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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox Ethnic group
|group='''Russians in Estonia''' {{short description|Ethnic Russians living in Estonia}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
|poptime= 345,000 (est.) (25% of total population)
| group = '''Russians in Estonia'''
|popplace = ], ]
| pop = 296,268 (est.)<br>
(21.5% of total population)
| popplace = ], ]
| languages = ] and ]
| religions = ]
| related_groups =
| image =
}} }}
] in Estonia and municipality in ] and ], according to 2021 censuses]]
The beginning of continuous ] in what is now ] dates back to the late 17th century when several thousand Russian ], escaping religious persecution in ], settled in areas then a part of the ] near the western coast of ].<ref>{{cite book |title=Eastern Europe |last=Frucht |first=Richard |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2005 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location= |isbn=1576078000 |page=65 |pages= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=lVBB1a0rC70C&pg=PA65&dq |accessdate= }}</ref>
], a Russian-born singer and actress, was raised and now lives in Estonia, and also represented the country in the ]. ]]


In ], the population of '''ethnic ]''' ({{Langx|ru|Русские Эстонии|translit=Russkiye Estonii}}, {{Langx|et|Eesti venelased}}) is estimated at 296,268, most of whom live in the capital city ] and other urban areas of ] and ]. While a small settlement of ] on the coast of ] has an over 300-year long history, the large majority of the ethnic Russian population in the country originates from the ] from ] and other parts of the former ] during the 1944–1991 ] of ].
After Estonia regained independence in 1991 the Russians who had arrived to the country during the Soviet era were regarded as immigrants who'd need to apply for Estonian citizenship. Between 1992 and 2007 about 147.000 people acquired Estonian citizenship bringing down the proportion of stateless residents from 32% to about 8 percent.<ref name="FIWR">{{cite book |title=Freedom in the World: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties |last=Puddington |first=Arch |authorlink= |coauthors=Aili Piano, Camille Eiss, Tyler Roylance, Freedom House |year=2007 |publisher=Published by Rowman & Littlefield |location= |isbn=0742558975 |page=248 |pages= |chapter=Estonia |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-tI2NuQLLuYC&pg=PA248&dq |accessdate= }}</ref>


== Early contacts ==
==First contacts and settlements==
The Estonian name for Russians ''vene'', ''venelane'' derives from an old Germanic loan ''veneð'' referring to the ], speakers of a Slavic language who lived on the southern coast of ].<ref>{{cite book |title=Historical Linguistics |last=Campbell |first=Lyle |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=2004 |publisher=MIT Press |location= |isbn=0262532670 |page=418 |pages= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=EjXrrOJhex8C&pg=PA418&dq }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Foreword to the Past |last=Bojtár |first=Endre |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1999 |publisher=Central European University Press |location= |isbn=963911642 |page=88 |pages= |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=5aoId7nA4bsC&pg=PA88&dq }}</ref> The modern Estonian-language word for Russians ''vene(lane)'' is probably related to an old Germanic word ''veneð'' referring to the ], speakers of a ] who lived on the southern coast of the ] during the ].{{r|Campbell2004}}{{r|Bojtar1999}}


The troops of prince ] of ] defeated Estonian '']s'' in ca. 1030 and established a fort of ''Yuryev'' (in modern-day ]),<ref>{{cite book|last1=Tvauri|first1=Andres|title=The Migration Period, Pre-Viking Age, and Viking Age in Estonia|date=2012|pages=33, 59, 60|url=https://www.etis.ee/Portal/Publications/Display/b80b6f11-43ed-4b8c-b616-48ac53b70ec5?language=ENG|access-date=27 December 2016}}</ref> which may have survived there until ca. 1061, when the fort's defenders were defeated and driven out by the tribe of ''Sosols''.{{r|Miljan}}<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mäesalu|first1=Ain|title=Could Kedipiv in East-Slavonic Chronicles be Keava hill fort?|journal=Estonian Journal of Archaeology|date=2012|volume=1|issue=16supplser|page=199|doi=10.3176/arch.2012.supv1.11|url=http://www.kirj.ee/public/Archaeology/2012/sup_vol_1/arhe-keava-2012-195-200.pdf|access-date=27 December 2016}}</ref>
Prince ] of ] successfully raided ] in ], burning down the Estonian stronghold<ref name="vtartu"></ref>. The Russian foothold Yuryev built on its ashes survived until ], when ] were driven out by Estonians, making most Early East Slavic settlements at the time in Estonia intermittent only and not continuous<ref></ref>.


