N IS FOR NEIGHBOURS
The story of Estonia is in some ways a story of neighbourly relations. The country's history has been shaped to a significant degree by the colonial and expansionist ambitions of many nearby kings and countries, and by the people from those countries who made Estonia their home.
A summary of the various conquests, wars, occupations and annexations throughout Estonia's history is somewhat beyond the scope of this site but a little geographical context is in order...
Estonia shares a land border with Latvia, to the south, and with Russia, to the east. Finland is a close relative, culturally as well as linguistically, and is a short hop across the Gulf of Finland where it narrows to about 80km. The trip will take you just over an hour and a half on a fast summer ferry or double that on the regular year-round service. If the proposed rail tunnel between the two capital cities goes ahead - the "Talsinki Tunnel" - it will bring the two nations even closer.
Sweden is a little further. It's 179km as the crow flies from Sõrve lighthouse at the tip of the island of Saaremaa to the coast of the Swedish island of Gotland. But the two countries' histories go back to 1561 when Estonia came under Swedish rule until 1710. Swedes started settling in Estonia as far back as the 13th century. For hundreds of years they formed a distinct ethnic group, keeping mainly to the north and west of the country, until the majority of them fled during the Second World War.
A similar fate happened to Estonia's German-speaking groups, known as Baltic Germans or "Balts". Germans had been settling in the area since the early days of the Hanseatic League as merchants, and as Christian missionaries. They were a highly successful group, and largely retained their distinct ethnic identities and language. The Baltic Germans
achieved some of the highest offices in the land and acquired a great deal of wealth and privilege.
They began to be resettled in 1939 when the Soviets assumed control over the Baltic States. Those who refused to leave were later forced out or were subjected to severe penalties (the Gulag) by the ruling Soviets. Now, almost no Baltic Germans remain in Estonia.
By Värava Farm
in Saaremaa there stands a very poignant reminder of this sudden vanishing in the form of a family gravestone, deep in the woods beyond the steadings. The von Essen family were once part of Estonian nobility, repatriated against their will. The manor house that once stood in these woods is long gone. Descendants of the family still visit occasionally, to pay their respects, lay flowers, keep the memory alive.