Interview with Roman Toi in Tallinn on July 21, 2011 (2011)

Young members of fraternity "Vironia" hold an interview with choirmaster and alumnus of fraternity "Vironia" Roman Toi. They talk about the activity and social life of fraternities and sororities in 1930s.
Roman Toi recalls fellow students from Jakob Westholm Upper Secondary School who all except one joined a fraternity. Roman Toi joined "Vironia" fraternity when he studied at the University of Tartu in 1936. He says that military service was highly appreciated in the fraternity. All members belonged to the Defence League back then. Toi served in the pioneer commando in infantry. He was thankful to the army because the boy became men there. Roman Toi recalls those whom he met. Boris Kõrver often made music on the best piano in Tartu that belonged to the fraternity "Vironia". Ülo Maramaa and Hans Luts were good organizers and childhood friends. Kaljo Käärik, Konstantin Ollik and Arvo Lainvee were schoolmates. When the Soviet era started, the fraternities were banned, assets were confiscated by the authorities and the activities of "Vironia" were terminated. Toi recalls of the secret meetings of the fraternity members. There was a big fraternity party during the German occupation. In 1944, Roman Toi escaped from the Soviet occupation to Germany where he survived the horrible end of the war. When he had achieved a stable position in Canada, the convention of Toronto was still only an idea. Divisions of "Vironia" were founded in Montreal and Toronto. The freshmen were admitted and there was collaboration between other divisions established in the United States. Correspondence with the homeland was only through letters. The members of "Vironia" always stuck together, despite the location. Among the conversation topics are Karl Linnas's destiny; also, Ants Elken and Harry Männil are mentioned. For Roman Toi, the great value of "Vironia" fraternity has been its objective to make the fraternity member an intelligent officer, and not a simple myrmidon. "Vironia" has kept its principles, but Mr. Toi believes that the world is not the same any more. He has warm memories of his trip to Estonia in 1989, invited by the National Academic Male Choir, and when he met several friends, including Boris Kõrver, after not having seen them for fifty years.