Outside of south-east Estonia archeologists unearthed a mediaeval Russian settlement in ] (]). Russian Orthodox community in the area built a church in the 16th century and later ] was created on its site.<ref></ref> Russian cultural influence had its mark on Estonian language, with a number of words such as "turg" (trade)<!--, "raamat" - highly unlikely -- compare Finnish "raamattu"(record)--> and "rist" (cross) adopted from ]<ref> Kahk J., Palamets H., Vahtre S. "Estee NVS Ajaloost Lisamaterjali VII-VIII Klassi NVS Liidu Ajaloo Kursuse Juurde 7. Trukk" Tallin: "Valgus", 1974 </ref>. <!-- The Kuremäe, ] Russian settlement dates from the 18th century, although according to a legend retold by some members of the Orthodox community in the area the first Orthodox church was allegedly built in Kuremäe already in the 16th century. In 1891 the ] was presumably created exactly on top of its site. Russian cultural influence had its mark on Estonian language, with a number of words such as "turg" (trade)--><!--, "raamat" - highly unlikely -- compare Finnish "raamattu"(record) and "rist" (cross) adopted from ].
In 1217, an allied Ugaunian-Novgorodian army defended the Ugaunian stronghold of ] from the German knights. Novgorodian prince ] died in 1224 with all his ] ] of ] together with his Ugaunian and ] allies against the ] led by ]. -->
Due to close trade links with the ] and ] republics, small communities of Orthodox merchants and craftsmen from these neighboring states sometimes remained in the Estonian towns of medieval '']'' for extended periods of time. Between 1558 and 1582, ] (]) captured large parts of mainland Estonia, but eventually his troops were driven out by ] and ] armies.


== 17th century to independent Estonia ==
The ] started in the Baltics by the ] was resisted by all the natives of the region ] as well as ].<ref>Kahk J., Palamets H., Vahtre S. "Estee NVS Ajaloost Lisamaterjali VII-VIII Klassi NVS Liidu Ajaloo Kursuse Juurde 7. Trukk" Tallin: "Valgus", 1974 </ref>. In ] allied Russian-Estonian army defended fort ] from German knights. Russian prince ] died in ] with all his ] defending fortress Tharbatu (modern ]) together with his Estonian allies against ] led by ]. Russians were gradually driven out of Estonia<ref> </ref>.
]]]
The beginning of continuous Russian settlement in what is now Estonia dates back to the late 17th century when several thousand ] ], escaping religious persecution in Russia, settled in areas then a part of the ] near the western coast of ].{{r|Frucht2005}}
The conquest of what is now Estonia and Latvia by ] and the German crusaders in the beginning of the 13th century greatly reduced ] and ] influence in the region. ] Saint ] was drowned in ] in the ice holes of the ] river for his refusal to adopt ] together with 72 Orthodox Christians. <ref> </ref>. Nonetheless, Orthodox churches and small communities of Russian merchants and craftsmen came into being in the towns of medieval ] (i.e., Estonia and Latvia) as did close trade links with Russian ], ] and ] principalities. In ], ] laid siege to the castle ] and briefly captured several other towns in eastern Livonia in response to a Livonian attack on north-west Russia. Between ] and ], ] captured much of mainland Estonia, in the midst of the ], but eventually the Russians were driven out by ] and Swedish armies. Tsar ] once again captured towns in eastern Livonia, including ] and ] in modern Estonia between ] and ], but had to yield his Livonian and ]n conquests to ]. In the late 17th century several thousand Russian ], escaping religious persecution in ], settled in areas of Estonia (then controlled by Sweden) near the western coast of ].


In the 18th century, after the ] conquest of the northern Baltic region, including Estonia, from Sweden in the ] (1700–1721),<!--divided between the ] and ] became part of the ] but maintained local autonomy and were administered independently by the local ] nobility through a feudal Regional Council ({{langx|de|Landtag}})-->{{r|Smith2005}} a second period of immigration from Russia followed.<!--the ] conquest of the northern Baltic region, including Estonia, from Sweden in 1700–1721.--> Although under the new rule, power in the region remained primarily in the hands of the local ] nobility, but a limited number of administrative jobs was gradually taken over by Russians, who settled in Reval (Tallinn) and other major towns.
==Second wave of settlement==
The second period of influx of Russians followed the ] conquest of the northern Baltic region, including Estonia, from Sweden in 1700&ndash;1721. Under Russian rule, power in the region remained primarily in the hands of the ] nobility, but a limited number of administrative jobs was gradually taken over by Russians, who settled in Reval (]) and other major towns. However, a relatively larger number of ethnic Russian workers settled in Tallinn and ] during the period of rapid industrial development in the end of 19th century and the beginning of 20th century. After the ], the share of ethnic Russians in the population of independent Estonia was about 10%, of which about half were indigenous Russians living in the areas in and around ] and ] which were added to Estonian territory according to the 1920 Estonian-Soviet Peace ], but were transferred to the ] by the Soviet authorities in 1945.


