Estonia has been in a state of depopulation for a quarter of a century. Some demographers predict the absolute extinction of the country in a hundred years: each generation of Estonians is smaller than the previous one, and this will continue to be the case. This pessimistic scenario cannot be brightened up by this year's demographic statistics. Positive dynamics, but at the expense of migrants. Although the authorities assure the European Union of their hospitality, Estonian society wants to grow at the expense of native citizens and is not particularly happy about the influx of foreigners. Estonians are well understood by their neighbors - Latvians and Lithuanians, whose numbers are also declining.
Baltic demographic crisis
The numbers of Latvia and Estonia began to decline with the collapse of the Soviet Union. The last twenty-five years of being in the single space of the European Union have not contributed to the growth in the number of citizens.
The population of Estonia has decreased by fifteen percent since 1991, Latvia by twenty-six percent, and Lithuania by twenty-three percent:
- Estonia, 1991 - 1,561 million people / 2016 - 1,316 million people;
- Latvia, 1991 - 2,658 million people / 2016 - 1,900 million people;
- Lithuania, 1991 - 3,700 million people / 2016 - 2,800 million people.
To understand how the demographic disadvantage appears, you need to take into account two indicators: what is the natural profit or population decline, i.e. the ratio of births and deaths, as well as the level of migration.
These indicators for Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have been negative for many years. More people die than are born, and the number of those who leave is much greater than those who entered the country.
Natural decline and migration in the Baltic countries
For a quarter of a century, demographers have provided statistics reflecting population decline due to natural causes and due to emigration from the Baltic countries. The population of Estonia decreased due to natural reasons by ninety thousand, due to migration - by one hundred and fifteen thousand people. The population of Latvia decreased by almost seven hundred thousand people, more than half of the citizens emigrated. Lithuania has lost one hundred and eighty-three thousand people over a quarter of a century due to natural causes; the result of migration is a loss of six hundred and seventy thousand people.
Reasons for the decline in the population of Estonia
In Estonia, people tend to see the reasons for depopulation not in the economic and political aspect, but in the historical one. Fertility rates fell seriously on the eve of the twentieth century, and later there was no possibility of increasing life expectancy. Another reason, according to experts, dates back to the times of the Soviet Union. Migration flows increased and mechanical growth was positive. However, by 1991, those who moved to Estonia in the forties and fifties began to age, and those who died became more numerous than those who were able to give birth.
The birth rate has also decreased due to changing views on the age when it is time to become parents. Previously, women gave birth until they were twenty-two; today they are in no hurry to become mothers; the birth of their first child is postponed. Young people first want to get on their feet, buy a home, a car.
Population of Estonia by year
Natural increase, total population growth and Estonia's population growth began to go negative since 1991. Estonia:
- 1980 - 1,472,190 people;
- 1990 - 1,570,599 people;
- 1995 - 1,448,075 people;
- 2000 - 1,372,710 people; natural increase - minus 5,336, total increase - minus 7,116, migration processes - 1,830 people;
- 2013 - 1,320,174 people; natural increase - minus 1,713, total increase - minus 5,043, migration processes - 3,300 people;
In 2016, more than fourteen thousand people were born in Estonia, and fifteen and a half thousand died. Natural increase is minus one and a half thousand, migration processes are more than two thousand people.
Changes in the ethnic composition of Estonia
The ethnic composition of Estonia has changed over thirty years. But not significantly. Considering the population of Estonia, the following data is obtained:
- 1989: Estonians 61.5%, Russians 30.3%, Ukrainians 3.1, Belarusians 1.8, Finns 1.1;
- 2011: Estonians 68.7%, Russians 24.8%, Ukrainians 1.7%, Belarusians 1.0, Finns 0.6%;
- 2016: Estonians 69%, Russians 25%, Ukrainians 1.7%, Belarusians 1%, Finns 0.6%.
Russians mainly live in the capital of Estonia - Tallinn. The most “Russian” city in Estonia is Narva, where ninety-seven percent are Russian by nationality.
Cities in Estonia by population
- Tartu - 97,322.
- Narva - 58,375.
- Pärnu - 39,784.
- Kastla-Jarve - 36,662,
- Viljandi - 17,549.
- Maardu - 17,141.
- Rakvere - 15,303.
- Sillamäe - 13,964.
- Kuressaare - 13,000.
- Jõhvi - 12,567.
Pussy has the smallest population, just over a thousand people; in Kallaste and Mõisaküle - eight hundred people each.
How does migration affect Estonia's demographics?
Mechanical growth leads to a decrease in demographics. During Soviet times, many ethnic groups came to Estonia because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was created here, through which Jews, ethnic Germans and Finns could leave for their historical homeland.
Moreover, the population in Estonia was very mobile. For example, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, many did not want to stay and left the country. Emigration has increased. But after 2011, the reverse process began.
Today, Estonia's population continues to shrink and age. The Republic's Department of Statistics provides the following calculations: over a quarter of a century, the country's population has decreased by 200,000 people, by 2040 the population will fall by another 10%.
Resettlement of the Baltic people
For the Baltics, a serious problem is the mass exodus of citizens to other countries. Moreover, half of those who left Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were people from 18 to 30 years old, 70% were people from fourteen to forty years old.
From Latvia and Lithuania, the majority move to Britain and Scandinavia. A small number emigrate to the USA, Russia and Canada. Estonians mainly choose Finland.
In terms of population decline rates, Latvia and Lithuania are among the European leaders. In 2016, 8,000 more people left Latvia than arrived. Lithuania - for 30,000 people.
Only Estonia managed to reverse the sad trend. The country begins slow demographic growth due to migration. For 2015-2016 19,000 people left Estonia, but 24,500 returned or came to live.
In a situation where the demographic disadvantage is expected to increase, the Balts have no choice but to increase their population through an attractive social policy for migrants. Lithuania, for example, offers the easiest way to obtain a residence permit in the European Union and a low tax rate for entrepreneurs. Foreign students in Estonia can stay in the country after receiving their diploma.
But the Baltic countries expect a greater effect from measures aimed at increasing the birth rate.
Child benefits in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
In Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, free childbirth management is organized in public maternity hospitals, as well as doctor’s appointments, tests and ultrasounds. But those who wish can pay for additional comfort:
- private room - from 50 to 80 € per day;
- the ability to choose a specific doctor - from 400 to 600 €;
- individual approach to childbirth - from 50 to 1,000 €.
The duration of parental leave in Estonia is three years, in Lithuania - two years, in Latvia - one and a half years.
In each republic, benefits to parents are calculated differently.
The one-time payment for the birth of a child in Lithuania exceeds 400 €; payment of maternity leave in the amount of four mother’s salaries; Father's allowance is equal to one annual leave.
A one-time payment in Latvia is about 420 €. Payment for maternity leave is 43% of the mother’s salary. up to two years - 3,300 €. The amount of benefit for the first child is 11 €, paid monthly until the age of sixteen.
In Estonia, the one-time benefit is 320 €. Pay for maternity leave takes into account the level of average salary. Child benefit up to sixteen years - 50 € monthly. The amount of such parental benefit for up to one and a half years depends on the parents’ salary. This may be due to the fact that the country now belongs to the European Union, the standard of living is steadily increasing, wages are rising, and financial assistance is being provided to various segments of the population.
In addition, the country has various programs to support large families. For example, an Estonian family with three children receives five hundred euros per month in child benefits only. In Latvia, the benefit is smaller and amounts to seventy euros.
I have been in Esti permanently for almost two years now, and in this post I would like to touch on the topic not of difficulties and pleasures in the Baltics, but the topic of Russians.
There are a lot of Russians in Estonia - ~26%, according to Wikipedia. I’m friends with some, I’m not with some, I’ve come across even more, and in two years I’ve accumulated enough thoughts about whiners and co-wankers, of which there are plenty here.
The view will be from the outside and quite impartial. I would like to emphasize once again that I have many Russian friends both here and in Rashka, but this does not affect my relationship with this aforementioned category.
For example. In the newspaper here, on the Internet there - everywhere, one way or another, hysterical notes on the topic “How bad we live” very often slip through. When I came across complaints in one of the newspapers in the summer: “We spend as much as 22% of our monthly budget on food,” I admit that I laughed.
And the topic of relationships in Russia comes up very often. Just yesterday I read in one newspaper that, they say, it is necessary to preserve cultural traditions; How Russians are oppressed in Estonia, how expensive it is, this is even more expensive, they pay little money, but in Russia this and this is better.
Rhetorical question: are you guys crazy? Have you been in Russia for a long time? I lived there most of my life, and Estonia for me is manna from heaven compared to the country of our ancestors.
Are you complaining about high food prices? Look how much products cost in Russia and what quality they are. My grandmother, who lives not far from the border, in Kingisepp, almost in tears tells me how delicious cottage cheese is in Estonia - when one of her relatives manages to bring it from here. The grandmother bitterly says that she has not eaten such delicious cottage cheese since the collapse of the Soviet Union. My grandmother worked in the food industry all her life. And I’m sure that in Russia now there is no such delicious cottage cheese. And the sausage that I brought her from here is also much better than the one produced in “snowy Nigeria.” And in general - all food products. I’m not even talking about prices: for two or three euros I can buy half a kilo of excellent beef or pork at Maxim or Selver, which I can cook and eat with pleasure, and something even remotely similar in quality will cost about 2 times more expensive.
