Members of the first Estonian collective farm, the Red Meadow, in Petserimaa	For those lucky enough to escape the deportation, joining the kolkhozes under the watchful eye of omnipresent Stalin became imperative. The main instrument for maintaining Soviet power was the re-population of Estonia that took place under the label of industrial development. Thousands of labourers were moved from the Soviet Union to work in the factories and mines of Northern Estonia; as a result, the portion of Estonians fell from the pre-war 88% to 61% in 1990.
The quality of Soviet life and its 'remarkable progress' was demonstrated on every possible occasion.	Construction of the Baltic Power Station near Narva, 1959

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