ABSTRACT
The article focuses on the correspondence between two Estonian sisters (the author's maternal grandmother and great aunt) across the Iron Curtain from 1956-89, offering an analysis of the capacity of the epistolary medium in maintaining an intimate bond between the sisters. Although deeply personal in nature, the dynamic of the correspondence is nevertheless shaped by larger historical and sociocultural forces, including censorship. The analysis traces development of different strategies of intimacy, such as reliance on common memories, verbal manifestations of closeness, the importance of blood relations and familiarising each other with the details of everyday life.