Bakery? Such delicious baked goods - and cheap! - you will never find it in Russia (except in the bad “Brioche Buns” for 100 rubles). Alcohol? When in Russia have you seen such tasty and at the same time cheap beer, for example? Am I already silent about quality? In Raska, a bottle of the cheapest export Krucovice costs 120-150 rubles (3-4 euros), at least in stores in St. Petersburg and Moscow; in Tallinn, even for a euro you can find delicious locally produced beer. And if here a family spends 22, or even 25% (oozhos) of the family budget on food, in Russia it spends 70 percent. Because of the sky-high prices and disgusting quality.
What can you say about the ban on smoking in most places in Estonia? In Russia it is difficult to find a cafe or restaurant with a corner where you can hide from tobacco smoke. Smoking in the middle of a line at a bus stop? In Russia this is everywhere, and everyone perceives it as normal. Here they smoke on the sidelines, and the smoke never reaches others.
In Raska, cheap cigarettes and a completely unenforced ban on the sale of poison to minors only contribute to this. And don’t talk about the fact that next summer in Raska they will introduce an anti-tobacco law for cafes and restaurants: it won’t be any time soon, and will it happen at all?
What I do agree with is the high prices for utility bills. With one huge “but”: houses with major renovations will give a hundred points ahead to Khrushchev’s wrecked houses and cheap panels at exorbitant prices in Russia. You can pay 150 euros in winter for utility costs, living in a solid and renovated or well-built apartment building in Tallinn - and at the same time not incur the additional costs of purchasing heating devices in each room. Again, to be fair, not everyone agrees to renovation and some houses are still drafty. But there are very few of them - they probably didn’t dress better :))
What else? Internet? I have never seen such high-quality and good Internet in Russia. A week, a month without interruptions or cut-off traffic? Nonsense! Having lived almost continuously in Moscow for 8 years and using the Internet from various thieves like Beeline, I state this unequivocally. 19 euros for 20 megabits? Also honest, and not on paper? Where can you find this in Raska? Especially for Bulgarians: oh, when I lived there for a month, according to the rental agreement it was even cheaper than 24 Mbit, but according to tests it didn’t turn out to be more than 10-11 at the quietest time.
Public transport? In Russia it is getting worse and worse. And I’m not talking about traffic jams and conductors with nervous breakdowns, I’m talking about the technology park, which is deteriorating more and more every year, and municipal transport is becoming less and less in principle. Everything is filled with terrible minibus taxis, driven by hot-blooded people from the Caucasus. Who don't care about traffic rules. And even the fleet of these minibuses itself - once there were more or less comfortable Chinese ones, which are now completely corrupt Russian authorities (for example, in St. Petersburg) are replacing them en masse with the dead "coffins-grooves". Yes, grooves are coffins on wheels with a stone suspension that throw you up at the slightest bump.
And most importantly - people. You will not find such a number of angry and dissatisfied trolls with their lives as in Raska anywhere. I was in Moscow this spring, and the level of human anger is just off the charts. God forbid you hurt someone, step on someone’s foot, or fail to give way to an evil - and at the same time dressed in the latest fashion - “grandmother” of about fifty. Grandma will discuss you with her neighbors throughout the entire subway car and swear at you, without even embarrassing small children. People in Russia are time bombs that explode at your touch. Queue at the post office in Tallinn? Everyone stands quietly and waits. Queue at the post office in Moscow? The hubbub and hubbub about “they don’t work at all, let me through, my child/grandparents/milk has run away, but you weren’t standing here, go to hell.” And I'm not exaggerating.
The above applies to absolutely everything. Having looked at the life of the two countries over the past two years, I realized one thing: you need to accept the rules of the game. Do you live in Russia? Accept corruption, be a bribe taker, hate everything and everyone, curse the authorities in the kitchen, eat garbage and litter on the street - like everyone else. Is this absurd? No, this is how the vast majority of people live in Russia. Do you live in Estonia? Know the Estonian language and respect the culture. I realized that many Russians over 35 not only do not want to learn Estonian - they do not do it out of quiet protest against the “infringement of their rights.” I have various Russian friends in Estonia, and those who know the language and know what they want from life are happy with everything. They don’t think that they are owed everything for the fact that they were born in the USSR and do not indulge in parasite eating. They work, study, fall in love, get married, have children. And they are not worried about national issues. They understand that they live in Estonia, and not in Russia. And this, I dare say, is true for all countries. Only in every country there are such hysterical Soviet wankers from among the Russians. Alas.
And the funny thing is that these dissatisfied people don’t want to leave for Russia! Probably, in hindsight, they understand perfectly well that no matter how bad it is here, it will be even worse in “snowy Nigeria.” But here they simply do not want to assimilate and accept the rules of the game - this is the conclusion that I made for myself. They want to return back to the USSR - and look through the deceitful “First”, and probably believe the whole stream of dirt that rushes from the mouths of the henchmen of the Putin regime through this main mouthpiece of “EdRa”.
Dear Baltic Soviet wankers, live a year in Russia. Don't be a "weekend tourist" in St. Petersburg, just live. Rent an apartment, find a job, travel every morning by subway or by land transport. After this, I guarantee that Estonia (or Latvia) will seem like paradise to you. Even in Turkey, people treat each other much more kindly than in Raska, where they will never shake hands with you, even if you fall with a seizure even on Ligovsky.
I assume that the situation is similar in other post-Soviet Baltic republics, since there are plenty of such whiners there - they whine about how cool it was in the USSR and how bad it is for them now. And there are many of them. So many. I would define their age as 35+, since those who are younger are usually much more active. They don't whine, but get the job done.
Least.
I'm not saying that Estonia is an ideal country to live. Far from it. But compared to Raska, the sky is so high and the earth is very deep. And people who have the opportunity to live a quiet life without maximum concentrations of poison in their lungs, without cave monkeys around the corner, without disgusting dirt on the streets, and where preschool children calmly ride on buses themselves, and at the same time completely despising their lives - these people, I I think they just got too greedy.
UPD. Dear lovers of testing Internet speeds! I suggest that those who claim that your 100-megabit channel is terribly cheap for three thousand rubles do tests on 2ip.ru and speedtest.net around 18-20 pm on a weekday and post screenshots in the comments. We were talking about honest 20 megabits, not fake 100. At least 1000 can be drawn in the contract. That's when your words will have weight.
We have a lot of stereotypes regarding Estonians. It’s not for me to tell you! It is believed that they are slow, that they speak Russian with a strong accent, that they don’t like us Russians categorically, and therefore in every possible way want us not to go to them - they even give visas with with a big creak. What should I answer to this? Perhaps the only thing is that yes, they are slow. And they don’t hide it themselves. I remember once writing a letter at work to one of the Tallinn museums. A day passed - no answer, two days - no answer. I wrote again - no answer. A week has passed and there is no answer. I call and ask:
- Did you receive the letter?
- Yeah!
- Why don’t you answer?
- Sorry, we’re so slow...
That's what they're all about. :)) But is it possible to treat such an Estonian trait in any other way than with humor? :) As for the accent, yes, there is one, Estonians like to stretch out their words a little and double their consonants. But about dislike for us - complete nonsense. We did not notice a single manifestation of hostility on their part during our entire trip. Yes, and the Estonians began to give visas to our compatriots very well. I myself was amazed for the first time when one of my tourists decided to get a visa on her own, received it, and then came and boasted that she had been given a six-month stay! Estonians! Against the backdrop of all the EU sanctions!
Well, to be completely honest, the Estonians simply amazed us with their friendliness. Like it or not, but as it turned out, we were also subject to a common stereotype and never expected such cordiality from them. I'll give just one example. We go to Tartu in the evening on foot to our villa from the bus station, where we just arrived from Tallinn. Suddenly a taxi stops a little ahead of us. A girl comes out from there, heads towards us and says: “Excuse me, but we were on a bus together from Tallinn, and I heard that you need to go to Tahe Street. I’m driving further past this street. Let me give you a lift. No money. necessary!" And yes, I gave you a ride. And before that, the driver of the Tallinn bus was concerned about how we would get to Tartu: do we need a taxi, will they meet us?
And this happened very often in Estonia.
2.
Well, since we’re talking about the attitude towards Russians in Estonia, I’ll tell you a story. While in Narva, a city on the very border of Estonia and Russia (I will talk about it later), we met a Russian woman there, an employee of one of the museums. And she told us about the local and very complex citizenship system. It is no coincidence, apparently, that we have formed all these stereotypes about Estonia, because in the country there are still, so to speak, three types of citizens who constantly live: citizens of Estonia, citizens of Russia and stateless people with so-called “gray” passports. This woman was one of the latter. But, what is important, according to her, it was her own choice, because holders of gray passports also have their advantages. For example, in order to travel to Russia or the European Union, they do not need a visa either there or there. For Estonian citizens, as we know, a visa to Russia is needed, just as we need it to enter the European Union. Also, holders of gray passports do not require a visa to enter those countries with which Estonia has a visa-free regime. The exception here, however, is the United States; visas are required there. But the USA is always so “exceptional”.
