The EÜE Footprint by Tiit Pruuli

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For thirty years (1964-1993), Estonian students participated in summer construction brigades. The official aim of EÜE was to provide labor and ideological education for Soviet youth. However, this noble communist endeavor quickly turned against the very foundations of that society. Nowhere else in the Estonian SSR were Soviet ideals mocked as openly and collectively as at these brigade gatherings. No theater stage or organization party featured as many anti-establishment songs and jokes. Every year, a couple thousand young Estonian intellectuals seemed to step out of the real society and live their free lives. The brigades were full of fun, but of course, EÜE was not just about having a good time. Hard work was done here. It quickly became clear who was talented, who was industrious, and who was ambitious. Lifelong friends and partners were found here. EÜE was set amidst a turbulent life, with Hiiu Pub and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Estonia just a stone’s throw away. The steps each person took from EÜE and where they left their mark is an intriguing subject in itself.