A relatively larger number of ethnic Russian workers settled in Tallinn and Narva during the period of rapid industrial development at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. After ], the share of ethnic Russians in the population within the boundaries of newly independent Estonia was 7.3%.{{r|Miksike}} About half of these were indigenous ethnic Russians living in the ] ] and east of ] ("]"), in the two areas which had been added to Estonian territory according to the 1920 Peace ], but were transferred to the ] in 1944.
==Third influx==
In 1939 ethnic Russians comprised 8% of the population. Most of the present-day Russians in Estonia are migrants from the Soviet era and their descendants. Following the terms of the 1939 ], the ] occupied and annexed Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1940. Soviet authorities carried out repressions against many prominent ethnic Russians activists in Estonia and Russian ]. Many Russians in Estonia were arrested and executed by different Soviet War Tribunals in 1940-1941.<ref> http://www.historycommission.ee/temp/pdf/appendixes/312-318.pdf Estonian International Commission for Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity.</ref> After Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, the three countries quickly fell under German control. Many Russians, especially Communist party members who had arrived in the area with the initial annexation, retreated to Russia; those who fell into German hands were treated harshly, many were executed.


In the aftermath of ] Estonia became an independent state where ethnic Russians<!--repeats above: comprising 8% of the total population among other ethnic minorities,--> established Cultural Self-Governments according to the 1925 Estonian Law on Cultural Autonomy.{{r|Suksi1998}} The state was tolerant of the ] and became a home to many Russian émigrés after the ] in 1917.{{r|NYT081206}}
After the war, ] initiated ]. Various ] that were relocated to ] were mostly ] who settled in major ]s, as well as military personnel stationed in the region in significant numbers{{Fact|date=October 2007}} due to the border location of the Baltic States within the Soviet Union. Many military retirees chose to stay in the region, which featured higher ]s compared to other parts of Soviet Union. By the ], ethnic Russians made up a third of the population in Estonia.


== World War II and Soviet Estonia ==
During the ] a large fraction of Russian-speaking Soviet immigrants who were organised in ] actively opposed Estonia regaining its independence.
] in 1945.]]
After the ] in 1940,{{r|Malksoo}}{{r|Chern2004}} repression of both ethnic Estonians and ethnic Russians followed. According to Sergei Isakov, almost all societies, newspapers, organizations of ethnic Russians in Estonia were closed in 1940 and their activists persecuted.{{r|Isakov2005-21}} The country remained ] to the Soviet Union until 1991, except for the period of ] occupation between 1941 and 1944. In the course of ], thousands of ] to the interior parts of Russia (mostly ]), and huge numbers of Russian-speaking Soviet citizens were encouraged to settle in Estonia. During the Soviet era, the Russian population in Estonia grew from about 23,000 people in 1945 to 475,000 in 1991, and other Russian-speaking population to 551,000, constituting 35% of the total population at its peak.{{r|Chinn1996}}


In 1939 ethnic Russians had comprised 8% of the population; however, following the annexation of about {{convert|2000|km²|0|abbr=on}} of land by the ] in January 1945, including ] (then the eastern suburb of Narva) and the Petseri County, Estonia lost most of its inter-war ethnic Russian population. Of the estimated 20,000 Russians remaining in Estonia, the majority belonged to the historical community of ].{{r|Smith2001}}
===Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn===


