Johannes Pääsuke
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Johannes Pääsuke ( – ) was an Estonian photographer and filmmaker. He worked as a photographer for the
Estonian National Museum The Estonian National Museum () founded 1909 in Tartu is a museum devoted to folklorist Jakob Hurt's heritage, to Estonian ethnography and folk art. The first items for the museum were originally collected in the latter part of the 19th centur ...
and was dedicated to recording the everyday life of Estonians in the early 20th century. In 1914, he directed one of the first Estonian feature films, '' Bear Hunt in Pärnu County'' (Estonian: ''Karujaht Pärnumaal'').


Life

Very little is known of the youth of Johannes Pääsuke. He was born in
Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...
, the fourth of the six children of a comfortably-off couple. Johannes's siblings were well educated, but all that is known about Johannes's own education is that he studied photography. By his own account, he started photography at fifteen in 1907 and it is likely that he contacted the
Estonian National Museum The Estonian National Museum () founded 1909 in Tartu is a museum devoted to folklorist Jakob Hurt's heritage, to Estonian ethnography and folk art. The first items for the museum were originally collected in the latter part of the 19th centur ...
(ERM) in 1912, having already taken photographs in various places in Estonia. In 1913, Pääsuke began a project for the ERM to document Estonia's lands, trades and architecture through photography and the collection of artifacts. A major part of this project was a tour Pääsuke made with an assistant, Harri Volter, to the Estonian coast, from 10 June to 29 July 1913. The two traveled most of the way by foot, carrying the normal luggage and also cameras, a tripod, plates and so forth. Three hundred and seventeen photographs remain from this trip, many of
Saaremaa Saaremaa (; ) is the largest and most populous island in Estonia. Measuring , its population is 31,435 (as of January 2020). The main island of the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hi ...
and
Muhu Muhu (also called Muhumaa in Estonian) is an island in the West Estonian archipelago of the Baltic Sea. With an area of , it is the third largest island belonging to Estonia, after Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. Together with neighbouring smaller i ...
. Pääsuke's work was highly appreciated by ERM, which opened an exhibition of the photographs on 2 August 1913. Pääsuke is known to have taken more than 1,300 photographs on glass plates in this national ethnographic project, which also included two larger series, one made in 1908–13 across much of the south of the nation, and the other made in 1914 in
Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...
.Kaelep 89. Pääsuke was also the first Estonian to make a film. He made about 40 films in his career with 10 films still in existence − five newsreels, four documentaries, and one work of fiction, the political satire ''
Karujaht Pärnumaal ''Karujaht Pärnumaal'' () is the first Estonian narrative film 1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as the First World War, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Arch ...
'' (''Bear Hunt in
Pärnu County Pärnu County ( or ''Pärnumaa''; ) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in the south-western part of the country, on the coast of Gulf of Riga, and borders Lääne and Rapla counties to the north, Järva and Viljandi counties to ...
''). In 1915, Pääsuke was conscripted to serve as a second-rank infantryman in the reserve battalion of the Lithuanian Regiment of the Foot Guards; he was mobilized on 8 September and was in St Petersburg on 14 November. He managed to be recognized as a photographer, receiving a camera by the end of the month, and continued his photographic activities both in Russia proper and in Estonia. Pääsuke died in a train accident in 1918 in
Orsha Orsha (; , ; ) is a city in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the fork of the Dnieper, Dnieper River and Arshytsa River, and it serves as the administrative center of Orsha District. As of 2025, it has a population of 101,662. History ...
, Belarus.


Photography

Pääsuke is notable as an ethnophotographer, a supplier of photographic documentation to the Estonian National Museum (ENM) in Tartu. By 2003, the ENM had identified 1305 photographs and 723 glass negatives as his work, and suspected that more among the unidentified were also by him. The photographs are of buildings, people, and activities, taken on a 13×18 cm or other plate camera.Linnap 96.


In popular culture

In 2019, the Estonian feature film comedy ''Johannes Pääsukese tõeline elu'' (English release title: ''Self Made Cameraman''), directed by
Hardi Volmer Hardi Volmer (born 8 November 1957 in Pärnu) is an Estonian film director, puppet theatre set decorator and musician. Volmer is the singer in the Estonian punk rock band Singer Vinger. Animated cartoons *"Imeline nääriöö" (Wonderful New ...
, was released. It depicts Pääsuke, portrayed by
Ott Sepp Ott Sepp (born 29 June 1982) is an Estonian actor, comedian, singer, writer and television presenter. Career Born in Tallinn, Sepp graduated from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in 2004 and began performing at the Estonian Drama Thea ...
, and his assistant Harri Volter, portrayed by
Märt Avandi Märt Avandi (born 26 February 1981) is an Estonian actor and comedian. Biography He is known in Estonia for his performances in TV show '' Tujurikkuja'' (2008–2015) with Ott Sepp, he got more famous and got more respected in Estonia. Avandi ...
, on their travels in 1913.


