Have you heard that the university burnt?
40 years ago the main building of the University of Tartu caught fire on Monday night on December 21st. The clock stopped at 16.45 when the electricity broke down. People moved in a thick smoke in the light of torches.
The fire escapes did not reach on the roof which added the power of the fire (because the fire escapes had been taken to Tallinn) It was still dark when the roof of the festival hall collapsed.
By the noon the firemen succeeded to get fire in control. The streets were closed and the traffic were controlled by the police. People of Tartu followed the firemen's battle against the fire.
The unpleasant news spread orally throughout the town and the whole of Estonia. Estonia's radio, usually working very quickly, informed about the accident only in the evening. Estonia's television did not mentioned the fire at all.
Word of mouth communication
Question to our readers: on which page and how much did the newspapers wrote about the fire on Wednesday?
You guessed wrongly: it did not write at all. Rahva hääl (newspaper) had a story about the University of Tartu, but a docent of the institution of the geography, Salme Nõmmik only commented on the conference of geography. The only news related to Tartu was that the first prize of the lottery went to Tartu and happy winner Vladimir Varlassov went home by his Volga (car).
In the article of the Edasi newspaper (was located opposite of the main building of the university) contained a black humour directly as follows: "The beauty comes to every yard".
Why be surprised that the next question was asked: have you heard that the university burnt?
Only on Thursday there was a short mention on the last page of the Rahva Hääl (December 23rd) "the University of Tartu was damaged in the fire"
"After that the rector of the university said that fire destroyed the central part of main building, the historical festival hall and eight rooms were damaged in the second and third layer (a study room of physics and a laboratory of physics). Altogether 900 square metres of 5200 square metres burnt.
The major part contained in the main building was preserved, for example scientific and cultural-historical collections of the main building were preserved…
It is not mentioned that the fire took place already two days ago. The story ends: "The school teaching in the university continues. With the help of the government, the quick rebuilding of the main building is begun.
In the Noorte hääl (newspaper) contained a long story about the university, which the news agency of the communist adolescents had written. Nothing connected to the fire appeared.
It should be asked again, have you heard that the university burnt?
The rector answers
Only on Friday, Christmas Eve (it was not allowed to mention that) the rector of the university, Feodor Klementin, answers to questions of journalists.
Furthermore Rahva Hääl wrote that the fire also destroyed the library of jurisprudence institution. At the same time many scientific works of the Finno-Ugric language department (and many more department) burnt.
In addition to this the reader was allowed to know that Professors Paul Ariste, Arnold Kask, docent Kalju Kudu and students had saved many books and devices.
The reader was allowed also to know what the university had done after that and who has helped it.
The university`s own newspaper which has appeared on Friday, published a short story about the fire. There was only one new fact, the reconstruction will be compleated in a one and half years.
There were no pictures nor any description of the accident. There was not said thanks to the people who had participated in the rescue work. It seemed that the journalists had disappeared.
40 years ago the main building of the University of Tartu caught fire on Monday night on December 21st. The clock stopped at 16.45 when the electricity broke down. People moved in a thick smoke in the light of torches.
The fire escapes did not reach on the roof which added the power of the fire (because the fire escapes had been taken to Tallinn) It was still dark when the roof of the festival hall collapsed.
By the noon the firemen succeeded to get fire in control. The streets were closed and the traffic were controlled by the police. People of Tartu followed the firemen's battle against the fire.
The unpleasant news spread orally throughout the town and the whole of Estonia. Estonia's radio, usually working very quickly, informed about the accident only in the evening. Estonia's television did not mentioned the fire at all.
Word of mouth communication
Question to our readers: on which page and how much did the newspapers wrote about the fire on Wednesday?
You guessed wrongly: it did not write at all. Rahva hääl (newspaper) had a story about the University of Tartu, but a docent of the institution of the geography, Salme Nõmmik only commented on the conference of geography. The only news related to Tartu was that the first prize of the lottery went to Tartu and happy winner Vladimir Varlassov went home by his Volga (car).
In the article of the Edasi newspaper (was located opposite of the main building of the university) contained a black humour directly as follows: "The beauty comes to every yard".
Why be surprised that the next question was asked: have you heard that the university burnt?
Only on Thursday there was a short mention on the last page of the Rahva Hääl (December 23rd) "the University of Tartu was damaged in the fire"
"After that the rector of the university said that fire destroyed the central part of main building, the historical festival hall and eight rooms were damaged in the second and third layer (a study room of physics and a laboratory of physics). Altogether 900 square metres of 5200 square metres burnt.
The major part contained in the main building was preserved, for example scientific and cultural-historical collections of the main building were preserved…
It is not mentioned that the fire took place already two days ago. The story ends: "The school teaching in the university continues. With the help of the government, the quick rebuilding of the main building is begun.
In the Noorte hääl (newspaper) contained a long story about the university, which the news agency of the communist adolescents had written. Nothing connected to the fire appeared.
It should be asked again, have you heard that the university burnt?
The rector answers
Only on Friday, Christmas Eve (it was not allowed to mention that) the rector of the university, Feodor Klementin, answers to questions of journalists.
Furthermore Rahva Hääl wrote that the fire also destroyed the library of jurisprudence institution. At the same time many scientific works of the Finno-Ugric language department (and many more department) burnt.
In addition to this the reader was allowed to know that Professors Paul Ariste, Arnold Kask, docent Kalju Kudu and students had saved many books and devices.
The reader was allowed also to know what the university had done after that and who has helped it.
The university`s own newspaper which has appeared on Friday, published a short story about the fire. There was only one new fact, the reconstruction will be compleated in a one and half years.
There were no pictures nor any description of the accident. There was not said thanks to the people who had participated in the rescue work. It seemed that the journalists had disappeared.
posted by Tuomas at 2:28 PM
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