Most of the present-day Russians in Estonia are recent migrants and their descendants who settled in during the ] between 1945 and 1991. <!--Following the terms of the 1939 ],--> After the Soviet Union occupied and annexed Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1940. The ] authorities carried out repressions against many prominent ethnic Russians activists and ] in Estonia.{{r|Isakov2005-394}} Many Russians were arrested and executed by different Soviet war tribunals in 1940–1941.{{r|EICICAH}} After ] in 1941, the Baltic States quickly fell under German control. Many Russians, especially Communist party members who had arrived in the area with the initial occupation and annexation, retreated; those who fell into the German hands were treated harshly, many were executed.{{Citation needed|date=August 2018}}
One of the most notable Russians who has lived in Estonia has been ]. After the KGB had confiscated some of his materials in Moscow, during 1965-1967 the preparatory drafts of ] were turned into finished typescript while hiding in an Estonian farmhouse near ]. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn had shared a cell in the KGB Lubyanka Prison with ], a lawyer and former minister of Education of Estonia. Solzhenitsyn completed The Gulag Archipelago at the Susi's family home. After completion the original Solzhenitsyn's handwritten script was kept hidden from KGB in Estonia until 1998 by Arnold Susi's daughter Heli Susi.<ref>{{cite book |title=Art of the Baltics: The Struggle for Freedom of Artistic Expression Under the Soviets, 1945-1991 |last=Rosenfeld |first=Alla |authorlink= |coauthors=Norton T. Dodge |year=2001 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |location= |isbn=9780813530420 |pages=55, pp.134 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=r73fmcC5itkC&pg}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Invisible Allies |last=Solzhenitsyn |first=Aleksandr |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1997 |publisher=Basic Books |location= |isbn=9781887178426 |pages=46–64 The Estonians|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=5yYBZ35HPo4C&dq}}</ref>


After the war, Narva's inhabitants were for the most part not permitted to return and were replaced by refugees and workers administratively mobilized mostly among Russians, as well as other parts of the Soviet Union.{{r|Batt2002}} By 1989, ethnic Russians made up 30.3% of the population in Estonia.{{r|EstEu}}
==Recent situation==


During the ], the ], International Movement of the Workers of the ESSR, organised the local Russian resistance to the independence movement and purported to represent the ethnic Russians and other Russophones in Estonia.{{r|Bunce2005}}
In ], most Russians live in ] and the major northeastern cities of ] and ]. The rural areas are populated almost entirely by ethnic Estonians, except for some areas in eastern Estonia near ] which have a long history of settlement by Russians, including the ]' communities.

==Post-Soviet Estonia (1991–present)==
Today most Russians live in Tallinn and the major northeastern cities of Narva, Kohtla-Järve, ], and ]. The rural areas are populated almost entirely by ethnic Estonians, except for the coast of ], which has a long history of ] communities. In 2011, ] sociology professor ] found that 21% were successfully integrated, 28% showed partial integration, and 51% were unintegrated or little integrated.{{r|WAJ1407}}

There are efforts by the Estonian government to improve its tie with the Russian community with former Prime Minister ] learning Russian to better communicate with them.<ref name="Reuters">{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-baltics-russia/wary-of-divided-loyalties-a-baltic-state-reaches-out-to-its-russians-idUSKBN1630W2|title=Wary of divided loyalties, a Baltic state reaches out to its Russians|newspaper=Reuters|date=24 February 2017|last1=Mardiste|first1=Alistair Scrutton}}</ref> Former President ] is also considered to be a defender of the interests of the Russian-speaking minority, having previously moved to ] in order to "better understand the people and their problems".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://warsawinstitute.org/controversial-visit-president-estonia-meets-putin-kremlin/|title = A Controversial Visit: President of Estonia Meets with Putin at the Kremlin|date = 23 April 2019}}</ref> The younger generation is better integrated with the rest of the country such as joining the military via conscription and improving their Estonian language skills.<ref name="Reuters"/>


===Citizenship=== ===Citizenship===
The restored republic recognised citizenship only for the pre-occupation citizens or descendants from such (including the long-term Russian settlers from earlier influxes, such as Lake Peipus coast and the 10,000 residents of the Petseri County){{r|BT080521}}, rather than to grant Estonian nationality to all Estonian-resident Soviet citizens. The Citizenship Act provides the following requirements for naturalisation of those people who had arrived in the country after 1940,{{r|Luwdik1996}} the majority of whom were ethnic Russians: knowledge of the Estonian language, Constitution and a pledge of loyalty to Estonia.{{r|LO-CAE}} The government offers free preparation courses for the examination on the Constitution and the Citizenship Act, and reimburses up to 380 euros for language studies.{{r|20083010EE}}