True, holders of gray passports also have their “disadvantages”. For example, they do not have the right to vote in elections to the Estonian Parliament and in presidential elections. But they can vote in local elections. Also, these people can buy housing, for example, apartments, but cannot buy land - a dacha, for example. They can work in Estonia calmly. The most interesting thing is that this woman has two children. She raised one without a husband, and since he was born on the territory of Estonia, and she does not have any citizenship, her son automatically received Estonian citizenship. But she gave birth to her youngest daughter from her new husband, who has Russian citizenship, and the daughter also automatically received Russian citizenship through her father. True, when she becomes an adult, she will be asked to choose what kind of citizenship she wants: Russian or Estonian.
3.
In general, in order for those Russians who have lived in Estonia for a long time to receive Estonian citizenship, they need to pass an exam on their knowledge of the Estonian language and learn the Estonian constitution. We have long had persistent rumors that this language exam is terribly difficult, and that even Estonians themselves cannot always pass it. This turned out to be true, but partly. The point is that the tests in this exam are based on knowledge of the correct, literary Estonian language. In many areas of the country, especially in villages, people communicate in their own dialect and do not construct phrases as correctly as required by the rules of the Estonian language. In principle, the same as with us, yes. No one has canceled dialects. This is where rumors are spreading about the incredible complexity of the exam and that Estonians themselves cannot pass it. But try, for example, asking some tractor driver Petya from the village of Berezkino in the left corner of the Ivanovo region to take an exam in literary Russian? I dare say that he won’t give it up either.
4.
Russians and other foreigners in Estonia, in principle, can take courses to pass this exam. And now it seems to be much easier for those who have been living there for a long time to obtain Estonian citizenship than it used to be. Another thing is that in Narva and its surroundings the Russian population is 90%, everyone here speaks exclusively Russian, even, as our interlocutor told us, meetings of the city council of deputies in Narva are held in Russian (not all deputies speak Estonian and it’s simply more convenient for them to communicate in Russian). And it turns out that there is no language environment where people could communicate in Estonian. And do they need it?
Now in Estonian schools, including in Narva, there are 12 years of education. And if we talk about language, then in Narva all teaching is conducted in Russian, moreover, there are very few normal Estonian language teachers there. True, knowing this, the Estonian government came up with such a project. Interested schoolchildren can go to other regions of Estonia in the summer or during the holidays, where there are many more ethnic Estonians, live there with families, immerse themselves in Estonian traditions and customs, this helps them integrate. True, not everyone takes advantage of this opportunity. And vice versa. In Estonian schools there is a rule according to which you can choose to study an additional language. And now more and more Estonian students, in addition to English, choose Russian as a third language. Of course, this is not at all connected with great tender and sincere feelings for our compatriots, but is due to the fact that our countries border each other, and everyone understands perfectly well that knowledge of the language is necessary to establish normal, primarily commercial, ties with neighbors. This is logical!
5.
Indeed, a lot of young people in Estonia now speak Russian. We've met quite a few of these. Some speak with an accent, others without at all. There are also those who are fluent in English, understand Russian, but do not speak it. In any case, we did not have any problems communicating with Estonians, since we were always able to communicate with them either in Russian or in English. And all the people of the older generation knew Russian. In general, we have not noticed any special oppression of the Russian language in Estonia. On the contrary, even signs on shops and other establishments were duplicated in Russian in many places.
6.
What else can I tell you about Estonians? Due to the fact that we traveled to Estonia for work, we had to communicate with them quite often and listen to their peculiarities of traditions and customs. For example, it was a discovery for me that Estonians are one of the most melodious peoples. No, I assumed that they were very musical - after all, the Singing Field in Tallinn was not built by chance, but what is so... It turned out that a long-standing Estonian tradition is choral singing. It is already more than a hundred years old. And that same Singing Field gathers half of the country’s entire population for the annual festival. Just imagine, there are 30 thousand people singing in the choir alone! Not bad, right?
7.
Estonians are also famous for their handicrafts, namely knitted woolen clothing. It has practically become the calling card of their country. For example, in Old Tallinn, even in summer, there are many shops selling beautiful knitted hats, sweaters, and jackets. And by the way, I even bought myself one wonderful hat and spent the winter with pleasure in it. So, there is an opinion that knitted patterns were specially invented for Estonian sailors by their wives. If their sailor husbands suddenly get lost at sea and land on unknown shores after storms, they will be able to immediately determine from the patterns on the clothes of local residents whether they are at home or not. :)
Well, at the end of this note about Estonian traditions, all I have left to talk about is their houses - not the same ones made of glass and concrete that are now being built everywhere in all cities, both here and there, but about the traditional ones that Estonians built, and in which they lived for many centuries. And to learn more about their traditional way of life, we went to the outskirts of Tallinn, where the Estonian Open Air Museum is located. Yes, yes, that's exactly what it's called.
In general, what is interesting is that the culture of Estonians for a long time had a pronounced peasant character. Of course, cities were also built in Estonia, but for the most part people settled on farms and manors, that is, on estates. The Estonian Open Air Museum contains more than 70 original buildings that previously belonged to specific owners. And we, taking an audio guide, first of all, went to explore the Sassi-Jaani farm of the early 19th century. Farms of this kind were built in Western Estonia. Serfs lived here, who, together with the farm itself, belonged to the landowner's manor. They grew and made everything they needed for life themselves. Moreover, the peasants had to pay an annual corvee to the manor, and not a feeble one: 300 days a year the peasants worked for the landowner and only the rest for themselves. In addition, they had to hand over grain and hay for the court fee, sheep, chicken, eggs, straw, hops, store grain, and also pay a poll tax. In general, what was ultimately left to the peasants themselves, history is silent. But judging by its appearance, the farm was quite prosperous. It consisted of a residential barn, a barn, a stable and a summer kitchen-hut, where they brewed beer, cooked food and washed clothes.
Residential Riga.
8.
Stable.
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Barn.
10.
The barn had three rooms: a cage for storing clothes, wool, flax, yarn and handicraft supplies; grain barn for grain, flour, beans, peas and lentils; and a food barn for storing meat, fish and dairy products.
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Summer kitchen - hut.
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It was younger than Sassi-Jaani and represented the way of peasant life at the end of the 19th century. True, like the previous farm, this one paid rent to the church manor. It occupied 30 hectares, of which nine hectares were occupied by fields. In general, starting from 1856, Estonian peasants could already buy farmsteads themselves, but rarely did any of them succeed. The fact is that most of their income went to pay rent. They, of course, saved every spare penny in the hope of someday buying a farm, but... And yet, even though the peasants still mostly rented farms, they already tried their best to keep them in order, cleaned them and made them beautiful, and even laid out gardens . For example, the residential rooms in Köstriasem were already separated from the part of the farm where cattle were kept by a nice wicker fence. The farm consisted of a residential barn (about the same as in the Sassi-Jaani farm, but with larger windows).
16.
Consisting of two rooms, a barn for grain and other food supplies, a crate, a barn, where a cowshed, a sheepfold and a pigsty were located under one roof, and a summer kitchen, in which food was prepared for the family all year round, potatoes were cooked for pigs, soap was made, and water was heated. for washing, etc. and so on.
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And the next farm we came to, the Nuki farm, seemed especially interesting to us, since there we could see how the poor lived on the farms. Those people who had no land at all were called bobyli in Estonia. Since the peasants could not feed themselves by farming, they had to work as day laborers on manors, farmsteads and construction sites, dig ditches, and engage in manual labor: women, for example, spun yarn, knitted, embroidered and sewed, and men became carpenters or shoemakers. The Nuki farm is, in essence, the only chicken hut with one upper room (there was a canopy and a storage room) and a living area with a stove. Next to it there was a tiny garden where the beans grew their own potatoes and vegetables. They could have several small domestic animals, such as chickens or goats, very rarely a cow, and even less often a horse.
In the boby house that we saw in the museum, its last owner lived until 1970 (then she was already 78 years old), and the situation, both inside and outside, remained practically unchanged. So, this house is considered the most unique here.
20.
Now let’s move from Western Estonia, where we just walked and examined farmsteads, to move closer to Tallinn, to Northern Estonia.
21.
Here, I’ll tell you straight, already in the 19th century everything was much more civilized, and the reason for this was the proximity of the sea and the Tallinn-St. Petersburg highway. Buyers brought meat from fattened cows and other products to the market in St. Petersburg. The sea has always provided an opportunity to make money on ships, see other countries and learn how life is established there. In general, if in Western Estonia peasants were still living on rented farmsteads at the end of the 19th century, in the North the majority had already bought them out. Moreover, they even began to build here not only from wood, but from flagstone, that is, if I can put it that way, the houses were partially made of stone.
The first such North-Estonian farm that we examined was called Pulga.
22.
At one time, he owned a land plot of 30 hectares, 5 hectares of which were fields. But the most interesting thing is that many of the buildings of the farm were made of flagstone - the threshing floor of the residential barn, the forge and the summer kitchen-bath. Especially in comparison with the wooden residential barns of Western Estonian farms, these looked clearly more solid and more fundamental. Also striking are the stone fences, in which stones are used mixed with limestone slabs.
The Pulga farm, as I already said, consisted of a residential barn.
23.
Two barns (one-story and two-story), a cage, a stable, two haylofts.
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Summer kitchen-bath.
27.
And forges. We were especially impressed by the forge. It was made entirely of flagstone without the use of mortar. And, interestingly, it is the blacksmith shop that is considered the oldest building on the farm. It is already about 300 years old, and nothing stands and does not fall!
