{"id":159,"date":"2024-04-03T23:39:26","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T20:39:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/baturin\/"},"modified":"2025-10-24T18:21:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T15:21:37","slug":"baturin","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/b\/baturin\/","title":{"rendered":"Nikolai Baturin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Poems<\/strong><\/a>\"Nikolai<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Novels<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short stories and novellas<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plays<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Nikolai Baturin<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nikolai Baturin (5. VIII 1936 \u2013 17. V 2019) was a poet, playwright, and prosaist. His parents were descendants of the Russians living on the western shore of the lake Peipus. At the end of the tsarist era Baturin\u2019s family moved to Mulgimaa (Viljandi County). He was born in Arumetsa in Viljandi County. He attended an agricultural college from 1952\u20121955 and eventually served in the navy, where he spent five years defending oil reserves in the Caspian Sea. He held other notable jobs, often close to nature. After his military service ended, he worked as a locksmith, a fisherman on a vessel, and in the oil fields, among other jobs. From 1965-1980, he was a contracted hunter in the Siberian taiga; he also participated in several geological expeditions to the Angara River in the 60s. In 1973, he became a member of the Estonian Writers\u2019 Union.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a writer, Baturin is known for his playful use of language. In addition to exploring the boundaries of dialect, specifically Mulgi, he employed and invented\u00a0a rich vocabulary with a variety of archaisms, barbarisms, and neologisms. His work often pulls from his own personal experiences, dealing with themes of man\u2019s place in the natural world and the balance between them. Baturin\u2019s debut arrived in 1968 with the poetry collection Maa-alused j\u00e4rved <\/em>(\u2018Underground Lakes\u2019), which contained six poems written in the Mulgi dialect. The poetry collections V\u00e4ljadelt ja v\u00e4ljakutelt <\/em>(\u2018From the Squares and from the Fields\u2019, 1972) and Kajokurelend <\/em>(\u2018The Flight of the Stork\u2019, 1975)\u2014the latter consisting only of poems in Mulgi dialect\u2014further established his reputation as a poet of dialects.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baturin did\u00a0not shy away from experimentation. In 1974, he published the prose poem Varahilisel ajal<\/em>\u00a0(\u2018At an Early Late Hour\u2019), which poeticized his childhood memories. His subsequent poetry collections were\u00a0Galerii <\/em>(1977), inspired by painters (e.g., P. Brueghel and M. Chagall), L\u00fc\u00fcrakala <\/em>(\u2018The Lyrefish\u2019, 1978), and Poolusvaikus, vaikusepoolus <\/em>(\u2018The Silence of the Pole. The Pole of Silence\u2019, 1980), which fully embraced complex imagery and rich language, and Tirelilood <\/em>(\u2018Somersaults\u2019, 1980), consisting of a prose poem, a drama, and a short story. His final poetry collection to date, Sinivald <\/em>(\u2018The Blue Realm\u2019, 1990) consisted also of poems of nature written over a few decades.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

His first publication of short stories, Kuningaonni kuningas<\/em> (\u2018King of the Royal Hut\u2019, 1973) pulled from Baturin\u2019s experiences as a hunter, a recurring subject in some of his other work as well. His second compilation of short stories, Oaas <\/em>(\u2018Oasis\u2019, 1976) depicted a desert expedition. He wrote and illustrated a second prose poem Laiuvad laaned, kauguvad k\u00f5rved<\/em> (\u2018Forests Spreading Far and Wide\u2019, 1981), which was based on the tradition of the indigenous Evenks.