Under the law, residents without citizenship may not elect the ] (the national parliament) nor the ], but are eligible to vote in the municipal elections.{{r|FIWR}} As of 2 July 2010, 84.1% of Estonian residents are Estonian citizens, 8.6% are citizens of other countries (mainly ]) and 7.3% are "persons with undetermined citizenship".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://estonia.eu/about-estonia/society/citizenship.html|title=Citizenship|publisher=Estonia.eu|date=13 July 2010|access-date=18 August 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100827195243/http://estonia.eu/about-estonia/society/citizenship.html|archive-date=27 August 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
After regaining independence in 1991 the restored ] recognised ] of everybody who was a citizen prior to the Soviet occupation of 1940 or descended from such a citizen (including the long-term Russian settlers from earlier influxes, such as those around near ]), but did not grant any new citizenships automatically. This affected people who had arrived in the country after 1940, the majority of whom were ethnic Russians. Knowledge of ] and history were set as conditions for ].<ref> (English translation)</ref> The government offers free preparation courses for the examination on the Constitution and the Citizenship Act and reimburses up to EEK 6,000 (approximately 380 euros) for language studies.<ref name=20083010EE />


Between 1992 and 2007 about 147,000 people acquired Estonian or Russian citizenship, or left the country, bringing the proportion of stateless residents from 32% down to about 8 percent.{{r|FIWR}} According to ]'s 2015 report, approximately 6.8% of Estonia's population are not citizens of the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/document/?indexNumber=pol10%2f0001%2f2015&language=en|title=Amnesty International Report 2014/15: The State of the World's Human Rights|date=25 February 2015|website=amnesty.org|language=en|access-date=2019-09-30}}</ref>
Under Estonian law, residents without citizenship may not vote in elections of ] (the national parliament) or European Parliament elections, but are eligible to vote in local (municipal) elections.<ref name="FIWR"/>


In late 2014 an amendment to the law was proposed that would give Estonian citizenship to children of non-citizen parents who have resided in Estonia for at least five years.{{r|Uudised141112}}
====Language requirements====


===Language requirements===
The perceived difficulty of the initial language tests necessary for naturalisation became a point of international contention, as the government of ] and a number of ] organizations objected on the grounds that they made it hard for many Russians who had not learned ] to gain Estonian citizenship in the short term. As a result, the tests were somewhat altered and the number of ]s has steadily decreased. According to Estonian officials, in 1992, 32% of residents lacked any form of citizenship. In July 2007, the Population Registry of the ] reported that 8.5% of Estonia's residents have ] and 7.8% have foreign citizenship<ref></ref>.
The perceived difficulty of the language tests became a point of international contention, as the government of the ] and a number of human rights organizations{{specify|date=September 2018}} objected on the grounds that they made it hard for many Russians who had not learned the language to gain the citizenship in the short term.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}} As a result, the tests were altered somewhat, due to which the number of ] persons steadily decreased. According to Estonian officials, in 1992, 32% of residents lacked any form of citizenship. In May 2009, the Population register reported that 7.6% of residents have ] and 8.4% have foreign citizenship, mostly Russian.{{r|VM-citiz}} As the Russian Federation was recognized as the ] to the Soviet Union, all former USSR citizens qualified for natural-born citizenship of Russia, available upon request, as provided by the law "On the RSFSR Citizenship" in force up to the end of 2000.{{r|EAH-Gradir}}


====Alternatives==== ===Socioeconomic status===
According to a 2016 report by the ], the Russian-speaking population in Estonia faced significant challenges in the labor market and education after the post-Soviet transition, which fostered a persistent perception of inequality among minority groups. Today, health conditions and access to healthcare are similar for both majority and minority populations. However, accumulated disadvantages affect marginalized Russian-speaking communities, who experience higher rates of extreme poverty, incarceration, homelessness, drug abuse, and HIV/AIDS. These issues contribute to social exclusion and may hinder the right to health for ethnic Russians and other minorities. Additionally, the reduced use of Russian in healthcare services has emerged as a new challenge, given Estonia's demographic composition.<ref>{{Cite web |title=#91: Estonian Ethnic Minorities: The Right to Health and the Dangers of Social Exclusion - European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) |url=https://www.ecmi.de/publications/ecmi-research-papers/91-estonian-ethnic-minorities-the-right-to-health-and-the-dangers-of-social-exclusion |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=www.ecmi.de}}</ref>