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But, what is most amazing, despite such obvious external advancement of the dwellings of the Pulga farm, in winter the residential barn here was still heated in black. Yes, yes, in the most literal sense, the stove did not have a chimney! In front of the residential part of the barn there was a storage room, from where double doors led into the living part. So, the outer one, in fact, was a kind of half-door. It was through this that the smoke was released when the stove was lit.
So, when we saw a residential building in another nearby village – Härjapea – we were actually surprised. Härjapea turned out to be a farm bought from the manor in the 1890s. He had 44 hectares of land, including 13 hectares of fields. Such a farm was considered medium in size. But let me finally show you what a residential building on such a farm looked like.
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True, the situation in it dates back to 1920-1930, but it is still quite interesting. By the way, the house itself was also rebuilt in 1920. Despite the fact that the descendants of serfs lived in it, they were considered wealthy people. Judge for yourself: the house has an attic, a tiled roof, plank siding, and a large glazed veranda. The house has several rooms, a living room, a children's room. The owners of the house had obviously visited St. Petersburg more than once, because many of the things in the furnishings were brought from there. For example, ceramic-tiled stoves, a soft sofa, a Persian carpet and a grand piano. By the way, it’s funny, but I asked the caretaker of the house whether the peasant owners really knew how to play the piano? "Yes you! - she answered. - Of course not! The piano was an indicator of prosperity for them!” In other words, the former peasants who had become rich were showing off, as they are now, they would probably show off with their sixth iPhones.
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By the way, interestingly, a native of the Härjapea farm, Johannes Orro, that is, the direct owner of the house, rose in his career to the rank of major in the border guard service of the Republic of Estonia, was the owner of a bakery and several cafes in Tallinn, in general, he really was not considered a poor man.
Now let me show you a typical fishing farm in Northern Estonia, for example, the farm we saw in the museum - Aarte.
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Such fishing farms were small and usually consisted of a dwelling house, a barn, a stable, several sheds for nets and a smokehouse. The fishermen had only a few hectares of land, and on it the fishing family grew potatoes and other vegetables. They received grain from other agricultural farms in exchange for fish. In general, it was quite common that fishermen did not even have a horse, not to mention other livestock, but every family always had a boat. Of course, the fishermen’s main income came from fishing; they also earned extra money on ships and construction sites. In general, what’s interesting is that the Estonian fishermen who lived on the shores of the Gulf of Finland actively communicated with their “Finnish colleagues” for hundreds of years, and as a result, their language and culture became very similar. Even their houses, although you can’t tell from the outside, they built them according to the Finnish type.
House.
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Stable.
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Boat barns.
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But most of all, the similarity of cultures can be traced in their way of life and cuisine. Before the First World War, coastal residents bought a significant part of their necessary goods in Finland. For example, checkered fabric, copper coffee pots, rocking chairs, Finnish sleds, coffee and delicious dried fish. Residents of central Estonia had never heard of anything like this at that time. So what if at the end of the 19th century, coastal residents adopted the Finns' habit of drinking bean coffee. It spread to other parts of Estonia only in 1920-1930. And Estonian fishermen also baked Finnish bread, with a hole in the middle. It was prepared three to four weeks before setting off on a long voyage and dried, since ordinary rye bread became moldy at sea. They ate this bread, dipping it in tea, coffee or water, because the dry bread was so hard that you could break your teeth on it.
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Well, to finish talking about farms, I’ll tell you about one more thing, about the farm of a craftsman, or, more precisely, a blacksmith - Sep. Usually blacksmiths became blacksmiths, because, as I wrote above, they did not have land and had to master some kind of craft. It must be said right away that the blacksmith’s yard was usually located near the road so that he could be approached on horseback, his home was modest, and the blacksmith himself, in the opinion of the farmers, was, so to speak, one of the lower classes.
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They were considered unpromising suitors, and in general, poor people.
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But in the second half of the 19th century, agriculture began to develop rapidly in Estonia, and the volume of work for village blacksmiths increased, especially as peasants increasingly began to use more durable tools and agricultural machines to cultivate the land.
Forge.
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Windmills.
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By the way, you won’t believe it, but most of the millers were also millers. For example, the Nätsi windmill, which stands in the museum, used to belong to the boar Ants Kümmel. He ground flour on it not only for himself, not only for his fellow villagers, but also for the residents of the surrounding villages. There was a fee for grinding - octopus. So, for grinding 9 pounds of rye or 8 pounds of barley (1 pood = 16.4 kg), Ants kept 6.6 liters of grain for himself. In the autumn season, when the weather was favorable, the mill worked 24 hours a day, with the exception of Saturday and Sunday nights. To power it, sails or shields were attached to its 8.40-meter-long wings, and the mill was turned in the direction of the wind using a lever. With a good wind, she ground up to two tons of grain per day and worked so intensely that her rotating wooden parts could begin to smoke!
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Water mills were also in use in Estonia. Moreover, they began to be used even earlier than wind turbines, apparently from the 13th century. And six centuries later, on the large rivers of mainland Estonia, there were already entire cascades of water mills, where they ground flour, sawed boards, carded wool, made yarn and performed blacksmith work.
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For farmers, mills were a place where they could meet and socialize with other farmers. In some places where there were no special folk houses, rehearsals of local brass bands and choirs were even held at the mills.
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Now let's move on to the most interesting part. Chapel of Sutlep. This is a real wooden chapel from the 17th century.
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On one of its boards above the front door we found a carved inscription: “1699.”
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It was built on the territory where Estonian Swedes lived (and they lived on the Estonian islands since the 13th century, where they retained their free status and did not mix with the native Estonians) and is considered one of the oldest wooden buildings preserved in Estonia. This chapel is still operational, and on major church holidays services are held there.
But in general, although officially the Sutlep Chapel is considered to have been built in the 17th century, in fact, in 1837 it was completely dismantled and reconstructed, and its interior is more typical of the first half of the 19th century than the end of the 17th. Since then, the pulpit, altar, altar curtain, octagonal stand for the font, the image of Christ hanging above the altar, and tin wreaths on the walls have been preserved - in memory of the dead sailors.
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Country store Lau. In general, rural shops appeared in Estonia in the second half of the 19th century. But the one we examined in the museum worked in the 1930s.
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And its exhibition (yes, the store was open, and what’s more, everything that was on display there could be bought!) belonged to the heyday of the Estonian economy - 1938. That year, the store was run by two aunties - Pauline Meinberg and her daughter Alice Tickerberg. It was under them that the sign “Koloniaal-kauplus A. Tikerberg”, that is, “Colonial Goods Store”, appeared on the facade of the store building.
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You could buy kerosene, salt, sugar, tea, cocoa, coffee, raisins, rice, sweets, herring, scented soap, threads, needles, buttons, lamp glasses and wicks, dishes, tobacco and cigarettes, ropes, harness, wax , tooth powder, postcards and fabrics. In general, everything that can be useful to a villager. Moreover, the owner Pauline conducted cooking classes for local women - apparently, so that the goods would sell faster. :)
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The owners themselves also lived near the store. They owned three rooms and a kitchen.
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True, then they rented one of the rooms to the tailor’s family, and they continued to use the kitchen together. By the way, the tailor in the village was considered a very wealthy man, he even had the first radio.
Well, we bought a couple of delicious cakes from “Paulina” and went on to walk around the museum.
Kuye School. After the educational reform of 1867, it was decided to build rural schools everywhere in Estonia. One school was to be built for every 300 adults, and the teacher was required to have the appropriate qualifications. Land and building materials for schools were provided by landowners from the nearby manor. The Kuye School, in which, by the way, the museum’s educational center is now in full swing, was built in 1877-1878.
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During construction, we were based on the standard design established for schools in Tsarist Russia: the building should have had a large classroom with five windows.
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A three-room teacher's apartment with a kitchen, storage rooms, a canopy and a wardrobe - a workshop.
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The school was a two-year school, and a few years after opening it became a three-year school. From 45 to 80 students aged 10-17 years studied there at the same time; there were approximately equal numbers of girls and boys. The academic year began on October 15 and lasted until April 15. The rest of the time, the children helped their parents in the field and with housework, and tended cattle. Education was compulsory from age 10. Half of the students (the older ones) went to school once a week, the rest every day. The distance to the school was five or six miles. Those who lived further stayed at school overnight - for this purpose, there was a special pull-out bed in one of the teacher’s rooms.
The training was free. But since it had only just been made compulsory, many parents believed that this was stupidity, that their children were needed more at home, and tried not to let them go to school. There were fines for such parents. According to the decision of the school court, which included the owners of the volost farms, if a child missed classes, his parents were obliged to pay 5 kopecks for each day missed. In addition, schools had detention rooms where parents of children who interfered with their studies were imprisoned, but could not pay a fine.
The disciplines taught were the law of God, reading and writing (calligraphy), reading and writing in Russian (in 1892 Russian became the official language of instruction), geography, singing in four voices, and, if desired, also German. The marks were as follows: 0 meant “does not understand at all”, 1 – “barely understands”, 2 – “poor”, 3 – “average”, 4 – “good” and 5 – “excellent”.
