Eesti NSV kirjanike liidu kirjanduslikud konsultandid kui väravavalvurid
Literary consultants at the Writers’ Union of the Estonian SSR as gatekeepers

Summary/Abstract: Literature was a major ideological tool in the cultural policy of the Soviet Union. Literature played an important social role, as it facilitated the upbringing of a new kind of people – Soviet people. Due to the importance of literature, writers, as representatives of the cultural elite, were also considered major cultural influencers. Writers’ work was guided by the Writers’ Union, which was deeply interwoven with the rules of the Soviet cultural policy. The ideological role of the Writers’ Union is evidenced, among other things, by the fact that from 1945 onwards it employed literary consultants who were appointed by a decision of the management board of the Writers’ Union.The article looks at the role of the literary consultants of the Writers’ Union of the Estonian SSR as guides for young/inexperienced authors. Literary consultants were writers hired by the Writers’ Union to evaluate the works of novice writers as well as to offer guidance and instruction. Although there were separate consultants for poetry and prose, several consultants handled both poems and prose writings. Various writers, such as Debora Vaarandi, Ellen Niit, Paul Kuusberg, Eduard Männik and others, served as consultants. In addition to reading manuscripts and providing feedback, the consultants were tasked with organizing the work of the young authors’ section, actively seeking out new talented authors, advising experienced writers, etc.Novice authors would send their works to the consultants, who would provide both written and oral feedback. The authors who sent their texts to the consultants included regular working people as well as those who went on to become well-known writers, such as Ilmi Kolla, Enn Vetemaa, Ly Seppel, Kalju Kangur, Jüri and Ülo Tuulik, among others.The communication between a consultant and an author would sometimes turn tense, if the author did not agree with the consultant’s assessment. A consultant could endorse a work for publication or reject it. Consultants were required to base their assessments on both aesthetic and ideological criteria. From the ideological aspect, they had to rely on the officially approved Soviet views and rhetoric; in other words, a consultant was expected to perform a certain role. The authors had to follow ideological guidelines in their work as well. The article also looks at the extent to which both the consultants and the authors had wiggle room in this matter.

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