Estonian statistics show that ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers are disproportionately represented in a number of areas, including:
] being a ] to the ], all former ] citizens qualified for natural-born citizenship of ], available upon mere request, as provided by the law “On the RSFSR Citizenship” in force up to end of 2000.<ref>, by ] et al.</ref>
* 83% of persons registered as HIV-positive
* 70-85% of prostitutes
* nearly 60% of prison inmates
* 98% of injecting drug users
* 66.4% of the homeless population in Tallinn


===Politics===
===Allegations of discrimination ===
Historically, the ] has been the most popular party among Russian-speaking citizens. In 2012, it was supported by up to 75% of ethnic non-Estonians.<ref>, Postimees, 23 September 2012</ref>


In 2021, some pundits advanced as speculation that since 2019, ] support grew in the Russian community (notably in ] which has a majority of Russians), despite the party's ] and oftentimes anti-Russian rhetoric and positions. This was speculated by them to be attributable to the party opposition to ] and the softening of the rhetoric of the party at the time on Russia, and to its then coalition with the Centre Party.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.err.ee/1608087400/party-ratings-change-in-coalition-followed-by-reform-ekre-rise-in-support|title = Party ratings: Change in coalition followed by Reform, EKRE rise in support|date = 27 January 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.err.ee/1608089029/err-news-broadcast-greening-of-ida-viru-county-costing-center-support|title = ERR News broadcast: Greening of Ida-Viru County costing Center support|date = 28 January 2021}}</ref> However, despite these claims, the Conservative People's party underperformed in Ida-Viru County during the ], with only 8.4% of the votes in that county, their lowest result. In that county, the leftist and Russian minority-oriented ] performed a breakthrough during this election and obtained 14.9% of the votes. This party also performed better in ], where a significant Russian minority live, than in most other parts of Estonia.<ref>{{cite news |title=Valimised 2023 |url=https://www.err.ee/k/rk-valimised-2023 |access-date=6 March 2023 |language=et |work=Eesti Rahvusringhääling |archive-date=6 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306001007/https://www.err.ee/k/rk-valimised-2023 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Eesti Vabariik kokku |url=https://rk2023.valimised.ee/et/election-result/index.html |language=et }}</ref>
Some Russians continue to allege job, salary and housing discrimination on account of Estonian-language requirements. Russian government officials and parliamentarians echo these charges in a variety of forums. Both the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (]) mission in Estonia and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities have declared that they cannot find a pattern of human rights violations or abuses in Estonia. <ref></ref> However, ] has claimed that Russian-speaking linguistic minority living in Estonia often find themselves de facto excluded from the labour market and educational system. The report expressed the view that the current policies fail to constitute a coherent framework within which these rights can be guaranteed for such persons. Amnesty International cites as evidence the high unemployment rate — 12.9% in 2005 — among people belonging to Russian-speaking linguistic minority, in contrast to only 5.3% among ethnic Estonians during the same period.<ref></ref>


===By county===
The ] has also examined Estonia's treatment of its Russophone minority. In its conclusion, the centre notes that while all international organisations agree that no forms of systematic discrimination towards the Russian-speaking population can be observed and praises the efforts made thus far in amendments to laws on education, language and the status of non-citizens, there nevertheless remains the issue of the large number of such non-citizens.<ref>European Centre for Minority Issues: by Peter van Elsuwege]</ref> The think-tank ], sponsored by the ], published an article in 2005 alleging Latvia and Estonia employ a "sophisticated and extensive policy regime of discrimination" against their respective ] populations<ref></ref>; however, ] also published a responding article disputing those allegations as simplistic, particularly the conclusion that "in the absence of an end to discrimination and a state commitment to integration," Russophones will "seek justice through violence, or will exit by out-migration", given that the majority of Russophones were already citizens<ref></ref>.

{|class="wikitable"
!County
!Russians
!Percent
|-
|]
|92 090
|69.6%
|-
|]
|167 544
|25.9%
|-
|]
|15 059
|9.1%
|-
|]
|3 252
|11.6%
|-
|]
|4 951
|8.3%
|-
|]
|5 331
|6%
|-
|]
|1 445
|7%
|-
|]
|1 728
|6.3%
|-
|]
|1 051
|3%
|-
|]
|776
|3.2%
|-
|]
|1 105
|3.2%
|-
|]
|1 046
|2.3%
|-
|]
|655
|2.1%
|-
|]
|190
|0.6%
|-
|]
|45
|0.5%
|-
|Total
|296 268
|21.5%<ref>{{cite web|url=https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvastik__rahvastikunaitajad-ja-koosseis__rahvaarv-ja-rahvastiku-koosseis/RV0222U|title=Population by sex, ethnic nationality and County, 1 January|date=1 January 2021|work=stat.ee|publisher=]|access-date=28 March 2014}}</ref>
|}