Usually, school teachers, in addition to teaching, had other responsibilities: clerks, assistants to the parish priest, who on Saturdays and major holidays preached sermons for students and servants from the manor, baptized children and performed funeral services for the dead. They led a local choir, a theater group, collaborated with teachers from other farms, and sometimes were engaged in agriculture, gardening at the school and gardening.
This is how teacher life and rural schools in Estonia used to be. Very interesting, isn't it?
Orgmetsa fire shed.
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There were also such on large farmsteads in the 1920-1930s. After all, they were most often built from wood, and fires were not uncommon. Such fire sheds were erected by rural fire societies. Members of the societies conducted drills and knew who should perform what task in the event of a fire. They had their own uniform and even held parades on holidays. As for the barn, it is a real prototype of a modern fire station. Hand pumps, carts, water barrels, fire hooks, etc. were stored in it. The hoses could be dried in the tower, where the fire bell also hung. Any person who noticed a fire could ring it. The key to the fire shed was kept in one of the neighboring houses, and firefighters could travel up to ten kilometers away. They, of course, rode draft horses to extinguish fires, which the village residents provided to the firefighters in turn.
Friends, you probably already realized that we spent more than one hour in the Estonian Open Air Museum. Everything there was so interesting that time flew by. It was already the middle of the day (and we had been walking around the museum almost since the opening), and we had seen barely half of the exhibition. Unfortunately, we could not stay in the museum until the evening; they were already waiting for us in another place (advertiser, yes!), so, as sad as we were, we had to “wind up.” So, we completely missed the traditions and life of southern, eastern and island Estonians, as well as the Russian farm, which was also in the museum.
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True, we did inspect one more object. We simply could not pass by it, especially since I personally read a lot of interesting things about it even before we got to this museum. The old roadside tavern Kolu, still in operation today.
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Taverns appeared in Estonia back in the Middle Ages. Moreover, what’s interesting is that initially they were not intended to be a snack for passing travelers, but to sell the products of the distilleries that operated at the manors - wine, beer and vodka. But gradually the taverns began to enjoy such enormous popularity that travelers began to be offered food and lodging there.
End in the comments...
A decaying republic mired in poverty and drug addiction. Thieves in law rule the country and fleece the already poor population. The money is spent anywhere - on American military scrap metal, on the purchase of anti-tank cobblestones - 40 million. but not for the good of the people. Estonia itself is leading itself to the self-destruction of the nation. There is no need for any war with such politicians...
Buying a normal finished two-room apartment costs 35-40 thousand euros. but these are crap. We recently bought a broken-down two-bedroom apartment in Mustamäe Khrushchev, renovated 30 years ago, without a balcony. area 37 square -43000 euros. So, a normal one for 50-55 thousand only.
I have lived in Tallinn (yes, we write the name of the city with two Hs) since birth. Well, what can I say to the author - if you want YOU to be yelled at every time, come to your Russia. There are practically no jobs here; all more or less decent places are occupied by local title workers. Russians work mainly for a salary of 400-500 euros. Language is needed everywhere, even in a damn supermarket the cashier will fundamentally not switch to Russian (if she is Estonian). During the crisis, a lot of Russians left, and the outflow continues.
Are you kidding about the mild climate? In summer, a couple of days are +25 and sunny, the rest is rainy and rainy. The country of eternal autumn, normal weather for us is cloudy and windy. Winters can be snowy, but there can be wind and wind. Expensive heating and utilities. To get a residence permit, you will have to run around, they may not let you, they are afraid of the dominance of migrants (yeah, we’re just so big with an allowance of 19 euros). Food is expensive, medicine is even more expensive. It’s not bad for Russians here who know the state language well and work in large companies.
Your German has never given up to anyone here, learn Finnish and Swedish then. English, in fact, is also not particularly needed (well, unless you work directly with foreigners), Estonians know it quite poorly. If you want to live here, learn Estonian, the locals are shaking wildly over it.
I also live in this very Estonia. I dream and still can’t get out of this swamp. Well! ? Who wants to be constantly showered with hatred and contempt? You are welcome! Moreover, if you finally notice the first only after five years, then the second - much later. You need to have a trained eye for this. You will cause contempt among Estonians for at least the first five, or even the entire 10 years: you behave differently, speak incorrectly, do not move as is considered decent here. Estonians will look nice to Russians ,friendly people. For God's sake. Come.
Neutral reviews
Positive reviews
I moved to Estonia in January 2015. Official residence permit from 01/05/2015. I registered with the unemployment office and was immediately sent to 01/15/2015 for a 3-month Estonian language course. We studied every day for 5-6 hours. As a result, A-2 passed 90% the first time. A year later I found a job. Now I’m working, studying the language at the same time, in May I already took the B-2 exam, which is a necessary condition for a teacher. I like the country and I don’t feel like a stranger here. The only thing that upsets me is passing the exam and actually speaking the language at a conversational level - 2 big differences :)).
A normal country, just different. Very different, hardworking and, I can’t find the word, modest. All good things said before are accepted. I come very rarely, but I love, admire and enjoy it. Negative, of course there is, but this is the reality of life.
I have been in love with Tallinn ever since I went here with my mother to visit my grandmother. When we moved here 10 years ago, I was indescribably happy: I felt at home. This feeling has grown stronger in me over the years, but it seems to me that Tallinn is not developing, there are a lot of migrants here (if you throw slippers at me, I have citizenship), the city has become somehow gray.
Estonians do not find work FOR THE SALARY THEY WANT. The salary in Estonia seems small to them - EU citizens. But for Russians it’s quite reasonable - twice as high as the average (that is, about 60 thousand rubles per month).
A very, very controversial issue.
I had to be in Estonia, specifically in Tartu and Tallinn. I didn’t feel any negativity towards myself; there were nice people around me, mostly Estonians, of course. It is quite possible that the friendliness is to divert attention, to attract Russian tourists, but it didn’t seem so to me, especially since I was surrounded not by politicians, but by ordinary people.
The first thing I heard in Tartu was a conversation among teenagers: “Well, you know, I still want to get a normal job.” All my attempts to speak Estonian ended with the answer of my interlocutor - “Speak Russian, you will understand better” :). If you attack a non-foreigner, they will answer you in Russian, I think 75-80% do so. Speech, by the way, is mostly without accent.
All the guys are quite educated, but I am not a citizen of Estonia - I cannot talk about the problems of the country, especially about education from the inside. We lived in small hotel houses with Russian-speaking... Abkhazians, oddly enough. Inexpensive, close to transport.
Russian schools do exist, no matter how much the Estonian government would like to reduce their numbers.
But the problem of the USSR past is there. Both peoples - Russians and Balts - have different opinions. For them we are occupiers. For us: they are the peoples we saved from the Nazis, which is generally true. I hear very often that life for pensioners in Russia is much worse than in the Baltic states. Estonians and Latvians hate us, etc. A very controversial issue, especially considering that this is the opinion of people who have not traveled to the Baltics and have not communicated with people. But, again, a monument to a Soviet soldier... As far as I remember, these 3 states joined the USSR out of necessity, and not guided by the friendship of peoples. But we can talk about this forever.
If you want to acquire Estonian citizenship, it is difficult, difficult, expensive, and time-consuming, at least that’s what my friends who received this citizenship said. As for permanent residence, given the fear of discrimination, what kind of neighbors will you come across...
My husband and I moved a little over 2 months ago.
So far we are very pleased, the main advantages for us:
Ecology: fresh air, forests right inside the city, sea
Location (close to almost all of Europe, low-cost flights from Tallinn and Riga, less than 2 hours flight from Kyiv)
Estonians are friendly and polite, and it is easy to assimilate due to the good level of Russian and English.
Well-equipped areas (no problems with cycling, illuminated pedestrian crossings, etc.), and of course the beautiful old city
Prices are not much higher than those in Kyiv, but the standard of living is an order of magnitude higher
Upon arrival, a residence permit is issued (it took us 10 days), with which you get free travel on public transport, and you no longer need a Schengen visa to travel within the EU
Developed IT community, hackathons
High-quality products in supermarkets, very tasty in cafes and restaurants
A good two-room apartment in the center of Tallinn costs 400-500 euros per month (without utilities). Utilities - a maximum of 70 euros in summer and 120 in winter, but it depends on the house and consumption, of course.
Not taking into account the apartment, we spend about 1000 euros per month for 2 people (assuming that 50% of the time we eat in restaurants, go to the cinema and spa, work out in sports clubs, buy clothes).
One more small review :)
In short, we moved a year ago and are happy with the results! There is some calm confidence that this turned out to be a very right choice compared to the “promoted” Poland and Germany. Now free text.
I had been here as a tourist 4 times before and even then I was surprised that I felt at home from the first days. And so it turned out:) assimilation? Rather, getting used to a new comfortable city and the peculiarities of the local way of life. It went smoothly. I don’t feel like a stranger, an immigrant, or the like.
It’s very peaceful to live in Tallinn, you want to walk a lot (the sea!!!), play sports for fun, just enjoy life, nature, people around (especially Estonians are often touching, they are very good people). An awareness of the value of simple and kind human emotions has come.
Travel has become more spontaneous and interesting thanks to the lack of borders (although air travel leaves much to be desired...the small market of a small country affects...).
