"Back in the 1980s. . .
Two brothers escaped civilization and ran into the forest. . .
Haunted by police. . .
And survived till 2000. . .
And became known as. . .
The Voitka Brothers."
Ulo and Aivar Voitka are perhaps Estonia's most infamous draft-dodging, reclusive thug duo ever. The brothers escaped into the forests of Viljandi county, in southern Estonia, in 1986. The Voitkas managed to hide out in the woods for 13 and a half years. Police finally captured them on March. 2.
Estonian police spokesman Indrek Raudjalg said the brothers were apprehended in Viljandi, and are now in the city's jail awaiting trial.
Raudjalg explained that the brothers were found as a result of an intensified search operation by the Estonian central criminal police in force since last August.
Since the story broke, Estonian media have covered it obsessively. Pictures of Ulo and Aivar in the police station after their arrest showing their ragged faces, greasy brown hair, and green military jackets have been plastered on the front pages of every tabloid and newspaper. The brothers' story has generated responses ranging from the fascinated cult-like following, as evidenced in the Voitka Web's existence, to sympathetic support for the "patriots" or utter disdain for "common thugs."
"Here in Estonia many think the Voitkas should be released, but if you look at the crimes they are suspected of, you will find the peoples' claims aren't right," said Raudjalg.
Ulo and Aivar, ages 31 and 32 respectively, have caught people's attention not only because they managed to elude authorities for so long, but also for their reasons.
The brothers have claimed they ran away to avoid being drafted into the Soviet army.
But, alas, Ulo and Aivar's criminal records suggest they were more than innocuous, conscientious objectors or disciples of Thoreau, merely wishing for the peace and enlightenment though seclusion in the wild.
The Voitkas indeed may have become one with nature, but they did so while evading their many troubles with the law, primarily charges and convictions of theft and robbery.
Aivar was convicted of stealing a tractor and had been serving his sentence in an "open prison," where inmates were given more privileges and mobility, such as work and vacations. Months before Aivar had completed his sentence, he was released on a vacation and never returned.
Ulo, meanwhile, was facing trial for theft, but he disappeared with his brother into the sparsely populated Viljandi forests.
When the brothers attempted to steal guns from a local shooting gallery, albeit unsuccessfully, some 100 Soviet soldiers set out determined to track down the brothers. But the manhunt was abandoned one month later.
Virtually nothing more was heard of the Voitkas, and police suggested they had left the country. It wasn't until 1993, when a police officer in Viljandi was mysteriously robbed at gunpoint, that suspicion of the brothers arose again.
Police suggested that random robberies of shops and homes were the Voitkas' doing, but there was still not enough evidence to point at them directly, much less track down their whereabouts.
"They were enormously careful," Raudjalg said.
In 1997 and 1998 the Voitkas were suspects in the robberies of two more shops. Then last June, they allegedly stole guns from two Vilijandi police officers. By the end of June, they were at it again, allegedly car-jacking a couple for 34 hours and forcing them to take money out of their bank account. The Voitkas had finally given the police enough information.
Raudjalg explained that the Voitkas probably survived so long by help from outsiders and relatives in the southern part of Estonia. He said it was still too early to determine where exactly the brothers lived throughout the years, but police have discovered underground bunkers they suspect were used as shelters. He said the Voitkas probably slept in friends and relatives' homes along the way, as well as in various empty houses where they stored stolen goods.
After the Voitkas were arrested and taken in for questioning by police, questions arose about the brothers' sanity.
"The police at the scene said they were very frightened. They had serious doubts about their mental conditions. But now, they have shown better signs," said Raudjalg.
Raudjalg said the Voitka investigation's May 1 deadline will probably have to be extended. He said it is too early to speculate on possible punishments for the Voitkas, but Ulo and Aivar have so far been charged with five crimes, including robbery, theft and threatening a police officer.
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