Kirill Wiebe and the Estonian Choir Music

UPDATED! This photo has been reunited with other Wiebe family photos in Estonia! With the kind permission of the keeper of the photo I have updated the blog post for you with additional information.

One thing you should know about Estonians is their love for choir music. It almost seems like every Estonian has sung in a local choir at one stage in their life. I sang in a children’s choir, and after that in a youth choir. The absolute highlight of Estonian choir music is the Song Festival, held every 5 years in Tallinn, Estonia. The tradition goes back to 1869! Thousands of choir singers practice with their local choirs the same songs in different harmonies in order to qualify for the Song Festival on the central stage. Some wear their local folk costumes for the event, and everyone is aware of the great honour to perform, come rain or shine. I’ll leave a couple of Youtube links for you at the end of this blogpost – you’ll love it, or at least you’ll be impressed, I’m sure.

This found group photo from 1911 shows the choir of the Haapsalu city (Haapsalu laulukoor, lauluselts) with their teacher and musical master Kirill Wiebe. Doesn’t he look like one proud teacher! Surrounded by his students of all ages, bound together by their love for choir music. Among the singers, you’ll also find Kirill’s own daughter Lydia Wiebe.

The other members of the choir are not identified. So let’s first see what we can find out about the father and the daughter.

Kirill (Karl) Wiebe (or also Viibe/Wiibe in Estonian) was born on January 30, 1865, on the Estonian island of Saaremaa. Most Estonians are of Lutheran faith, but Kirill’s family (his father Jakob Wiebe and mother Tiiu Darja née Vaust) belonged to the minority congregation of Russian Orthodox. Kirill graduated from the Teachers Seminar in Tartu in 1885 (one of the students in the back rows).

Saaga

His passion was choir music and he started conducting the Haapsalu choir after he graduated. Kirill Wiebe was, with some interruptions, the choir director of the Maria Magdalena Apostolic Church in Haapsalu for nearly 40 years. Here's a photo of Kirill I found in the Estonian Archives online:

Fotis

Kirill had two daughters with his wife Pauliina née Brandt (also: Paula; born November 1, 1867, died on March 1, 1932): Julie (also: Julia; born on September 23, 1899), and Lydia (also: Liidia; born on December 13, 1897).

During WWI, Kirill’ Wiebes family was forced to evacuate to the Russian Empire. As a result of the Estonian Independence War following WWI, the Estonian Republic declared itself independent and expats could return and apply for Estonian citizenship. The Wiebe family returned to Estonia in 1920. According to the optant's application, the family was to return to Haapsalu.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I have now learnt new details about this group photo and the persons in it. I now know that the woman I've circled was the girls' mother Pauliina, and the other girl I've marked was the younger sister Julie.

I've also learnt that Julie fell ill with pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 24 and sadly passed away.

Photo of Julie Wiebe on Geni.com

The older sister Lydia was 15 years old at the time. Liidia was involved in music, like her father, and later in life gave piano lessons to children in her home.

Lydia Wiebe

And this is what I've learnt in the process of returning this photo:

The woman in the large white hat next to Lydia was likely her aunt, her mother's sister, Iraida Siton (née Brandt, born on August 26, 1870). The woman standing behind the girls' mother Pauliina, was likely the girls' other auntie, Johanna Eleanore Neiman (née Brandt, born on March 3, 1876). The third girl in an identical white blouse was the girls' cousin, Miliza (aged 13 in the photo).

Pauliina, Iraida and Johanna inherited a plot of land in Haapsalu from their father, Fromhold Gottlieb Brandt. The youngest sister, Johanna, built an additional house on the plot in 1904 for her family. All three sisters lived on the same property, and the girls Lydia, Julie and Miliza grew up like three sisters. Later in life, Miliza and Lydia lived together in the same house in Haapsalu. Neither of them had children.

I am sure that the ambition of his choir was to participate in the Estonian Song Festival, too. And perhaps they even did! When I look at the photo of him, I get the feeling that he inspired many young people to love and take up choir singing.

I leave a few Youtube links to Estonian Song Festivals here for you:

Link for 2019 (1)

Link for 2019 (2) – one of all time favourites – only women choirs

Link for 2014 (1)

Link for 2014 (2)

The next Song Festival (Laulupidu) will take place between July 3-6, 2025. Find out more about it on www.visitestonia.com (no commercial ad, just a personal recommendation ;-))