{"id":2004,"date":"2024-04-03T23:42:19","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T20:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/ristikivi\/"},"modified":"2024-04-04T00:05:40","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T21:05:40","slug":"ristikivi","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/r\/ristikivi\/","title":{"rendered":"Karl Ristikivi"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tPoems<\/a><\/strong>\"Karl<\/a><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

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

\n\tShort stories<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNon-fiction<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAbout Karl Ristikivi<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

Karl Ristikivi (until 1936 Karp Ristikivi, 16.\/3. X 1912- 19.VII 1977) was a prose-writer, poet, children\u2019s author and literary historian, one of the most highly-regarded Estonian writers in exile.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tRistikivi was born in the village of Uue-Varbla in L\u00e4\u00e4nemaa county, the son of a serving-maid. From 1922 to 1927 he attended Varbla primary school, from 1927 to 1930 Tallinn School of Business and in 1931-1932 Tallinn College, a night gymnasium for adults. Ristikivi\u2019s children\u2019s book Lendav maailm<\/em> (\u2018Flying World\u2019), which appeared in 1935, won the Loodus publishing house\u2019s children\u2019s literature competition. Because of that, this son of a single mother, who had thitherto lived in straitened circumstances, was able to enter the University of Tartu to study geography, from which he got his degree cum laude<\/em> in 1941. He was a member of the Veljesto student society and its last chairman before Veljesto was closed down in July 1940. Ristikivi earned a living as a writer, and from 1940 to 1943 at various institutions of the University of Tartu.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIn 1943 Ristikivi was a clerk at the headquarters of the police patrols in Pskov district for the German military service. At the end of that year he fled to Finland. In 1944 he went to Sweden, initially to Uppsala, then in 1947 to Stockholm, where from 1949 he worked as an insurance clerk, and from 1955 as a health insurance official. Ristikivi never started a family. He died in Stockholm. Between 1987 and 2007 there was a Karl Ristikivi Museum in Tartu.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tRisikivi made his debut with a story in the newspaper Uudisleht<\/em> in 1928, and after that published many stories in journals, including an adventure novel in serials, V\u00f5\u00f5rad varjud<\/em> (\u2018Alien Shadows\u2019, 1934) and a historical novel Viikingite j\u00e4lgedes (\u2018In the Steps of the Vikings\u2019, 1936). Ristikivi also gained popularity and awards for his children\u2019s books. Ristikivi rose to the acme of Estonian literature, however, with his novel Tuli ja raud<\/em> (\u2018Fire and Iron\u2019), which won first prize in the Loodus publishing house\u2019s novel competition for 1938, and describes the urbanization of Estonian peasants and their transformation into labourers. There followed the novels \u00d5ige mehe koda<\/em> (\u2018The House of the Righteous\u2019, 1940) and Rohtaed<\/em> (\u2018The Garden\u2019, 1942), which examined a young man from a small town striving to become a businessman, and the collapsing dreams of an idealistic schoolmaster. These three novels constitute the so-called Tallinn trilogy, giving a panoramic picture of the social, economic and intellectual conditions in Tallinn over several generations. The critics referred to the unexpected wisdom of such a young writer.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tDuring the war Ristikivi started writing an elegiac trilogy of novels depicting the final years of the Estonian Republic, of which he completed only two novels in exile, K\u00f5ik, mis kunagi oli<\/em> (\u2018Everything that Ever was\u2019, 1946) and Ei juhtunud midagi<\/em> (\u2018Nothing Happened\u2019, 1947). After a lengthy silence, the novel Hingede \u00f6\u00f6<\/em> (\u2018Night of Souls\u2019, 1953) appeared \u2013 a work that is exceptional in the context of Ristikivi\u2019s other work and all of Estonian literature. In this the author abandoned realism for a rather surrealistic and symbolistic style, balanced, however, by Ristikivi\u2019s worldly wisdom, characteristic of his other work. Hingede \u00f6\u00f6<\/em> describes the main protagonist\u2019s wanderings through a nightmare on New Year\u2019s Eve through the labyrinth to the House of the Dead Man, at which he meets its numerous residents. The chief motifs are exile, homelessness, guilt and punishment. The last part of the novel, which describes the sentencing of the main protagonist, recalls Kafka\u2019s work. This is one of the first modernist novels in Estonian literature, which after its publication did not win much enthusiasm among exiles, but in subsequent decades has become influential and proved fruitful for wide-ranging interpretations.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter Hingede \u00f6\u00f6 Ristikivi abandoned portraying the period and space of his immediate surroundings and began writing historical novels. P\u00f5lev lipp<\/em> (\u2018Burning Flag\u2019, 1961), Viimne linn<\/em> (\u2018The Last Town\u2019, 1962) and Surma ratsanikud<\/em> (\u2018Death\u2019s Horsemen\u2019, 1963) have been called a chronicle trilogy; it describes the waning of the Crusades between 1266 and 1311, and is set around the Mediterranean. A second trilogy, M\u00f5rsjalinik<\/em> (\u2018Bridal Veil\u2019, 1965), R\u00f5\u00f5mulaul<\/em> (\u2018Song of Joy\u2019, 1966), and N\u00f5iduse \u00f5pilane<\/em> (\u2018The Sorcerer\u2019s Apprentice\u2019) Ristikivi called a biographical trilogy; its action is set at the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th in Europe, and its main theme is faith and the spiritual life of that time. A third trilogy, \u00d5ilsad s\u00fcdamed ehk kaks s\u00f5pra Firenzes<\/em> (\u2018Noble Hearts, or Two Friends in Florence\u2019, 1970), Lohe hambad<\/em> (\u2018Dragon\u2019s Teeth\u2019, 1970) and Kahekordne m\u00e4ng<\/em> (\u2018The Double Game\u2019, 1972) has been called a two-level trilogy, because the action takes place in both the past and the author\u2019s own time in Western Europe.
\u00a0
Between the massive trilogies Ristikivi also produced a novel in the classical Utopian style, Imede saar<\/em> (\u2018Island of Wonders\u2019, 1964), and a collection of stories set in the 15th century, Sigtuna v\u00e4ravad<\/em> (\u2018The Gates of Sigtuna\u2019, 1968). The novel Rooma p\u00e4evik<\/em> (\u2018Roman Diary\u2019, 1976) was Ristikivi\u2019s last, and it depicts the journey of the Baltic-German Kaspar von Schmerzburg to Rome in the 18th century.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tRistikivi produced only one short collection of philosophical poems, Inimese teekond<\/em> (\u2018Man\u2019s Journey\u2019, 1972). This soon found its place among the Estonian classics. Unlike Ristikivi\u2019s rather patrician other works, some of the poems in Inimese teekond<\/em> are popular even today.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tKarl Ristikivi was somewhat active as a literary historian. He also attempted to break into the Swedish-language market under the name Christian Steen with a crime novel, S\u00f6derg\u00f6k \u00e4r d\u00f6derg\u00f6k<\/em>, but it remained unpublished, and an Estonian translation only appeared in 1992. Ristikivi\u2019s correspondence and his voluminous P\u00e4evaraamat 1957-1968<\/em> (\u2018Diaries 1957-1968\u2019, 2008) have proved to be valuable literary materials.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tS. V. (Translated by C. M.)<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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