As of October 30, 2008, 116,677, or 8%, of Estonia's population remain non-citizens.<ref name=20083010EE></ref>


==Notable Russians from Estonia== ==Notable Russians from Estonia==
*] (1797–1846), Russian patriotic poet and ] (1825) revolutionary; raised in Estonia.
Noteworthy modern Russians who at some point lived in Estonia include:
*] (1883–1942), Russian ], led the (1927) first Soviet expedition to investigate the ]; born in Tartu.
*], born in Tallinn Estonia, mother ethnic Russian born in Tallinn, father ] descent born in St. Petersburg.
*] (Igor Lotaryov, 1887–1941), poet; lived, married, and died in Estonia.
*] lived in ].
*] (1887–1951), ], ] of the bronze medal winning Estonian ] at ].
*] (née Kondrashova) competitive ], silver medal at the ], and a four-time ]
*] (1906–1982), Russian émigré poet; raised and educated in Estonia.
*], former football player of Russian national football team, was born in ]. Since ] he holds Estonian citizenship.
*], silver medal in Men's Boxing, lightweight class in the ]. *] (1913–1968), won silver medal in boxing, lightweight class at ].
*] (Aleksei Rüdiger, 1929–2008), former ] of the ]; born and raised in Estonia.
*] lived and worked on ] in Estonia 1965-1967.
*] (b. 1945), former ], representing USSR, won Olympic gold in ] twice (1968, 1972); lives in Estonia since early age.
*] (Igor Lotaryov), poet; lived, married, died and was buried in ].
*], ], lives in ]. *] (b. 1948), Russian writer; works in Tallinn.
*] (née Rajevskaja, b. 1962), Estonian politician, ], former foreign minister.
*], writer, lives in ].
*] (née Kondrashova, b. 1965), former ], representing USSR, won silver at ]; lives in Tallinn.
*] (b. 1969), Russian football manager and former player, since 2021 manager of the Russia national team; born in ].
*] (b. 1972), chief of staff of the executive office of the ]; born in Tallinn.
*] (b. 1972), Estonian former football player, played for ] from 1992 to 2004.
*] (b. 1976), Estonian politician, leader of the '']'' political party since its foundation in 2018.
*] (b. 1982), Estonian football player with 107 international caps for ].
*] (b. 1983), represented Estonia in the ]; family moved to Estonia at 2 months.
*] (b. 1984), Estonian football player with 158 international caps (national record) for ].
*] (b. 1986), Estonian politician and former leader of the ].
*] (Leonid Komarov, b. 1987), ] player, ] ], ] and ] gold medallist; born in Narva.
*] (b. 1990), ] ], representing ], ] in girls' U18 category in 2008; lives in Estonia since early age.
*] (b. 1991), ], represented Estonia in the ].
*] (b. 2002), singer, represented Estonia in the ].


==See also== ==See also==
* ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* {{interlanguage link|Russian Cultural Center (Estonia)|lt=Russian Cultural Center|WD=Q18626770}}
* ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{reflist|30em|refs=


<ref name=Luwdik1996>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qw8o0_c0m74C&pg=PA87 |title= Constitution-making in the region of former Soviet dominance |first=Rett R. |last=Ludwikowski |year=1996 |publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=978-0-8223-1802-6 |page=87 }}</ref>
== External links ==
*
* ] report on Estonia, 2007.
* '' - ] report on Estonia, ] ].
* '''' - '']'', editorial by ], condemning Amnesty International, ], ]
* Vetik, Raivo (1993). . '']'' 30.3, 271-280.
* Andersen, Erik André (1997). . ''Europe-Asia Studies'' 49.2, 303-316.
* Park, Andrus (1994). . ''Europe-Asia Studies'' 46.1, 69-87.
* Vares, Peeter and Olga Zhurayi (1998). Estonia and Russia, Estonians and Russians: A Dialogue. 2nd ed. Tallinn: Olof Palme International Center.
* Lauristin, Marju & Mati Heidmets (eds.) ''The Challenge of the Russian Minority: Emerging Multicultural Democracy in Estonia''. Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus, 2002.


