Estonia History, Language and Culture
History of Estonia
The Vikings passed through the Baltic in the ninth century and over the next few centuries, both the Danes and Swedes tried and failed to force Christianity upon the Livs tribe, which dominated the region.
They eventually succumbed to Bishop Albert of Buxhoevden, at the turn of the 13th century.
During the Middle Ages, Danish influence was at a peak in the Baltic region, but after the Livonian War of the 1550s (Livonia was the area covering modern Latvia and the southern part of Estonia), Estonia was taken by the Swedish King Gustavus.
The 16th and 17th centuries marked the high point of Swedish imperial power before Russia acquired Estonia from Sweden at the Treaty of Nystadt in 1721 and remained in control of the country until shortly after the 1917 Bolshevik revolution.
At the treaty of Brest-Litovsk the following year, which brought an end to Russian involvement in World War 1, Estonia was ceded. The new Soviet government at first refused to recognise Estonian independence, but soon gave way.
The Soviet Union took back full control under the 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact, but Soviet ownership lasted barely 12 months before Estonia was conquered in the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
The Red Army then retook the country in 1944, after which Estonia was constituted as one of the 15 Soviet Socialist Republics.
Four decades passed before the advent of Mikhail Gorbachev who, as Communist Party General Secretary, offered the prospect of change for the Baltic States. A key part of the economic reform programme was the devolution of power to the republics and Estonia led the way among the Baltic states.
Measures to establish an Estonian currency and to restore Estonian as the official language quickly followed.
In 1990, the Estonian Communist Party voted in favour of full independence from the Soviet Union.
Rapid international recognition of Estonia as a sovereign state, followed by admission to the United Nations, completed the transition to full nationhood.
Did you know?
• The medieval old town of Tallinn is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• The sport of Kiiking was invented in Estonia in 1996 by Ado Kosk. It involves a swing on which the rider attempts to go round 360 degrees.
• The epic folk poem Kalevipoeg, composed from oral legends by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald around 1853, is the national story of Estonia. Kreutzwald is considered the father of Estonian literature.
Estonia Culture
Religion in Estonia
The majority are non-religious. 23% Christian, with Lutheranism and Orthodoxy.
Social Conventions in Estonia
Estonians are generally quite reserved and polite. A hand shake is the customary greeting. Normal courtesies should be observed. The Estonians are proud of their culture and their national heritage, and visitors should take care to respect this.
Language in Estonia
Estonian is the official language. Many older people also speak some Russian, which is the mother tongue of around 30% of the population. However, using Russian can cause offence and it's better to speak English, which is widely spoken by people under 40.