\n\tPoems<\/em><\/strong>
Inimese teekond<\/strong>. Luuletusi. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1972, 64 lk. [J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 1990, 2003, e-raamat: 2014.]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Novels<\/em><\/strong>
V\u00f5\u00f5rad varjud<\/strong>. Perekonnaleht, 1934. [J\u00e4rjejutt.]
Viikingite j\u00e4lgedes<\/strong>. Perekonnaleht, 1936. [J\u00e4rjejutt. J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid eraldi raamatuna: 2003, 2007.]
Tuli ja raud<\/strong>. Tartu; Tallinn: Loodus, 1938, 463 lk. [Tallinna triloogia I raamat. J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 1944, 1978, 1984, 2008.]
V\u00f5\u00f5ras majas<\/strong>. Tartu: Ilukirjandus ja Kunst, 1940, 409 lk. [Tallinna triloogia II raamat. J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid pealkirja all \u00d5ige mehe koda<\/strong>: 1943, 1950, 1984, 2008.]
Rohtaed<\/strong>. Tartu: Tartu Eesti kirjastus, 1942, 412 lk. [Tallinna triloogia III raamat. J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 1948, 1985.]
K\u00f5ik, mis kunagi oli<\/strong>. Pilte \u00fchest suvest. Vadstena: Orto, 1946, 277 lk. [Diloogia I raamat. J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 2000, 2009
Ei juhtunud midagi<\/strong>. Vahem\u00e4ng s\u00fcgisest kevadeni. Vadstena: Orto, 1947, 256 lk. [Diloogia II raamat. 2. tr\u00fckk: 2000.]
Hingede \u00f6\u00f6<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1953, 307 lk. [J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 1991, 2000, 2005, 2016, e-raamat: 2013.]
P\u00f5lev lipp<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1961, 265 lk. [Triloogia I raamat. J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 1990, 2018.]
Viimne linn<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1962, 308 lk. [Triloogia II raamat. J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 1990, 2018.]
Surma ratsanikud<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1963, 296 lk. [Triloogia III raamat. J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 1990, 2018.]
Imede saar<\/strong>. Niccolo Casarmana teose \u201cAllotria, ehk, Imede saar\u201d rekonstruktsioon. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1964, 295 lk. [J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 1966, 2003.]
M\u00f5rsjalinik<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1965, 303 lk. [Triloogia I raamat. 2. tr\u00fckk: 1992.]
R\u00f5\u00f5mulaul<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike kooperatiiv, 1966, 302 lk. [Triloogia II raamat. 2. tr\u00fckk: 1993.]
N\u00f5iduse \u00f5pilane<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1967, 296 lk. [Triloogia III raamat. 2. tr\u00fckk: 1994.]
\u00d5ilsad s\u00fcdamed, ehk, Kaks s\u00f5pra Firenzes<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1970, 248 lk. [Triloogia I raamat. 2. tr\u00fckk: 2004.]
Lohe hambad<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1970, 252 lk. [Triloogia II raamat. J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 1987, 2005.]
Kahekordne m\u00e4ng<\/strong>. Kriminaalromaan. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1972, 264 lk. [Triloogia III raamat. 2. tr\u00fckk: 2003.]
Kaspar von Schmerzburgi Rooma p\u00e4evik<\/strong>. Tr\u00fckki toimetanud K. Ristikivi. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1976, 231 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: 2001.]
Christian Steen, Hurmak\u00e4gu on surma n\u00e4gu<\/strong>. Kriminaalromaan. Rootsi keelest t\u00f5lkinud ja eess\u00f5na: Jaan Kross. Tallinn: Kupar, 1992, 190 lk. [\u2018S\u00f6derg\u00f6k \u00e4r d\u00f6derg\u00f6k\u2019, 1960. aastate alguses kirjutatud, ent originaalis k\u00e4sikirja j\u00e4\u00e4nud teos.]<\/p>\n

