This is an article I wrote for a magazine recently.
Tucked away in Northern Europe is
a country that has really come to life during the past twenty years. Since restoring
its independence in 1991 Estonia has emerged as one of the world’s most dynamic
and modern free market economies. Estonia’s innovative and efficient government
has become a shining example to the world of how a government ought to
function. Its pragmatic approach has enabled
important legislative changes to take place without all the unnecessary red
tape and bureaucracy. The results speak for themselves. Estonia’s economy has
markedly outperformed those in all of the other ex-Soviet countries and in 2011
Estonia achieved more economic growth (8%) than any other country in the
European Union, coming ahead of economic giants Germany, France and the UK.
Gone are the days when Estonia was a
little known isolated country which people had barely heard of and struggled to
locate on a map. Today Estonia is a rising star, a country known for its vision,
tech savvy citizens and abundance of natural beauty. Estonia has one of the highest per capita use
of mobile phones in the world which explains why there are no longer any public
phone booths in Estonia. They don’t need them. Most people do their banking, voting
and even pay for their parking online as Wi-Fi is available in every corner of
the country.
Estonia’s countryside has an enchanting
gentleness about it which you fall in love with slowly and imperceptibly. Two thirds of Estonia is covered in forest, it
has over 1500 islands and also boasts a 3,794km long coastline. In summer it’s quite possible to have an
entire beach to yourself. Winter brings
the opportunity to travel across Estonia’s ice roads, an interesting, quick and
cheap way to get across to the islands. There are six official ice roads in
Estonia connecting the mainland to the islands of Hiiumaa, Vormsi, Muhu and
Kihnu across the Baltic Sea. There is also an ice road linking the islands of
Saaremaa and Hiiumaa. The longest ice
road in Europe links Hiiumaa to the mainland and is some 26.5km long.
The tourist stream to Estonia has steadily
increased in recent years and people are curious to discover what is so great
about this country, the birth place of Skype. When I first visited Estonia in
2003 tourist buses didn’t exist but when I returned in 2006 they had become
ubiquitous. Word had obviously spread that Estonia is definitely a place worth
visiting.
Most visitors never get to see the true
beauty that is Estonia; they fly in or come over by ferry and spend a few days
taking in the sights of Tallinn, rarely venturing out of the capital. Of course
visiting Tallinn’s Old Town is a must; the 13th century gothic
architecture is UNESCO heritage listed and quite spectacular. If you take the short
walk up to Toompea Hill you’ll also discover the stunning Alexander Nevsky
Cathedral which is believed to be the final resting place of Estonian folk hero
Kalev.
The best way to discover Tallinn is by
foot. Walking along the cobbled streets, weaving in and out of passageways you’ll
find a treasure trove of historic sites.
St. Catherine’s Passage in particular is very interesting. Here you will
find what’s left of St. Catherine’s Church and the ancient tombstones which
used to line the inside of the sanctuary. Also located here is an Estonian
timeline carved onto a long row of stones on the pavement. It’s a great history
lesson for anyone wanting to know more about Estonia’s past. It mentions when the
Reformation reached Estonia, the country’s early Christianisation and gives the
date of the first known book written in the Estonian language. That was in 1525
by the way – a bible.
It’s also likely you’ll encounter a few
interesting characters while in Tallinn. Apart from the flame throwers and
people dressed up in medieval costume in the Old Town, I once came across a
rather cheeky young Russian beggar who wouldn’t let up until I gave him some
money. As I walked along Uus Street looking for the house once occupied by Russian
writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky in 1849, the young Russian approached me. He appeared
a little drunk which might explain why he was so persistent. He followed me
down the street, not sure where I was from and rattled off a list of different
currencies in the hope to snag one. He made me laugh each time he asked for ‘please,
one Euro’, ‘one Pound’, ‘one Kroon’, ‘one dollar’ etc. I laughed even more when he launched into the
Asian currencies, being the white European that I am. He was very entertaining
and didn’t look poor to me at all, more likely he had just run out of beer
money. I told him he should probably go home and sober up. I’m not sure if
he took my advice.
The only way to truly experience the
immense beauty of Estonia is to hire a vehicle and travel around the country for
several weeks at a time. I did this during my first visit to the country and it
was well worth it. The thrill of hitting the road and venturing into one of
Europe’s last wildernesses brings you many unexpected surprises. Estonia is
full of impressive old manor houses once owned by the ruling German elite, forests
full of edible wild mushrooms and berries and castle ruins lining the
coast. Although rare, you might just be
lucky enough to spot the European brown bear in its natural habitat.
Estonia consists of fifteen counties, each
unique in their own way but there is one community that sets itself apart from all
the others. This region is Setomaa, a
portion of Estonia’s southernmost county Võrumaa. The Seto people actually comprise a culture
within a culture. They have their own language which is very similar to
Estonian but different enough to be considered a separate language. There are approximately 12,500 Setos who live
in closed cluster villages and have very little contact with foreigners.
Setomaa is not one of those places you
visit by accident; it’s one of the least accessible parts of Estonia with only
one or two roads which lead there. Since most Seto people don’t come into
contact with foreigners often, you must be mindful not to be disrespectful and
launch straight into English when wanting to communicate with someone. Whilst
many Estonians in Tallinn can speak English, there’s little use for it in Setomaa.
At best people might be able to communicate with you in Russian, perhaps German
as those are the only other languages they have been exposed to. When I last visited Setomaa my communication
skills were put to the test when I ate at a little café near a petrol station. I quickly realised there was no common
language between me and the cashier so I had to rely on what little Estonian
and Russian I knew as well use a lot of sign and body language to place my
order. Setos like other Estonians are
very polite and helpful people and always appreciate your effort to engage with
them in their language.
The festival season is a major highlight
on every Seto’s calendar. Singing in particular is a big part of their culture
and is used to keep their traditions and identity alive in the younger
generations. The Setos have a very unique style of singing known as “Leelo”
where a soloist sings a verse which is then repeated polyphonically by the
entire choir. The most revered of all
the singers are the Seto “song mothers” who have learned many thousands of
verses. They are the most important
keepers of the Setos’ traditions. In
1986 a statue was unveiled, honouring the memories of some of the earlier song
mothers and many singing gatherings take place around the statue.
The Estonian national costume varies
between regions but in Setomaa it is particularly distinct. The women wear very large and decorative
headdresses and large silver breast plates around their necks. Traditionally festive costumes were often
handed down from generation to generation and depending upon whether you are married,
single, or widowed would determine how you wear certain garments. A girl for
example, would never wear an apron or cover her head in summer or partly even
in winter, she would use only a ribbon or garland to decorate her hair. A
married woman on the other hand, had to cover her hair and wear an apron. It
was believed that an apronless woman of the farm would damage the fertility of
the fields. A pregnant girl also had to wear an apron.
National pride is strong in Estonia. After
centuries of foreign occupation and repression it was the Estonians’ relentless
desire to preserve their language and culture that saw them through their dark
past. Estonians are resilient people and If you call an Estonian stubborn it
will always be taken a as compliment. Although
it’s engrained in the Estonian psyche to be wary of strangers and they may
initially appear reserved, once they get to know you, you’ll discover they are
an immensely warm, helpful and sincere people.
Estonia is a cold place with a warm heart and once you experience it for
yourself you’ll probably want to go back. There is no better time to visit
Estonia than now. 2013 marks the 95th birthday of the Estonian
nation and celebrations will take place throughout the year. There is no doubt that this year you will see Estonia at its best.
