Tuglase kooda. Keele ja Kirjanduse 50. aastapäeva taustal
The Coda of Friedebert Tuglas

Summary/Abstract: Friedebert Tuglas (1886–1971) was the central Estonian critic and modernist ideologist of the first half of the 20th century, thus having a decisive role in the interpretation of Estonian literary history. As is revealed by the personal index of Keel ja Kirjandus (1958–1997) Tuglas has – not only permanently, but also increasingly – been the name most frequently mentioned in the local literary historical discourse. Friedebert Tuglas is in most part responsible for the fact that Estonian literature was long evaluated using the modernist paradigm, originating in Young Estonia (1905–1915). During the final period of his life Tuglas concentrated on the editing of his own works, alongside with rather an unprecedented effort to selectively canonize them for literary history. A novel trait in the coda period of Tuglas’ life was his inspiration in literary periphery as an interesting field for creative psychology. The correspondence of the aged Tuglas and his reading notes in the margins of Keel ja Kirjandus prove that Tuglas had preserved his youthful aesthetic ideals even when feeling an alien in his sovietized home country. A relevant allusion can also be found in his last short story „Keiserlik kokk” („Emperor’s Cook”, 1957).

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