Short prose<\/em><\/strong>
Lendav maailm<\/strong>. Jutustus. Illustratsioonid: Richard Kivit. Tartu: Loodus, 1935, 112 lk. [Lastejutt. 2., parandatud tr\u00fckk: 1993.]
Sinine liblikas<\/strong>. Illustreerinud Pauline Leps-Estam; kaas: Richard Kivit. Tartu: Loodus, 1936, 64 lk. [Lastejutt. J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 1946, 2012.]
Semud<\/strong>. Illustreerinud Helmut Valtman. Tartu: Loodus, 1936, 80 lk. [Lastejutte. J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 1960, 1974, 1983.]
Sellid<\/strong>. Illustreerinud Helmut Valtmann. Tartu; Tallinn: Loodus, 1938, 56 lk. [Lastejutt. J\u00e4rgnevad tr\u00fckid: 1946, 1972, 1983.]
Sigtuna v\u00e4ravad<\/strong>. Juturaamat. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1968, 271 lk. [Sisu: \u2018Filosoof, kes ei \u00f6ppinud vaikima\u2019, \u2018Oma \u00f5nne sepp\u2019, \u2018Talupoja au\u2019, \u2018Ilus s\u00f5nn\u2019, \u2018Don Juan ja Neitsi Johanna\u2019, \u2018Fulko jutud\u2019, \u2018Sigtuna v\u00e4ravad\u2019, \u2018Koivuneeme s\u00f5da\u2019, \u2018Truu sulane\u2019, \u2018Luigelaul\u2019. 2. tr\u00fckk: 2004.]
Klaassilmadega Kristus<\/strong>. J\u00e4relp\u00f5imik. L\u00fchieepika. Koostanud Bernard Kangro, Valev Uibopuu, Arvo M\u00e4gi. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1980, 222 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: 2004.]
Minugi tee ei ole veel l\u00f5ppenud<\/strong>. Valimik Karl Ristikivi aforisme, paradokse, t\u00e4hendamiss\u00f5nu. Valinud ja koostanud R. Neithal. Tallinn: Eesti Kultuurifond, 37 lk.<\/p>\n