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to poetry and short stories, Baturin published several novels, including the philosophical Leiud kajast<\/em> (\u2018Findings from the Echo\u2019, 1977), the psychological Noor j\u00e4\u00e4 <\/em>(\u2018Young Ice\u2019, 1985), and Karu s\u00fcda <\/em>(\u2018The Heart of the\u00a0Bear\u2019, 1989), a voluminous novel about the journey of a hunter in the taiga who hikes in search for the true meaning of life and one\u2019s self and is described as having a Finno-Ugric view of the world. For this novel, Baturin won the Eduard Vilde Literary Award in 1990. Karu s\u00fcda<\/em> has remained Baturin\u2019s most popular and acclaimed work. Feature film of the same name was also based on it (2001, directed by Arvo Iho).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1993, Baturin\u00a0published the crime novel M\u00f5rv majakal <\/em>(\u2018A Murder at the Light House\u2019) and Kartlik Nikas, l\u00f5vilakkade kammija <\/em>(\u2018Timid Nikas, The Comber of Lions\u2019 Manes\u2019). Other novels include Ringi vangid <\/em>(\u2018Prisoners of the Ring\u2019, 1996) and Apokal\u00fcpsis. anno Domini\u2026 <\/em>(\u2018Apocalypse. anno Domini\u2026\u2019, 1997), which harbor science fiction elements thought to be a critique of spiritual deficiency that will lead humanity to its own destruction. The latter won second prize in a novel competition. Baturin\u2019s most\u00a0voluminous novel\u00a0Kentaur <\/em>(\u2018Centaur\u2019, 2003) pulls from Baturin\u2019s experiences with the oil platforms, using the symbolism of fire and the problems brought about by our modern reliance on oil. Kentaur <\/em>won the\u00a0Literature Endowment Annual Award and the novel competition of the Estonian Writers` Union. S\u00f5najalg kivis <\/em>(\u2018A Fern in the Stone\u2019, 2006), a work of speculative fiction, focuses on the destruction of the oceans and ways man may co-exist with nature. Delfiinide tee <\/em>(\u2018The Way of the Dolphins\u2019, 2009) follows in the wake of the previous novel, focusing again on the ocean and man\u2019s relationship with it. His final novels are\u00a0Lendav hollandlanna <\/em>(\u2018The Flying Dutchwoman\u2019, 2012) and\u00a0Mongolite unen\u00e4oline invasioon Euroopasse<\/em> (\u2018Mongols\u2019 Dreamy Invasion into Europe\u2019, 2016.)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baturin\u2019s novels rely on elements of genre novels, ranging from the fantastical to the criminal, in a post-modernist style. They explore vast landscapes: the ocean, the desert, the taiga and observe man\u2019s place in the world. He explored\u00a0environmental problems brought about by man\u2019s greed and the possibilities of coexistence. He often gave his characters names similar to his own (Nikyas, Nikas, Nika etc).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a playwright, Baturin combines elements of literature with the stage. Two stage plays were published in the book Teemandirada <\/em>(\u2018Diamond Path\u2019) in 1986 and three in the book Kummitus kummutis <\/em>(\u2018Ghost in a Chest of Drawers\u2019, 1994).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

M. M.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Books in Estonian<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poems<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
Maa-alused j\u00e4rved: luuletusi 1963-1967<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1968, 72 lk.<\/span>
V\u00e4ljadelt ja v\u00e4ljakutelt<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1972, 92 lk.<\/span>
Kajokurelend: luuletusi mulgi murden<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1975, 96 lk.<\/span>
Galerii<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1977, 52 lk.<\/span>
L\u00fc\u00fcrakala<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1978, 70 lk.<\/span>
Poolusevaikus; Vaikusepoolus: talvitusluuletusi 1979-1980<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1980, 56 lk.<\/span>
Tirelilood<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1980, 221 lk. [Sisu: \u2019Varahilisel ajal\u2019 (proosapoeem), \u2019Kahe kalda kaigud\u2019 (luulets\u00fckkel), \u2019Anekdoot Haroni venest\u2019 (n\u00e4idend).]<\/span>
Sinivald: luuletuse mulgi murden, 1963-1983<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1991, 204 lk.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Novels<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
Kuningaonni kuningas: laanejutustus<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1973, 216 lk.<\/span>
