Tallin, The Singing Revolution tour

 

Today we covered the modern history of Estonia. Estonia became independent in 1918 after World War I. We visited Forest Cemetery the burial ground for Estonia’s writers, artist, actors, athletes, and public figures Here is the grave of Konstantin Päts, who had a mixed past. He was one of the drafters of the 1918 Estonian constitution but he was also a dictator of the country from 1934 to 1937.

The Journey 

After the 1939 treaty between Hitler and Stalin, Russia invaded the Baltic states in June, 1940. By January 1941, the Soviets deported 10,000 government officials to Russia. The Nazis then occupied the Baltics from 1941 to 1944, sending many to concentration camps, finally the Soviets defeated the Nazis regained the Baltics. In 1949, they sent another 20,000 to camps, those who refused to give up their farmland. The Memorial built in 2018 honors the victims of communism from 1940 to 1991. It begins with the journey through the names of all those who perished. Then you reach the Home Garden of fruit trees to which are added stones, marking the camps where the people were sent.

Singing Revolution, September 1988

The story of the Singing Revolution starts when Gorbachev was head of Russia and he introduced glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), hoping to stimulate the Soviet economy. In 1987 in Estonia, there were successful protests against new phosphorite mines on environmental grounds. On August 23^rd, thousands protested against the Soviet system in Hirvepark without being arrested. The Heritage Society reminded people about Estonian culture and history. While 92% of the population had been Estonian in 1944, because of the Soviet program to Russianize the USSR republics, only 60% were Estonian in 1987. In September 1988, 300,000 people showed up for a Song Festival in Tallin, where they sang patriotic songs. One third of the population showed up, singing together was a demonstration of power. (The stage can hold 25,000 and the grounds comfortably hold 100,000.) The preoccupation Estonian flag of blue, black, and white began to appear. On the 50^th anniversary of the occupation of the Baltics by Russia, August 23, 1989, a human chain of two million people stretched 600 miles across all three Baltic countries in protest. An Estonian Congress was elected which brought back the flag and the Estonian language. They established an Estonian citizenship for those with Estonian ancestry over 860K registered. But those with Russian ancestry protested in front of the parliament in 1990, they were soon surrounded by counter protestors, would this lead to violence? No, the Estonians opened a corridor through the crowd to let the protestors out. In January 1991 there was violence in Lithuania which resulted in 14 dead and many injuries. In Russia, there was a coup by Soviet hard liners and Gorbachev was arrested. Russian tanks appear in the streets of Tallin. The Estonians surround the broadcast tower with people hand in hand to keep their radio alive. Congress gathers and votes unanimously for independence. The Soviet army surrounds them, but they don’t attack, there is confusion. Meanwhile in Russia, Yeltsin declares an independent Russia, separate from the USSR, ending the coup. Each of the republics declare their independence. “We achieved freedom through song”.

Tallin Radio Tower

In the afternoon, we walked Kadriorg Park. This park was built by Peter the Great for his second wife, Catherine. On the park grounds is a baroque palace with beautiful gardens. We ended our day with vodka tasting.

Palace in Kadriorg Park

Topic: Estonia Past and Present

Estonians can get most of their services: voting, Healthcare, banking, etc. online with the use of their national ID card. The exception is getting married or divorced. In 1991, the Estonian economy plummeted after independence, the Russia Ruble had a 1000% inflation in a year. Crime rates went up. They stabilized the currency by introducing the Estonian Crown. But people each started with 100 Crowns in their bank accounts, no matter what their previous balance. A new constitution was created, and over time property was privatized as many people became entrepreneurs. The state encouraged several industries: computers, the internet and technology. The constitution separated the status of people by their heritage, full citizenship to Estonians, but an alien passport to Russians, who could vote in local but not national elections. There were Russian and Estonian schools through high school. The hope was that the Russia students would learn the Estonian language and history and become citizens. Estonia joined NATO and the EU in 2004. With the Ukrainian War, after 33 years of a dual system, this year all schools now teach in Estonian. Teachers were tested for Estonian fluency only 200 of 800 Russian teachers passed. People here are buying second homes in Western Europe concerned about Russian aggression.

Topic: Controversies of the Baltic Sea

There are several controversies shared by the nations along the Baltic, mostly dealing with Russia.

First is the fishing industry, which is very important for many coastal towns. Overfishing has made Baltic herring and cod endangered so the EU enforces regulations on what can be caught, while Russian fisherman don’t.

Kalingrad is a Russian enclave separate from Russia between Lithuania and Poland. It was a part of Germany before WW II but taken over by the USSR after the war. Over 2 million Germans evacuated the area, and Stalin resettled the area with Russian citizens. It remains a Russian military enclave in Western Europe.

There are 40,000 tons of WW II chemical weapons disposed of in the Baltic Sea in concrete containers. Will these poison the sea when they deteriorate?

There are two Nordstrom pipelines from Russia to Germany under the sea. Nordstrom 2 was sabotaged in 2022, but not clear by who.

Finally, Russia periodically jams GPS signals in the sea.