I work in QA. I was looking for someone who had already moved, living here on a D visa, and the offer was made on the third attempt. I don’t have very strong professional experience and this result was impressive. Compared to Kiev, all interviews are like a fairy tale: they are not trying to overwhelm you, identify your weaknesses, or humiliate you, but on the contrary, they want to find out what you can do and how you will be useful. As a result, I work happily, I am 100% satisfied with the company. My working languages are English and Russian, it is impossible for one of my colleagues not to speak one or the other. The employment was quite fast (interviews and contract), and the registration of a residence permit was instant, one might say.
Dealing with the authorities is an overall amazing experience. Everything is very professional, the employees try to help as much as possible. In migration departments, when registering residence or other offices (even the police and investigators were pleased when I had to contact one funny case).
If you look at the numbers, then for two people it’s about 1500 per month for all expenses. Of these, 500 is rent for a two-room apartment in the center in a new, comfortable house, 60-100 for communal apartments according to the season. Internet 13, sports 140 (with swimming pool). In general, compared to Kiev, they began to allow themselves more food, tastier and better quality, and much less money began to be spent. There is an opportunity to save for an apartment, which is more than realistic to buy on credit (unlike Kyiv, again). In terms of food prices, you can compare it like this: cheaper than in Kyiv, when the exchange rate was 10-11 per euro (now I don’t know what the prices are there), but since then nothing has become more expensive here, it’s only getting cheaper (and there’s still room for cheaper, judging by Germany).
In short, despite the salary being less, in the end we get more and better quality.
Here it is - a calm and well-fed European life, with plans for the future and confidence, as they say:)
PS. And here, often there are no workers in the wardrobes; you hung it up and picked it up yourself (even in iMax). Indicative :)
I moved to Tallinn with my 3-year-old daughter six months ago. Renting an apartment costs 500┬ a month including utility bills (modern 18-apartment building with a fenced area and its own parking space, wet cleaning of the entrance every other day, 54 square meters, one bedroom + kitchen-living room, among pine trees, squirrels and roe deer run they come to drink from the stream - I watch from the window). Prestigious area of Pirita, 5 minutes to the sea, 15 minutes to the center by car. There are no traffic jams, the traffic is cultural. Private kindergarten - 320 euros per month, in the forest. Fitness spa center - 10 min, 700┬ year, excellent conditions. The products are wonderful. The air is fresh. Boring isn't it boring? Who cares? I don’t go to nightclubs myself, but I think that’s okay. A plus for me is that it’s easy to get to Europe. By ferry - Sweden, Finland, Norway, by plane - Germany, England, Holland, etc. In Moscow, you can go to Sheremetyevo as if you were going anywhere from here, the airport is nearby. There is really no bureaucracy; a lot is done online. I’m not very aware of the work, because... We didn’t try to search, many say it’s difficult, but I met a lot of local, educated Russians who know Estonian, and they’re doing fine. Estonians are reserved, but quite friendly. For me, this is better than the crowd of friendly and overly friendly Asians in Moscow. A very good city for a quiet, I would say “eco-friendly” life with children, for those who are tired of dirt, smog, traffic jams, migrant workers and other delights of the metropolis. I don’t miss Moscow, I’m only missing the people with whom I’m used to communicating. Although in Moscow people rarely see each other, when I come to Moscow for two weeks, I meet someone more often than before. I don't know if all this is still interesting to you?
In some ways you are right, in others you are wrong. The benefits, although small, are there. For example, for our three children (the youngest is not yet three years old) the total is 190 euros per month. In Russia, in our case, we would no longer receive any benefits. The child went to first grade - an allowance of 320 euros (16,000 rubles). Prices for communal services are high, but it’s also pleasant to live in a house; there are an order of magnitude fewer dirty entrances and unkempt courtyards here than in Russia. There is social housing, although it is not easy to get and the contingent there is appropriate, but in Russia it is no better. Education in Russian schools is at a quite decent level, I don’t know where you got the idea of “going back three grades.” There are weaker schools, but there are very good lyceums. If desired and necessary, a language can be learned even by non-polyglots. Russian saleswomen and security guards in stores, far from giving the impression of highbrow intellectuals, speak it quite fluently. Medical care is not at a very high level, the system with family doctors is really not very convenient. But at the same time, children under 19 years of age receive free dental treatment at the expense of the state health insurance fund in almost any clinic, and not just in poor state clinics, as in Russia. As for teaching history, United Russia probably would not approve the local programs, but in general there is nothing terrible about them. In my opinion, the single history textbook that they are trying to push through in Russian schools is in this sense much worse and more dangerous, because its goal is to wean people from thinking and establish unanimity.
So there are problems here, but it’s not worth painting everything in black.
Born and raised in Estonia. Left under the USSR. It's a pity I didn't return before the scoop collapsed. Back then we still lived normally in Russia. Now the “twitch” was to visit elderly parents in Maardu, such as family reunification, caring for the elderly, etc. But what the heck - they refused. It’s a shame, however, but according to the law everything is correct. Now I’m “racking” my brain on how to go back and not travel through Schengen endlessly after 90 days. It’s kind of too late to look for a husband after 45 years. But I definitely want to leave Russia. And I'll leave. There is no need to frighten me with problems in Estonia, I am already frightened by Russian problems. After our Pimi and Maxima, going to Magnets with Pyaterochki is simply nauseating. And I only get used to the widespread Russian rudeness a couple of months after returning from my historical homeland to the Skeleton country.
A wonderful country to live. Excellent business environment. In six months I was able to develop a consulting firm.
My name is Larisa Vlasenkova. I was born and raised in . Since childhood, I have been involved in various sports, until by the age of ten I decided and chose swimming. At eighteen I was already a master of sports, I traveled all over Europe, even visited Canada once. Competitive and training life forces us to spend a lot of time on the road and in other cities and countries.
There is usually little time left for personal life, so athletes often find their life partners in their environment. There is nothing surprising about this. We have no time to go to parties and discos, and there is no need to. Sports mode and the desire to simply get some sleep in your free time.
While I was actively involved in swimming, to be honest, I had no time for a serious relationship. I wanted to achieve the highest achievements in my event, that is, to become at least a European champion, not to mention a world championship. But in swimming the competition is very high, and I was only able to reach the second step of the podium in European tournaments twice.
Swimming is now rapidly becoming younger, and after twenty-seven there is nothing to do in the pool. Then it was time to think about what I would do next. This question sooner or later faces all athletes. I was probably luckier than others. I knew a lot of guy swimmers, and I had relationships with some of them. You understand, hotels, training bases and so on.
One Estonian was especially persistent, with whom life often collided at the junior and youth levels. Once, at a competition in Finland, he actually said: “When you get married, call me. I'll wait". At first I didn’t take it very seriously, but the guy, whose name was Axel Kaas, was persistent. And almost three years ago I gave him my consent.
You should have seen Axel. Tall, muscular, blond, perfectly built, like all swimmers. He spoke excellent Russian, had a refined sense of humor, was cultured and polite. He read me poems and gave me flowers. How much does a woman need?
It's been a difficult time for me. It was necessary to decide on a future career. I, like many of my friends, graduated from the Institute of Physical Education and received a coaching license. Axel invited me to move to him in Tallinn, where he coached youth, and become his assistant. He promised to make the invitation from the Estonian Swimming Federation without any problems. All that remained was to master the Estonian language and formalize our relationship.
My parents didn't mind. They liked Axel right away. Therefore, he and I got busy with paperwork. Many Russians view Estonia as a springboard to get to Europe. In 2004, this Baltic country became a member of the European Union and received the corresponding privileges. Now many citizens of Ukraine, Belarus and other republics of the former Soviet Union are seeking to obtain Estonian citizenship as a transit citizenship, in order to then move to a developed country, such as Germany or France.
Of course, this circumstance cannot but irritate the Estonian authorities. Therefore, they treat all potential emigrants with some prejudice. Estonian immigration legislation is very strict precisely for this reason. Even ethnic Estonians who decide to move to their historical homeland face certain difficulties in obtaining citizenship. What can we say about other nationalities? The only benefit when emigrating to Estonia can be used by those citizens who are descendants of the original inhabitants of Estonia who lived in this country from 1918 to 1940. This is the period of Estonia’s independence.
The rest of the applicants have to go through quite a long path to naturalize here.
Emigration methods
I had to familiarize myself in some detail with all the possible ways of emigrating to Estonia so as not to get into trouble. Dad warned me that marriage could be temporary, and I could really end up in a foreign country, like nothing. Therefore, you need to worry about a backup option, which at any moment may turn out to be the main one.
Estonia is not a rich country, so foreigners who want to do business on its territory and are ready to open their own company are welcomed here with open arms. By creating a commercial structure, you can realistically expect to receive an Estonian residence permit. It is issued initially for two years, and then extended for another five years. In order for the residence permit to be renewed, it is necessary to prove that the company opened by the new immigrant has carried out business activities, especially during the last eight months.
In addition, it is very important not to have any problems with the law, to comply with the conditions of residence in Estonia, then you can count on the automatic issuance of a permit guaranteeing permanent residence. Even if you have a residence permit in Estonia, you can get visa-free entry into any Schengen country. A foreigner in Estonia has the right to register a joint-stock company or a company similar to Russian limited liability companies.
To register a joint stock company, you need to contribute at least 25 thousand euros to the authorized capital; when registering an LLC, you will need to deposit about two and a half thousand euros into the company’s account. This money should be in one of the Estonian banks. Registration of a company is also associated with other expenses - payment of state duties, other mandatory payments, preparation of documents in a law firm, which can amount to six to eight thousand euros.
