“Margus Reinsalu’s Diary”: Chapter. 1967–1970, Life in Kohtla-Järve, Grades 1–4 and the Hong Kong Flu Pandemic.
Photo: Margus's first school day
September 1, 1967, was my first school day at Kohtla-Järve IV Eight-Grade School. I was a good student, my grades were mainly 4s and 5s. I liked natural science the most, it was so simple and interesting that I got 5s without even studying. In the fall of the same year, there was a city-wide folk ball competition, where our school team became the Kohtla-Järve champions. This was my first major achievement in sports, which ignited a passion for sports in me.
In the fall of 1968, I entered second grade, and my biggest wish was to get long pants for my school uniform. Most boys already had them, but my mom was against it because she thought I looked like a little old man in them. Eventually, I got my way, but during recess on the first school day, while playing, I fell and tore the knee of my pants. I was so scared that I didn't dare tell my mom and asked her to shorten the pants, so I ended up wearing shorts for another year. In winter, we went skiing in the Kukruse oil shale quarry, which was about a kilometer from our home. One time, while skiing, I got carried away, lost track of time, and only started heading back in the dark. When I got home, my mom was so worried that she had trudged through the snow to meet me halfway. Naturally, I got a proper scolding, and that was the last time I came home so late.
In early 1969, Estonia was hit by the Hong Kong flu pandemic, which was one of the most contagious flu strains in the world at the time. Back then, in Soviet era, it wasn't discussed as a pandemic or about limiting the virus's spread, people just got sick and somehow survived it or died. In Estonia, over 100,000 people were infected monthly during the winter.
For me, it wasn't just another ordinary flu. I got seriously ill, and then developed bilateral pneumonia as a complication. I was sent to Jõhvi Children's Hospital, where I stayed for quite a long time. I was lucky, I survived, but not without consequences. As a complication of the pneumonia, I developed bronchitis, which became chronic. This was exacerbated by the constant poisonous smoke emitted from the chimneys of Kohtla-Järve's chemical industry, which damaged people's health.
While in the hospital, all sorts of funny things happened. There was one Russian boy who was always picking fights and looking for reasons to argue. Finally, when I'd had enough, I gave him a solid punch. His reaction was surprising, he told me he was Estonian, even though his mother was Ingrian and his father Belarusian.
When I was healthy again and returned to school, everything continued as usual. My grades were still good, especially in natural science. But since I became too arrogant, the teacher eventually got fed up with me, and I lost my status as the favorite student.
Life in Kohtla-Järve wasn't easy, as over 80% of the residents were Russians. Most of them were miners and chemical workers brought in from various regions of the Soviet Union, among whom there were many ex-convicts and other criminals. Fights, begging for money, and arguments were common. Once it got dark, it wasn't a good idea to go out alone.
In 1970, the new Kohtla-Järve 1st Secondary School was completed, and our class was transferred there. Three fourth-grade classes were formed, and I was placed in B-class, where the school's best students and best athletes were gathered. I was proud of that because I was a notable figure in both categories, in academics and in sports.
However, when only the diligent and talented were collected in the class, and it was thought that it would serve as an example to others, something unexpected happened: the students became arrogant instead. As a result, academic performance declined, and behavior worsened. Our class teacher's patience snapped, eventually she lost her temper, was seriously angry with us, sent us to the school director, and our privileged status was taken away.
Continued in the following chapters.
Comments
Post a Comment