Estonians' Press Conference in Moscow Friday, 19 February 1988

Original article in Estonian

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Eesti Päevaleht, 19 February 1988

About this article

Newspaper	Eesti Päevaleht (EPL), Estonian exile daily newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden
Date	Friday, 19 February 1988 (newspaper name and date handwritten on the clipping)
Author / source	T. Madisson / EVVA
Language	Estonian
Subject	Press conference for foreign journalists held in a private apartment in Moscow on 29 January 1988, at the headquarters of the human rights group "Doverie" (Trust). It was organized by Vello Väärtnõu, Eke-Pärt Nõmm and Ärvi Orula, members of the initiative group for founding the Estonian National Independence Party (ERSP). The Soviet militia tried to stop it, but the arrival of the American ABC television crew allowed it to go ahead.
Note on spelling	The article misprints the names as "Veelo Väärtnõu" and "Eke-Pärt Nõu". The original text is corrected in the text here.

Eestlaste pressikonverents Moskvas

29.jaan. kell 10 hommikul oli ühes Moskva erakorteris Kindral Rõtšigovi tänav 14-56, kus asub inimõigusgrupi "Doverie" peakorter, välja kuulutatud pressikonverents välisajakirjanikele. Pressikonverentsi korraldajaks oli Eesti Rahvusliku Sõltumatuse Partei moodustamise initsiatiivgrupi liikmed Vello Väärtnõu, Eke-Pärt Nõmm ja Ärvi Orula (initsiatiivgrupis on üldse 16 inimest).

Veidi aega enne kella kümmet hakkas korteri nr.56 ukse taga lõhkuma miilits, nõudes sisselaskmist. Korteri uks tehti peremehe poolt lahti alles kell 10, kui ukse taga olid kogunenud ka ajakirjanikud paljude maailma suurlehtede juurest ("Washington Post", "Chicago Tribune" jpt.).

Ajakirjanikega koos sisse tormanud Moskva ühe linnarajooni passilaua ülem Ovtšinnikov hakkas kõigi dokumente kontrollima ja nõudma, et temaga kaasa mindaks miilitsasse. Maja oli miilitsate ja erariides meeste poolt ümber piiratud.

Situatsiooni muutis ameerika TV-jaama ABC reporterite kohaletulek, kes hakkasid toimuvat filmima. Avalikustamine Ovtšinnikovile ilmselt ei olnud meelepärane ja militsaülem põgenes korterist selg ees. Pressikonverents kestis tund aega. Kolm eestlast selgitasid Eesti Rahvusliku Sõltumatuse Partei (ERSP) tegevuseesmärke. (T.Madisson/EVVA)

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Eesti Päevaleht, 19 February 1988

About this article

This short report appeared in Eesti Päevaleht, the Estonian exile daily published in Stockholm, on 19 February 1988, based on information from Tiit Madisson and EVVA. It describes the press conference that Vello Väärtnõu, Eke-Pärt Nõmm and Ärvi Orula held for foreign journalists in Moscow on 29 January 1988, as members of the initiative group founding the Estonian National Independence Party (ERSP). The Soviet militia tried to break it up, but the cameras of the American television network ABC made the officials retreat, and the conference went ahead for an hour. Only days later Vello Väärtnõu and Eke-Pärt Nõmm were forcibly sent out of the Soviet Union to Sweden.

Estonians' Press Conference in Moscow

On 29 Jan. at 10 o'clock in the morning, a press conference for foreign journalists had been announced in a private apartment in Moscow at Kindral Rõtšigovi Street (General Rõtšigov Street) 14-56, where the headquarters of the human rights group "Doverie" is located. The press conference was organized by members of the initiative group for the founding of the Estonian National Independence Party, Vello Väärtnõu, Eke-Pärt Nõmm and Ärvi Orula (there are 16 people in the initiative group altogether).

A little before ten o'clock a militiaman began pounding on the door of apartment No. 56, demanding to be let in. The door of the apartment was opened by the host only at 10, when journalists from many of the world's major newspapers ("Washington Post", "Chicago Tribune" and others) had also gathered outside the door.

Ovchinnikov, the head of the passport office of one of Moscow's city districts, who burst in together with the journalists, began checking everyone's documents and demanding that they go with him to the militia station. The building was surrounded by militiamen and by men in civilian clothes.

The situation was changed by the arrival of reporters from the American TV station ABC, who began filming what was going on. The publicity was evidently not to Ovchinnikov's liking, and the militia chief fled the apartment backwards. The press conference lasted an hour. The three Estonians explained the aims of the activity of the Estonian National Independence Party (ERSP). (T. Madisson/EVVA)

Notes

• "Veelo Väärtnõu" and "Eke-Pärt Nõu" are misprints in the newspaper for Vello Väärtnõu and Eke-Pärt Nõmm.
• "Doverie" (Russian Доверие, "Trust") was an independent group in Moscow working for trust and peace between East and West, which also took up human rights causes.
• "Militia" (miilits) was the name of the regular police in the Soviet Union.