Estonia has a very moderate tax policy; there is no income tax. Value added tax is 18 percent, but only companies with an annual turnover exceeding 16 thousand euros pay it. All companies pay the state 35% of the funds they receive in the form of income. The company can be managed by a hired director, and the owner can reside in another state.
By registering a company, you can purchase any real estate, land, or any movable property in Estonia on the same day.
In addition to business emigration, there are the following ways to move to Estonia:
- for the purpose of family unification;
- employment;
- obtaining higher education;
- constant and legal sufficient income.
Axel and I decided to go two ways at once: register our marriage and get me an invitation to work. But even in this case, I needed to learn Estonian.
So, we officially registered our marriage, and I became Larisa Kaas. Then I needed to fill out an extensive questionnaire in which I indicated my future address of residence in Tallinn and the place of my proposed work. I had already received an invitation from the Estonian Swimming Federation. The problem was that Estonia does not yet have a structured program for professionals, but a call from an employer is very important for a positive decision by local immigration authorities. An employment contract was concluded with me for a period of one year with the possibility of extension, indicating the exact place of work and position.
It is quite possible that my marriage to an Estonian citizen would have been enough to obtain a temporary residence permit, but I myself wanted to feel confident in a new country and have a constant source of income so as not to feel like a dependent.
Statistics of marriages of Russian women and Estonians
Do you think that I threw myself into this pool headlong? No, of course, I read what they write on the Internet on this topic, collected all the information I found in one pile, and this is what I came up with.
Many Russian women are interested in Estonian men, who are pragmatic and reserved. There are certain stereotypes that form the basis for the image of Estonian men. But once you get to know them better, not a trace remains of these boring stereotypes.
I can say with good reason, being married to a 100% Estonian, that he is not so slow. Firstly, he was an excellent athlete, showing very fast seconds in the pool and winning various tournaments. Perhaps the conclusion about slowness is drawn because Estonians speak Russian a little slowly? But when they speak their native language, their speech sounds quite quickly. Estonian men also seem cold, devoid of feelings and emotions, but this is not true either. My Axel and his friends, especially those who play sports, are full of enthusiasm and emotions.
What is really true is that Estonians love to work and are very friendly. My Axel is a typical Estonian, proud, physically strong, honest and neat. Communicating with him is, I assure you, a complete pleasure. Axel, like many of his compatriots, treats his family very responsibly; he is a wonderful owner, carefully looking after the house and, of course, me.
Estonians have a good sense of humor, many of them respect old traditions, although they are by no means old-fashioned. I assure you, an Estonian is a very reliable life partner, physical and material support, an indispensable assistant in household chores.
As far as I managed to understand, many Russian women linked their fate with Estonians. For this purpose, there are now a lot of dating services, including on the Internet. I was lucky, I knew my future husband for several years before committing my life to him.
Now about living conditions
Estonia ranks 40th in the list of countries in terms of living standards, and Russia is only 71st. Of course, my move to this Baltic country has nothing to do with this indicator. I would love my fellow countryman and stay in my beloved Volgograd. But at the time when I was thinking about marriage, there was not a single worthy candidate among my friends. Only married people. And I long ago decided not to have anything to do with this category.
This 40th place is calculated by the UN based on data on the average life expectancy in the country, the proportion of literate people, school attendance and the size of the gross product per capita.
The main problem that arose for me after moving was communication in public places. I still didn’t understand Estonian well and spoke haltingly, because I had only recently started learning the language, and I had very little practice. Axel forced me to speak to him only in Estonian at home, but I got angry and constantly switched to Russian.
And in shops and at work I had to explain myself in Estonian, because I saw how negatively others viewed Russian speech. Not all, of course, but many. As inexorable statistics say, one hundred thousand people live in Estonia who do not have any citizenship, neither Estonian, nor Russian, nor any other. How can this be, ask. But they arrived from different countries, received a residence permit, but no citizenship. In Estonia, this procedure is very complicated, so many people cannot succeed. But many don’t worry too much about this, they live on the basis of a permanent residence permit, and they are happy with everything.
In Narva, on the border with the Pskov region, almost the entire population is Russian-speaking. It is, of course, easier to find a common language there. But in the northeast or south, the problems are more acute, but they are also being resolved. In Estonia, not a single demonstration or even rally of people whose rights are being infringed has been recorded. This has happened more than once in neighboring Latvia, but here the authorities are somehow pursuing a more flexible policy. Or the mentality of Estonians is more loyal, and their horizons are broad. In general, I would never marry a Latvian.
Even official representatives coming from Russia, who try to delve into the life of Russians in Estonia, conclude that our compatriots live, although not in ideal conditions, but in quite normal ones. You might think that Russians in Russia live in ideal conditions. I would not say that my parents in Volgograd live better than the parents of my husband Axel Kaas. Quite the opposite. And the pension in Estonia is higher, and the standard of living is better, and the streets are calmer, and they are more optimistic about tomorrow.
Well, there was a lot of noise around Russian schools in Estonia. And it seems to me that they are quite enough. The problem now seems to be reversed. In Narva, for example, Russian parents want their children to study in an Estonian school. They want their children’s future to be connected with Estonia, so that they can receive a full-fledged higher education and well-paid jobs. As it turned out, there are few Estonian schools in Narva, and a shortage of Russian ones. This is connected, in my opinion, with the stabilization of life in Estonia, with its entry into the European Union. But there are few people who want to move to Russia.
A little about the country
Due to the nature of our work, my husband and I travel a lot around Estonia, but rather to schools. We are looking for talent, so to speak. This is an amazing country, with ancient cities and untouched nature, but at the same time with comfortable hotels and popular resorts, small shops and souvenir shops, shopping centers, noisy nightclubs and gourmet restaurants and cozy cafes.
Forested hills, white sand, lakes and stories. The formation of Estonian culture has been influenced by a large number of different cultures. There are many German manors, Danish knightly castles, medieval fortresses, domes of Orthodox churches, unique colorful manors and mills left on the territory of the country.
Estonians rightfully consider themselves one of the most ancient peoples living in Europe. Estonia is very advantageously located geographically. This is practically the crossroads of trade routes that go from South to North and from West to East. That is why these lands were literally in great demand at all times. From ancient times to the present time. That is why Estonia is so attractive for tourists now. This small country really has a lot to see.
Estonia became independent only in 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed. The whole country is washed by the seas, the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Riga, and itself is a flat plain and one and a half thousand islands.
Climate and population
I like the climate and the state of my body quite well. Temperate, somewhere between maritime and continental, and not cold in winter, -7 on average, and not hot in summer, on average +20. There is not much precipitation, most often in autumn and winter, although the weather is often changeable due to the proximity of the sea. You can swim until the end of summer, but since I spend my whole life in the pool, swimming is not a problem for me.
The country's population is slightly more than one and a half million people, of which 800 thousand live in three large cities: in Tallinn - a little more than 500 thousand, in Tartu - approximately 120 thousand, and in Narva - more than 90 thousand people.
How to get there?
You can get to Estonia from Russia by a branded train from Moscow, which runs every day and gets to Tallinn in 15 hours, as well as by plane, which flies four times a week. In addition, many people travel by car or bus, although no one can guarantee that they won’t have to stand in a long line at customs. In Estonia, Visa, Eurocard, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards are accepted almost everywhere for payment. ATMs are located everywhere, so there are no problems getting cash. They don’t really like traveler’s checks here, so it’s better not to take them with you.
What’s nice is that the Western Union international cash transfer system works. I use it regularly when sending translations to my parents. Axel and I earn good money, so why not help the elderly? And my husband constantly reminds me of this. Estonians honor old age; this respectful attitude towards older people is imbibed with their mother’s milk.
How to contact?
The telephone code of Estonia is 372. Once dialed, you need to dial the county or city code, and then the telephone number. To call abroad, we first dial 00. Any telephone conversation in Estonia is paid. Yes, this is good, once again no one will bother you or chat for an hour. The helpline number is 165, and if you dial 16116, the person you are calling will pay for the call.
Street machines allow you to contact any country in the world. In order to use a street machine, you need to buy a telephone card. They sell for between 30 and 100 CZK. By the way, you can call almost any payphone; their numbers are indicated in the booths.
What to drive around Estonia?
When my husband is busy and cannot give me a ride by car, I gladly take the bus. These modern, mostly Swedish cars connect all cities with each other, and even transport passengers in the cities themselves, fulfilling the schedule down to the minute. Public transport starts at five thirty in the morning and finishes at midnight.
Taxi drivers charge very loyally and, most importantly, only according to the meter. When ordering by phone, there is no additional charge for this service. For the convenience of passengers, all prices are posted on a piece of paper attached to the side window. The cost is on average from 0.1 to 0.15 euros per kilometer, but you can’t get cheaper than 0.5 euros per trip, even if the distance is very short.
About security measures
I assure you, it is difficult to find a safer country to live in. Of course, the crime rate is not completely zero, but tourists and local residents feel comfortable both in big cities and at a distance from them, both during daylight hours and at night. Apparently, life safety is attracting attention from all sides to Estonia. But it is also necessary to warn about existing dangers, since in recent years many immigrants from different countries of the former Soviet Union have come to Estonia, and among them there are also those who like to make money at the expense of others.
