Death site of last Estonian Forest Brother August Sabbe
Memorial site
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Here, on 28 September 1978, two intelligence officers attempted to capture 69-year-old August Sabbe, who had been hiding from Soviet authorities for almost 30 years. However, capturing him alive proved impossible – following a scuffle, Sabbe threw himself into the Võhandu River and drowned. His body was recovered, taken to Tartu and buried in an unmarked grave in Raadi cemetery on 20 October that year. On the same day two decades later, his grave was marked with a tombstone. In 2002 a memorial to him was placed on the banks of the Võhandu River. Sabbe's pistol is on display in the Forest Brothers section of the main exhibition at Võru County Museum.
Used sources and references:
http://metsavennad.esm.ee/sabbe.htm
Lõunaleht. http://www.lounaleht.ee/index.php?page=1&id=2366
Postimees. https://www.postimees.ee/2555407/metsavend-august-sabbe-matused-viibisid-20-aastat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SukSzhhDCFs&feature=emb_logo
I try to go to Paidra every time I come to Eesti. In 2013 I organized a conference/exhibit in Tartu Linnamaa Museum :"Tartu-Vabaduse Saar" - the role of Tartu in Russian-speaking culture where I recited in Russian to Russians the following text dedicated to August Sabbe: Forest brothers. From Estonian folklore. In the deep woods, homesteads are standing My parents raised me in that home in the deep woods, homesteads are standing The Reds decided to make their nest. Ai-tshih-ai-tshah-ai-tshah ai brothers A forest brother's is my way Ai-tshih-ai-tshah-ai-tshah ai brothers Estonian forest brother's way Not a penny to my name And I hide in the woods all-day But I wouldn't couldn't won't Serve Tiblat in any way. Ai-tshih-ai-tshah-ai-tshah ai brothers A forest brother is my way Ai-tshih-ai-tshah-ai-tshah ai brothers Estonian forest brother's way Eyes of yours are like blackcurrant Never ever shall I forget In my heart those precious berries Shall stay with me forever on. Ai-tshih-ai-tshah-ai-tshah ai brothers A forest brother's is my way Ai-tshih-ai-tshah-ai-tshah ai brothers Estonian forest brother's way And our blue-black-white old flag We shall preserve till the time in future When at the dawn of free Estonia It shall be rising to the sky. Ai-tshih-ai-tshah-ai-tshah ai brothers A forest brother is my way Ai-tshih-ai-tshah-ai-tshah ai brothers Estonian forest brother's way These words are for you, my love, To you, to you, are all my thoughts and all my glances, It's you that I am seeing everywhere, in every leaf, in every blade of grass, In this stern land, so dark and so grandeur A long time ago here, but really -- not so long, They went into the swamps so they would not be slaves, My forest brethren, and they died in glory, But fought it to the end for the human race, For honor and for freedom, for sini-musta-valge, Not everyone was tempted by ships about to sail. A gun, a dugout, and an idea, stronger Then bloody Soviet army that conquered all our land Idea of the freedom for but your own people There's nothing that is stronger than simple quiet "no" No, I shall never ever be a slave or be a lackey, No, I shall never ever beg mercy of a foe And my flag as my honor, with me I always carry, And to my last old bullet, I am resigned To stand. To make a stand at Eesti, my simple homeland Eesti -- A cabin in a forest, a kirik on a hill, With my ancestors' dwellings, where they sang oh so clear Estonia, my homeland, remember me sometimes When Dawn returns one morning, and Blue-Black-White in glory Flies over my small country, where I had lived and loved Some young boy shall remember -- there was some time ago When that flag I had always been carrying with me. ... That’s what the shadows say here, and lime-trees quietly whisper, As I stand here suffering, full of the pain and the light, I see you everywhere, and crumbling a pile of paper I throw it all in a fire, for -- you are not with me. The forest berries in a swamp reminded me of eyes of yours Beloved one! In the forest’s every turn, I keep repeating what I meant to say -- That you are the Light that shines upon my world, That there are none that equal you in beauty Beloved one! Once upon a sunrise, I'll tell you a bit about me, About how when asleep and when awake, Your being filled me with your presence everywhere, That's why I did not get blown up with a grenade, That’s why I keep on crawling, running, living, So that I could believe, wherever – doesn’t matter, -- That there would be … you and I, together, I shall be waiting, for you are always with me here, And I am smiling at the artillery barrage..