ESTONIA

European Culture and Civilization

Marlen Rein

2011

STRUCTURE

Background, general data

Brief overview of history

Estonia vs other Baltic states

Main cultural conflict

Main social problems

vs positive aspects

Some tricky Estonian words

The cornflower – the

national flower of Estonia

ESTONIA? WHAT? PART OF RUSSIA?

SOME GENERAL FACTS

Area: 45,227 sq km

Population: 1.34 million (Estonian 68.7%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian

2.1%, Finn 0.8%, other 2.8%)

Capital: Tallinn

Languages: Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 3%,

Religion:

Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%,

Orthodox 12.8%,

other Christian 1.4%,

unaffiliated 34.1%,

other or unspecified 32%,

none 6.1%

Tallinn´s Old Town

SOME GENERAL FACTS

Highest point: Suur Munamägi - 318 m

Arable land: ca 12%

Urban population: 69% of total population

15 counties, 47 cities

Over 1500 islands

Snowy Estonia

SHORT HISTORY CLASS

9000 B.C. – Estonian ancestors settle along the Baltic coast

1523 – Reformation; Estonian first used in liturgy

1525 – first Estonian book

1561 – Control over Estonia goes to Sweden

1700-1721 – Great Northern War, defeat for Sweden

SHORT HISTORY CLASS

24 February 1918 – Estonia declared independence

1918-1920 – War of Independence

1940 – USSR annexed Estonia

1941–1944 - German occupation

1944-1991 – Soviet occupation

1989 – Baltic Way (Baltic Chain)

1991 – regained independence, joined United Nations

2004 – joined NATO and European Union

Baltic Way

ESTONIA VS LATVIA VS LITHUANIA

MAIN SIMILARITIES

History

EU, NATO – 2004

Complicated relations with

Russia

MAIN DIFFERENCES

Language:

Estonian – Finno-Ugric

Latvian and Lithuanian –

Indo-European

Religion:

Estonia and Latvia –

Lutheran

Lithuania – Catholic

Estonia – better economic

situation, euro

ESTONIANS AND RUSSIANS – AN

ENDLESS CONFRONTATION?

Complicated history

Culmination in 2007 – “Saga of the Bronze Soldier”

THE BRONZE SOLDIER

FAILED INTEGRATION?

0 20 40 60 80

President

Police

Banks

Judicial system

Local government

Government

Church

Parliament

Russian-speaking

population

Estonians

Trust in institutions in Estonia

Source: Integration of

Estonian Society:

Monitoring 2008

ETHNIC INEQUALITY IN THE LABOUR

MARKET

The risk of unemployment for non-Estonians is bigger

Less non-Estonians in top positions

The economic boom was more beneficial for Estonians

The level of unemployment and percentage of professionals and managers by

ethnicity

Unemployment level (%) % of professionals and managers

Work force

(15-74)

Young people

(15-29)

Work force

(15-74)

Young people

(15-29)

Estonians 7.8 14.7 11.3 11.1

Non-

Estonians

14.6 23.0 7.1 5.9

Source: Estonian Labour Force Surveys 2001–2006

MEDIA USE OF ESTONIANS AND

NON-ESTONIANS

The media sphere of Estonian Russians is dominated by Russian television channels

75% of Estonian Russians are unfamiliar with Estonian language media

92% of Estonians are unfamiliar with Russian media

POOR POST-SOVIET COUNTRY OR

WEALTHY NORDIC STATE?

NORDIC OR POST-SOVIET STATE?

ESTONIA´S…

Very low average life expectancy

(male: 67.7 years, female: 78.8

years)

Spread of HIV

Big social inequality

Alcoholism

Unemployment

Brain drain

Education (PISA)

Science

Press freedom

IT (Skype, e-elections, mobile

parking, e-banking, e-services)

We have the EURO!

Weakness Strength

LEARN SOME ESTONIAN (TONGUE

TWISTERS)

Jäääär (edge of the

ice, also a band)

Õudne õepoeg (scary

nephew)

Ööelu (night life)

SUMMARY

General information

Short history class

Comparison of the Baltic States

Biggest cultural conflict – Estonians vs Russians

Nordic state vs post-Soviet state?

Estonian tongue twisters

THANK YOU

SOURCES

Eesti Koostöö Kogu. (2009). Estonian HumanDevelopment Report 2008.

Eesti Koostöö Kogu. (2010). Estonian HumanDevelopment Report 2009.

Heidmets, M. (edit.) (2007). Estonian HumanDevelopment Report 2006.

Heidmets, M. (edit.) (2008). Estonian HumanDevelopment Report 2007.

www.eesti.ee

www.estonica.org

www.cia.gov

www.europa.eu

www.visitestonia.ee