Gallery

Setu mees Võmmorski külas, ERM Fk213 174.jpg, ''
Seto Seto may refer to: Places *Seto, Aichi, production place of Japanese pottery and venue of Expo 2005 * Seto, Ehime, facing the Seto Inland Sea * Seto, Okayama, adjacent to Okayama, in Okayama Prefecture *Seto Inland Sea of Japan *Setomaa (''Seto ...
man in the village of
Võmmorski Võmmorski is a village in Setomaa Parish, Võru County, in southeastern Estonia, on the border with Russia. (retrieved 27 July 2021) The Piusa River borders the village in the north, Russian border in the east. As of 2000, Võmmorski had a popu ...
'' (1913) Rahvarõivais setu naine Võmmorski külas, ERM Fk213 171.jpg, ''Seto woman in traditional costume in the village of Võmmorski'' (1913) Johannes Pääsuke 214 151.jpg, ''Estonian coast guard, beach knight (cavalry border guard)'' (1913) File:Johannes Pääsuke 214 191.jpg, ''
Muhu Muhu (also called Muhumaa in Estonian) is an island in the West Estonian archipelago of the Baltic Sea. With an area of , it is the third largest island belonging to Estonia, after Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. Together with neighbouring smaller i ...
Islander feeding a horse'' (1913) Johannes Pääsuke 214 56.jpg, ''Manure haulers Gustav (aged 65) and Anton (aged 68) smoking pipes. Mõnnelohu farm,
Pühajõe Pühajõe () is a village in Toila Parish, Ida-Viru County in northeastern Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the w ...
village'' (1913) Kalamees Pärtel Ribin Mummassaare rannas, ERM Fk214 12.jpg, ''Fisherman Pärtel Ribin on Mummassaare beach'' (1913) Johannes Pääsuke 213 211.jpg, ''Sorting seed potatoes in
Tartu County Tartu County ( or ''Tartumaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in eastern Estonia bordering Põlva County, Valga County, Viljandi County and Jõgeva County. The area of Tartu County is , which covers 6.9% of the territory of E ...
'' (1913) Kalamehed tulevad merelt, ERM Fk214 25.jpg, ''Fishermen return from the sea'' (1913) Kõrgeranna, Valaste küla, võrkude puhastamine, ERM Fk214 50.jpg, ''Kõrgeranna,
Valaste Valaste is a village in Toila Parish, Ida-Viru County in northeastern Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) Its German name was ''Wallast.'' The village is home to Estonia's highest waterfall, Valaste Falls. Before the 2017 Administrative Reform, t ...
village, clearing the net'' (1913) Valaste küla poisid kaarte mängimas, ERM Fk214 47.jpg, ''Valaste village boys playing cards'' (1913)


Filmography

*''Utotškini lendamised Tartu kohal'' (''Utochkin's flights above Tartu'', 1912) *''Utotškini lend'' (''Utochkin's flight'', 1912) *''Tartu linn ja ümbrus'' (''The Town of Tartu and Environs'', 1912) *''Ajaloolised mälestusmärgid Eestimaa minevikust'' (''Historical memories of the Estonian past'', 1913) *''Retk läbi Setumaa'' (''A Trip through
Setomaa Setomaa (; , ) is a region south of Lake Peipus and traditionally inhabited by the Setos, Seto people. The Seto dialect is a variety of South Estonian language, South Estonian. The historic range of Setomaa is located in the territories of pres ...
'', 1913) *''Karujaht Pärnumaal'' (''Bear Hunt in Pärnu County,'' 1914) (Available as 12MB mpeg file.)


Citations and references


Cited sources and other sources


Johannes Pääsuke. Man with two Cameras
About the 2005–6 exhibition at the Hungarian Museum of Ethnography.
Johannes Pääsuke. Man with Two Cameras
About the 2003 exhibition at the Estonian National Museum, Tartu. *''Johannes Pääsuke: Mees kahe kaameraga / Man with two cameras.'' Tartu: Estonian National Museum, 2003. This book offers photographs and parallel texts in Estonian and English; the two cameras of the title are the still and cinecamera. *Kaelep, Kairi. "Johannes Pääsuke: The story of his life and cooperation with the Estonian National Museum." In ''Johannes Pääsuke: Mees kahe kaameraga.'' Pp. 81–93. *Linnap, Peeter. "Life director Pääsuke and positivist ethnography." In ''Johannes Pääsuke: Mees kahe kaameraga.'' Pp. 95–104. *Lõhmus, Jaak. "The once again discovered film-maker Pääsuke." In ''Johannes Pääsuke: Mees kahe kaameraga.'' Pp. 106–14. * Ruus, Jaan. Foto Johannes Pääsukesest.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Paasuke, Johannes 1892 births 1918 deaths Estonian photographers People from Tartu Railway accident deaths in Belarus Estonian cinematographers Estonian film directors Estonian documentary filmmakers