Leiud kajast<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1977, 230 lk.<\/span>
Noor j\u00e4\u00e4: armastusromaan<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1985, 144 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 2009, 207 lk.]<\/span>
Karu s\u00fcda<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1989, 493 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: Tartu: Elmatar, 2001, 434 lk.]<\/span>
Kartlik Nikas, l\u00f5vilakkade kammija: lapsep\u00f5lvemart\u00fc\u00fcrium<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1993, 469 lk.<\/span>
M\u00f5rv majakal: kriminaalromaan<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1993, 173 lk.<\/span>
Ringi vangid<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1996, 213 lk.<\/span>
Apokal\u00fcpsis anno Domini\u2026<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1997, 367 lk.<\/span>
Kentaur<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 2003, 573 lk.<\/span>
S\u00f5najalg kivis<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 2006, 188 lk.<\/span>
Delfiinide tee: romantiline histooria<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 2009, 190 lk.<\/span>
Lendav hollandlanna<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 2012, 143 lk.<\/span>
Mongolite unen\u00e4oline invasioon Euroopasse<\/strong>. Tallinn: Menu Kirjastus, 2016, 135 lk. [E-raamat: Tallinn: Menu Kirjastus, 2016.]<\/span><\/span>
Maskide defilee<\/strong>. Poeetiline elur\u00e4nnak. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2019, 271 lk. [Autobiograafiline romaan.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short stories<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
Varahilisel ajal<\/strong>. Tallinn: Perioodika (Loomingu Raamatukogu), 1974, 72 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: \u2018Tirelilood\u2019, Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1980, 221 lk.]<\/span>
Oaas<\/strong>. Tallinn: Perioodika (Loomingu Raamatukogu), 1976, 86 lk.<\/span>
Tirelilood<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1980, 221 lk. [Sisu: \u2019Varahilisel ajal\u2019 (proosapoeem), \u2019Kahe kalda kaigud\u2019 (luulets\u00fckkel), \u2019Anekdoot Haroni venest\u2019 (n\u00e4idend).]<\/span>
Laiuvad laaned, kauguvad k\u00f5rved: ladvajutte, v\u00f5ravesteid lastele ja lapselikele: proosapoeem<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1981, 78 lk.
F\u00f6\u00f6niksburgi karussell<\/strong>. Tallinn: Kultuurileht (Loomingu Raamatukogu), 2017, 130 lk. [Sisaldab jutte \u2018Aken allikaga aeda\u2019. \u2018Kristuseveri ja kirsiviin\u2019 ja \u2018V\u00e4rvilised v\u00e4rvud\u2019 ning n\u00e4idendit \u2018Heledate varjude \u00f5htu\u2019.]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plays<\/span><\/em><\/strong>
Tirelilood<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1980, 221 lk. [Sisu: \u2019Varahilisel ajal\u2019 (proosapoeem), \u2019Kahe kalda kaigud\u2019 (luulets\u00fckkel), \u2019Anekdoot Haroni venest\u2019 (n\u00e4idend).]<\/span>
Teemandirada: lugemisteater<\/strong>. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1986, 157 lk.<\/span>
Kummitus kummutis: lugemisteater<\/strong>. P\u00e4rnu: Perona, 1993, 301 lk. [Sisu: \u2019Kummitus kummutis\u2019, \u2019Ilissa\u2019, \u2019Lummak\u00fcla lustimeistrid\u2019.]
F\u00f6\u00f6niksburgi karussell<\/strong>. Tallinn: Kultuurileht (Loomingu Raamatukogu), 2017, 130 lk. [Sisaldab jutte \u2018Aken allikaga aeda\u2019. \u2018Kristuseveri ja kirsiviin\u2019 ja \u2018V\u00e4rvilised v\u00e4rvud\u2019 ning n\u00e4idendit \u2018Heledate varjude \u00f5htu\u2019.]<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Poems Novels Short stories and novellas Plays About Nikolai Baturin Nikolai Baturin (5. VIII 1936 \u2013 17. V 2019) was a poet, playwright, and prosaist. His parents were descendants of the Russians living on the western shore of the lake …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"parent":530,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-159","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7711,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/159\/revisions\/7711"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}