Radio Drama<\/em><\/strong>
L\u00f5hkemata pomm (Antigone sureb alati asjatult);\u00a0 Pimen\u00e4gemine<\/strong>. Kaks kuuldem\u00e4ngu. Rootsi keelest t\u00f5lkinud Mari Allik, j\u00e4rels\u00f5na: Janika Kronberg. Tallinn: Kultuurileht (Loomingu Raamatukogu), 2012, 94 lk. [E-raamat: 2012.]<\/p>\n

Non-fiction<\/em><\/strong>
Eesti kirjanduse lugu<\/strong>. Stockholm: T\u00f5rvik, 1954, 135 lk.
Bernard Kangro<\/strong>. L\u00fchimonograafia. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1967, 79 lk.
Bernard Kangro, Karl Ristikivi, Kirjad romaanist. 31 kirja aastaist 1966-1977<\/strong>. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1985, 79 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: 2006.]
M\u00e4lestusi ja reisikirju<\/strong>. J\u00e4rels\u00f5na: Janika Kronberg. Tallinn: Perioodika (Loomingu Raamatukogu), 1993, 75 lk.
Viimne vabadus<\/strong>. Esseed ja artiklid kirjandusest, geograafiast ning poliitikast. Koostaja ja j\u00e4rels\u00f5na: Janika Kronberg. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 1996, 543 lk. [Sari \u2018Eesti m\u00f5ttelugu\u2019, 7.]
Kirjanduslik p\u00e4evik<\/strong>. Koostanud ja kommentaarid kirjutanud Rutt Hinrikus. Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum, 2000, 116 lk.
Valitud kirjad: 1938-1977<\/strong>. Koostanud ja kommenteerinud Rutt Hinrikus. Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum, 2002, 501 lk.
P\u00e4evaraamat 1957-1968<\/strong>. Toimetaja ja j\u00e4rels\u00f5na: Janika Kronberg. Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum; Tallinn: Varrak, 2008, 1112 lk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Poems Novels Short stories Non-fiction About Karl Ristikivi Karl Ristikivi (until 1936 Karp Ristikivi, 16.\/3. X 1912- 19.VII 1977) was a prose-writer, poet, children\u2019s author and literary historian, one of the most highly-regarded Estonian writers in exile. Ristikivi was born …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"parent":686,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2004","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2004","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=2004"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3082,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2004\/revisions\/3082"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}