Vana artikli käsikiri: naiivne katse mõjutada nõukogude ideoloogiatöötajaid. An old article manuscript: a naive attempt to influence Soviet ideology workers

Abstract

The article features a photocopy of the only surviving copy of an essay
by Tartu State University’s oriental scholar Linnart Mäll and his
colleague Tarmo Kulmar, titled Orientalistika tähtsusest Eesti kultuurile
(On the importance of Oriental studies to Estonian culture)
from the year 1983, and an accompanying explanatory introduction.
First, the essay provides a short overview of Oriental studies in Estonia.
Second, the authors endeavour to educate communist ideology
workers and show that Oriental studies are not a religion but a field
of research. Third, the essay encourages people who identify Oriental
studies with esoteric and mystic subjects to study Eastern languages
and texts. The piece of writing was to be published in the ESSR cultural
newspaper Sirp ja Vasar, but was banned for ideological reasons.