In the markets you need to be on your guard and not forget about pickpockets. It is better not to take valuables or large sums of money with you. Yes, you can do without a mobile phone and a passport while shopping.
When making expensive purchases, you should definitely ask for a receipt, check that it matches the amount paid, and keep it at home.
If you find yourself in an unfamiliar place at night, or find yourself next to a dubious bar, it is possible that there will be people who want to check your wallet. You must behave prudently, not run into trouble and not give reason to doubt your sobriety.
You cannot drive in Estonia after drinking even one hundred grams of beer.
You cannot cross the road without waiting for a steady green signal. Don't assume that you can run a red light unnoticed. A car may appear unexpectedly, and then only you will be responsible for your life.
You can and should contact the police. They are always ready to help. Almost all police officers know Russian perfectly well, and if not, they will immediately call a Russian-speaking colleague. To call the police there is a number 110, both from landlines and mobile phones. You can call 112 for an ambulance or fire brigade.
About prices for goods and services
A bus ticket in Tallinn costs about 1.3 euros for an hour trip.
A cup of coffee costs approximately 1.3 euros.
For a loaf of bread you need to pay about 1 euro.
To travel by bus from Tallinn to Tartu, you need to pay 9.9 euros.
For a business lunch in a cafe or restaurant you need to pay about 5 euros.
A bottle of beer costs 1 euro.
It is most profitable to exchange currency at one of the banks, which are open on weekdays from 9 am to 6 pm, and some of them are open until lunch on Saturdays. There are exchange offices in any large hotel, airport, shopping centers and train stations. You have to be careful, because the sign in front of the exchange rate indicates a favorable rate, and people only find out about the commission after handing over their banknotes.
About taxes and utility bills
My husband and I live in a two-room apartment in the center of Tallinn. His parents live permanently in a village outside the city, in their wooden house. Real estate in Estonia is not subject to taxes, neither houses nor apartments. But all homeowners pay land tax. In multi-storey buildings, so-called “ideal parts” are assigned to all apartments. We are talking about land plots into which all the land located under this building is divided. Land taxes are calculated in proportion to the square footage of the apartment. Owners of private houses, accordingly, pay for their land in full.
The rate for this tax is set by local authorities. It is different in each region. The tax amount can range from 0.1 to 2.5 percent of the cadastral value of the land plot for the year. On agricultural plots this tax ranges from 0.1 to 2.0 percent per year. In Tallinn and Pärnu, the land tax is 1.5 percent. In Tartu they charge 1 percent.
Land tax is charged to apartment owners in the amount of approximately 30 euros per year, and owners of plots measuring ten acres are charged 190 euros annually. Taxes are paid once a year, but if the amount is above 64 euros, then the payment can be divided into two stages. If payment is late, a penalty of 0.06% will be charged for each day. 22% accumulates in a year. But in Estonia it’s better not to joke with taxes. They are not that big, so it is best to apply them in a timely manner. By the way, in North-Eastern Estonia the amount of tax on apartments is so insignificant that local authorities do not charge it at all.
The amounts of utility bills in Estonia are quite high. In the same North-Eastern Estonia, apartment owners pay 0.3 euros per square meter of space every month. If there is central heating, then during the heating season an accrual of 2 to 2.5 euros per square meter is made. Electricity in Estonia costs 0.1 euros per kilowatt/hour. If you add up all these payments, you have to pay up to 120 euros every month for an apartment in the winter. And in modern cottages, equipped with everything necessary, for example, underground parking, alarms, security, electric gates, you have to shell out 500 euros, or even more, every month.
The amount of payment for utilities in Estonia depends not only on how many residents are registered in the apartment. The mandatory payment includes the square footage of housing; it depends on the location of the apartment or house, and individual meters are installed for water, electricity and gas. Heating costs are paid only during the heating season.
Residents of all houses in Estonia organize owners' associations or entrust a management company to take care of their household needs, which monitors the condition of elevators, roofing, garbage chutes, electricity, sewerage, and so on. Homeowners enter into an agreement with the management company.
It is very comfortable. For example, when we go on a business trip or vacation, we leave a set of keys to the apartment to the chosen person in charge of the house. During this period of our absence, you can also order the apartment to be cleaned or the dust wiped and the flowers watered. Then the management company includes the amount for the work performed in its invoice. The amount of the invoice is affected by the volume of services performed. If a foreign citizen owns real estate in Estonia, he can pay utility bills and taxes remotely. For these purposes, he must open an account in the bank in which transactions for the payment of these utility and tax bills are carried out.
the cost of living
Estonia is spoken of as the poorest country in the European Union. In 2011, the average salary was only 700 euros. But in reality, many in Estonia do not receive even this money. According to the authorities, 16 percent live below the poverty line, and there are many unemployed in the country. In the same year, 2011, every tenth able-bodied citizen did not have an official job. This is 66 thousand people.
Prices for services and goods depend on these factors. When Estonia switched to the euro at the beginning of 2011, the cost of food immediately jumped, but nevertheless, it is still on average 20 percent lower than in other EU countries.
Here are the prices for the goods that I recorded in the Maxim retail chain.
- New potatoes – 1 euro per kilo.
- Chicken eggs - 0.7 euros per dozen.
- A loaf of semi-smoked sausage (250 grams) – 1.2 euros.
- 500 grams of pork sausages – 1.8 euros.
- One kg of chilled pork tenderloin – 7 euros.
- Hake (carcass), – 1 kg 4.2 euros.
- 500 grams of pasta – 0.9 euros.
- 800 grams of rice – 1.6 euros.
- 250 grams of “Truffles” sweets – 2.4 euros.
- A bag of Lace chips – 1.2 euros.
- A loaf of black bread with seeds – 0.7 euros.
- A bottle of Italian table wine – 3.3 euros.
- A bottle of Canadian whiskey – 8.3 euros.
The cost of a public transport ticket differs depending on where it is purchased. At the kiosk 1 euro, from the driver 1.6 euros. In Tallinn there are hourly and day passes, which give the right to board any city transport. For an hour of travel you need to pay 0.96 euros, for a day - 4.47 euros, for three days - 7.35 euros.
A popular service in Estonia is car rental. Daily rent costs on average from 25 to 35 euros. If you came to Estonia by car or rented one, do not forget that parking in the center of Tallinn and the Old Town is paid. You will also have to pay for parking in the seaside area called Pirita.
There are special parking machines and parking service employees to pay for parking. If you leave your car for an hour in the center of Tallinn, you will have to fork out 3 euros, and an hour's parking in the Old Town will cost 4.6 euros. If you leave for no more than fifteen minutes, you will not be charged. To do this, cars are equipped with a special clock that will indicate the time when the car was parked. You can also write the exact time on a piece of paper and stick it under the windshield wiper.
Gasoline A98, which is sold by a Norwegian state-owned company, costs more than 1.3 euros in Tallinn. This is a historical maximum on the Estonian market. A95 gasoline costs motorists 1.26 euros and more.
I use mobile communications from the operator TELE2. This operator has a special conversational SIM card with which I can call both within Estonia and Russia, to my parents and friends. A minute of conversation with Volgograd costs me 0.16 euros, and if I call my husband, who also has TELE2, then this call is free, and negotiations within Estonia with subscribers of other operators, for example, EMT, cost 0.1 euros per minute of conversation .
You can access the Internet in many places: in libraries, at post offices. There are free access zones that can be found in unexpected places: on the beach, in a park, in a city square, stadium or concert hall.
Renting out apartments and houses
All homeowners can rent it out. Either on your own or with the help of a real estate company. Although landlords do not receive good income. There is a crisis in this service in Estonia, as supply far exceeds demand. If you're lucky, you can rent an apartment somewhere on the periphery without paying rent, you only have to pay for utilities. Apartments in the center of Tallinn and Tartu, which is considered the student capital of Estonia, are in great demand. Pärnu is also popular during the holiday season.
Property value
On average, the cost of housing in Estonia is about 800 euros per square meter. This value fluctuates little, and there is no tendency to grow or fall. Except that in Tallinn the price of housing has increased by 5-6 percent. This situation arose due to the stable supply of apartments on the market. The number of proposals ranges from 19,500 to 21,000 apartments.
Some information for tourists
A hotel in Tallinn will cost from 25 to 30 euros per day, lunch in an average restaurant - 10 euros, and in souvenir shops you can leave from 10 to 20 euros, plus the purchase of a day pass. So you need to budget from 70 to 100 euros per day.
Many people are mistaken about amber. Let me remind you that it is not available in Estonia, and almost all souvenirs are made in Finland (forks, wooden spoons, mugs).
If you buy a souvenir in the Old Town, you will pay twice as much. It's worth buying only knitted items there.
By the way, many people come from Finland to Estonia on weekends for shopping. This says a lot. All major shopping centers are open seven days a week.
Antiques, icons, furniture, jewelry, books, alcohol, textiles, and handicrafts made of wood are brought from Estonia.
Parking at shopping centers is free, there are currency exchange offices and children's playrooms everywhere.
There is a lot to see and buy in Estonia. And in general, this small hospitable country has already become a second homeland for me. I am going to give birth to children here and instill in them the foundations of European culture. And I’m not going to forget about my native Volgograd, especially since my parents and friends live there.
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