SUMMER 1955 (Estonia, 1955/1993)
Peeter Linnap made new, life-size prints of old, generally damaged negatives from 1955. They show a number of Estonian cadets in Soviet uniforms who are amusing themselves with pistols on an idyllic summer day. From their playful poses, derived from cinema, one can deduce that this is not an official training exercise. The question is whether it went beyond rowdyism. Possibly their actions could be an ironic protest against the occupation of Estonia by the Soviet Union. The photographs were made at the time by Enn Kiiler, Peeter Linnap’s father-in-law. Because of their painful associations – Estonians were conscripted into the Soviet Army – SUMMER 1955 was initially exhibited outside Estonia, but not in the country itself. That only happened in 1997.
