Tag: Estonia

Latest Reading: “The Czar’s Madman” by Jaan Kross

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When I was visiting Estonia earlier this spring, I picked up a copy of one of the most famous Estonian writers, Jaan Kross. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize several times and received numerous awards. He passed away in 2007.

The Czar's Madman

“The Czar’s Madman” is work of historical fiction and it is set in 1800’s Estonia. It is the story of a Livonian noble, Timo Von Bock, who suffers from a slight mental illness. The Livonians are Germans who ruled over the peasant Estonians. At this time, Estonia was ruled by Russia and the Czar is friends with the aristocratic Von Bock. Von Bock writes a letter criticizing the Czar and ends up in prison for nine years. He married an Estonian peasant girl and the book is set in a journal format of the girl’s brother. The book follows the family into the next generation and was an exciting read.

The book helped me understand the plight of the Estonians and small ethnic groups in as a whole. The Estonians have been subjugated by larger groups for most of their existence and were treated as second class citizens. I am amazed that the language and identity survived. I wonder what effect that has on today’s Estonians. Is that why they are so quiet? The book was published in 1978 and it is a metaphor also, of the domination of Soviets. Kross really did his research and the book mirrors actual events with Kross, fleshing out the details and plot twists for us. Not only is it a good story, but it has insights on human nature and the brittle nature of life changes.

Gulf of Finland: Goodbye Estonia

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Sunday we had some time to kill as our flight out of Estonia didn’t leave until the evening. We went for a long walk around Tallinn and ended up at the Pirita Beach, just outside the city. As you can see, the Baltic Sea in mid-March is not quite ready for a picnic. Tallinn is 59 degrees north.

We had a nice time in Estonia. It was off the beaten path and I got to know a little known place in the world. The Estonians are very similar to the Finns and I think since there are only around 1 million of them, they develop some stronger ties to Finland. They have some definite animosity towards the Russians. We noticed this when we went souvenir shopping. I was looking for “babushkas”, those Russian dolls that have small ones inside each other. The Estonian gift shop vendor pointed out that those were Russian and not Estonian. The Russians had a market outside the Old Town and they were pushed out of the nice areas. I guess after the Russians occupied Estonia, there is still resentment. I wonder how the Russians living in Estonia get along in their daily lives. Do they learn Estonian?

The ISB Gang In Front of the Czar's Former Palace

I am not sure if I’ll ever get back there. It would be a nice place to live, although the long winters would be tough.

Estonia: A Beautiful (and strange) Frozen Kingdom

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Besides learning how to be a better principal from the CEESA conference, I am also learning much about the host city, Tallinn, Estonia.

I wonder how many Americans have heard of Estonia, know where it is located, and a little of its history? I bet it would be about 1/3 of Americans who could answer those questions correctly.

It is the smallest and furthest north of the Baltic States (Latvia, Lithuania being the other two) with a population of 1.4 million. Tallinn, the capital, has a population of slightly over 400,000. It is slightly larger than Vermont and New Hampshire combined. As you can see from the snow above, Estonia is located 59 degrees north latitude. The Estonian ethnic group is not related to the two other Baltic states. The language and the looks of the people, make them very similar to the Finns. Finland is a two-hour ferry ride away, across the Baltic Sea.

For most of its history, Estonia has been under the control of a larger and more powerful country. The Swedes, Danes, Livonians, Germans, They have only been an independent country for 38 years. A short period between WWI and WWII and then again in 1992 after the Russians left. I am surprised that the Estonians kept their language and culture and ethnic identity alive during all of those years under the control of other nations. They did leave their marks however, and I see the beautiful Old Town arrchitecture of the Germans and the ugly block apartments left by the Russians.

The Narrow Streets of Old Town

It is an odd little place.For example, in the fridge in the hotel, there is a “good morning pickle.” Do Estonians eat pickles for breakfast? Two nights ago for St. Patricks day, we went out to an Irish Pub to celebrte the day. The band playing that night featured a lead singer that sang like Alvin and the Chipmunks and with a lead violinist with wild, hairspray, hair. For their last set, they brought out three girls playing white violins. I think they would be huge celebrities in the US. It was an original idea, I think they would be immensely popular world wide.

We spoke to the waitress last night at dinner. She was around 20 and was thinking of going to university. She said Estonia was a bad place for young people as there was not much opportunity to develop a career. She was looking to make a move to a larger city in Norway, Sweeden, or Finland.

The city is buried in snow which makes it even more beatuiful The Old Town is incredible. I’ll blog more about my impressions of Estonia.