Smugglers, spies & escapes · 1919
Viinistu, the spirit smugglers' harbour
From 1919 to 1932 alcohol was banned in Finland, and the narrow sea between the two countries became a smugglers' road. Estonian spirit went across from Tallinn, the islands of the Gulf of Finland and the north coast, and Viinistu, on the Pärispea peninsula, was one of the smugglers' harbours. Fast boats ran the cargo to the Finnish coast by night, larger mother ships waited out at sea, and in winter smugglers even set up camps on the sea ice. There were gunfights with the border guards, with dead on both sides.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Aastatel 1919–1932 kehtis Soomes keeluseadus ja kitsas meri kahe maa vahel muutus salakaubaveo teeks. Eesti piiritust veeti üle Tallinnast, Soome lahe saartelt ja põhjarannikult ning üks salaveo sadamaid oli Pärispea poolsaarel asuv Viinistu. Kiired paadid viisid lasti öösiti Soome rannikule, suuremad emalaevad ootasid avamerel ja talvel rajasid salakaubavedajad jääle koguni laagreid. Piirivalvega peeti tulevahetusi, milles hukkus inimesi mõlemalt poolt.
Source: Tuna 2014 (Rahvusarhiiv): review of spirit smuggling between Estonia and Finland, 1919–1931. ↗