, on which they could grow some food and have an animal or two. In return, they were required to work for the landlord and take up arms on his behalf when he engaged in military combat. Although the Estonians now were legally 'free', they were not given any land, so they had no way to make a living.
As free men, they had to pay rent to the German landlords, which was more onerous than when they were serfs. Also, the Estonian girls were very attractive and were often used by the overlords for their pleasure.
One result of this economic oppression was that uprisings occurred in many places. These were severely suppressed by the Russian military. Because of the severe poverty of the people many Estonians left the country, so many, in fact, that the German overlords were concerned about having enough people to take care of their crops.
Another consequence was that Estonians tried to find some kind of respite in religious movements. One of these was headed by Juhan Leinburg, uncle of Gustav Malts who became known as 'Prophet Maltsvet'. Many dissatisfied Estonians gathered to await the 'White Ship' which was to take them away to the Promised Land.
It never did arrive. By 1860, the Estonian people had gained more freedom of movement. There was also the possibility of emigrating to the southern provinces of Russia; Samara, Saratov and Crimea. There were rumours circulating among the farmers: the Russian government was giving free land to settlers coming to these provinces. In Crimea, land was available because the Tartars fled to Turkey after the Crimean War, 1853-1856, in which Russia was the victor.
Gustav Malts, his uncle Juhan Leinberg and Mr. Tynisson, who acted as interpreter as he was a former soldier and knew the Russian language, traveled to Crimea to make arrangements. This was not an easy process: travel was difficult and slow, at Perekop the land was 'a salt plain', and officials were only partially helpful and competent. Finally, in Simferopol, villages were assigned and arrangements for immigration completed.
Each male was to receive 12 to 15 'tenths' of state land, each family or couple would receive 100 rubles in silver as a loan, and bread and seeds for a year. In case of crop failures for 3 years, there would be bread and seeds from treasury. The Estonians would gradually pay back the loan. During the first 8 years, they would be released from personal and property taxes, and during the first 3 years, exempt from military duty. It was promised that permission would be forthcoming for building houses and digging wells.
Returning to Estonia, authorization to move to Crimea was granted by the Russian government, but they still had to get permission to leave from their German overlords. They did not want their 'free' labour to leave, so the requirements were onerous; each adult between 20 and 40 years was required to pay an extra tax - or take 20 lashes. Everyone took the lashes (if they had any money, they would need it) except one man who took 40 lashes, his portion and his wife's, because she was pregnant. The treatment for these dreadful wounds was regular applications of salt water. It was a month before the man was healed enough to travel.
So, in 1861,23 families were ready to leave. In this group were Jaan and Mari Erdmann with son Jacob, Madly (Erdmann) with husband Otto Sesler and Mari Tint, Jacob Erdman's future wife, with her family. Jacob was 10 years old and Mari was 7. Other Estonians were Siim Erdmann and Siim Salman, who was 7 years old. (I do not have the names of the others.)
Most walked, some had carts, some baby carriages and a few had horses, which pulled the carts. One man had 8 rubles from the sale of his farm - he was rich! Another man had 2 cows. When one got lame, the shoemaker made shoes for it from the people's shoes. Only the very young and the very old rode in the carts. They traveled 2,400 kms (1500 miles), through Vyru, Pskov, Vitebsk, Mogilev and Kiev. The journey took 3 months. It was very hard and many died along the way, especially the old and very young.
No food was taken along. As they went through the land, the Russian people on the farms they passed through gave them food - bread, sour milk and cider.
When they Estonians arrived in Crirnea, they were bitterly disappointed; the fields looked barren and unproductive. They were not, however, discouraged. This was their land and it meant a new start for them as Free Land Owners.
(A family note: I am indirectly related to Prophet Malts through Grandmother Magda Lik Erdman.)
2005 Barbara Johnson Gullickson