<ref name=BT080521>{{cite news |url=http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/20492/ |title=Estonian passport holders at risk |newspaper=The Baltic Times |date= 21 May 2008 |access-date=27 December 2011 }}</ref>

<ref name=FIWR>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-tI2NuQLLuYC&pg=PA248 |title= Freedom in the World: The Annual Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties |first1=Arch |last1=Puddington |first2=Aili |last2= Piano |first3=Camille |last3= Eiss |first4=Tyler |last4= Roylance |work=Freedom House |year=2007 |publisher= Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-0-7425-5897-7 |page=248 |chapter=Estonia }}</ref>

<ref name=Uudised141112>{{cite web |url=http://uudised.err.ee/v/eesti/357d9e24-8fcd-4978-9e15-4ce7fe13df17 |title=Riigikogu asub arutama kodakondsuse andmise lihtsustamist |language=et |date=12 November 2014 }}</ref>

<ref name=20083010EE>{{cite web |url= http://www.valitsus.ee/brf/index.php?id=294696&tpl=1007 |title= Government to develop activities to decrease the number of non-citizens |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090901000221/http://www.valitsus.ee/brf/index.php?id=294696&tpl=1007 |archive-date= 1 September 2009 |df= dmy-all }}</ref>

<ref name=EstEu>{{cite web |url= http://estonia.eu/about-estonia/country/population-by-nationality.html |title= Population by Nationality |publisher= Estonia.eu }}</ref>

<ref name=LO-CAE>{{cite web |url= http://www.legislationline.org/legislation.php?tid=11&lid=2296&less=false |title= Citizenship Act of Estonia |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070927182603/http://www.legislationline.org/legislation.php?tid=11&lid=2296&less=false |archive-date= 27 September 2007 |df= dmy-all }}</ref>

<!-- <ref name=ERR150226>{{cite news |url= http://news.err.ee/v/48f806ac-8d6f-4375-9eee-2ab66da19ef4 |title=91,000 stateless people have limited political rights in Estonia, Amnesty 2015 report says |publisher= err.ee |date=26 February 2015 }}</ref>-->

<ref name=VM-citiz>{{cite web |url= http://www.vm.ee/estonia/kat_399/4518.html/ |title= Estonia: Citizenship |publisher= vm.ee |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070711100255/http://www.vm.ee/estonia/kat_399/4518.html |archive-date= 11 July 2007 |df= dmy-all }}</ref>

<ref name=EAH-Gradir>{{cite web |url= http://www.eurasianhome.org/doc/Abstract_final.pdf |title= The Policy of Immigration and Naturalization in Russia: Present State and Prospects |first= Sergei |last= Gradirovsky |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080227031737/http://www.eurasianhome.org/doc/Abstract_final.pdf |archive-date= 27 February 2008 |df= dmy-all }}</ref>

<ref name=Suksi1998>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=8dVBBSWPTOwC&pg=PA253 |title=Autonomy |first=Markku |last=Suksi |year=198 |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers |isbn= 9041105638|page=253 }}</ref>

<ref name=Malksoo>{{cite book |title=Illegal Annexation and State Continuity: The Case of the Incorporation of the Baltic States by the USSR |first= Lauri |last= Mälksoo |year=2003 |location= Leiden&nbsp;– Boston |publisher= Brill |isbn= 90-411-2177-3}}</ref>

<ref name=Chern2004>{{cite web |url= http://www.ln.mid.ru/ns-pobeda.nsf/b33502cdd8144475c3256eda0037e5fc/a9693d8763f70b92c3256f00001e65f2?OpenDocument |title= Об "оккупации" Прибалтики и нарушении прав русскоязычного населения |language= ru |publisher= Международная жизнь» |first= S. V. |last= Chernichenko |date= August 2004 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090827031023/http://www.ln.mid.ru/ns-pobeda.nsf/b33502cdd8144475c3256eda0037e5fc/a9693d8763f70b92c3256f00001e65f2?OpenDocument |archive-date= 27 August 2009 |df= dmy-all }}</ref>

<ref name=Isakov2005-21>{{cite book |title= Очерки истории русской культуры в Эстонии, Изд. : Aleksandra |language= ru |first= S. G. |last= Isakov |location= Tallinn |year= 2005 |page= 21 }}</ref>

<ref name=Isakov2005-394>{{cite book |title= Очерки истории русской культуры в Эстонии |language= ru |first= S. G. |last= Isakov |location= Tallinn |year= 2005 |pages= 394–395 }}</ref>

<ref name=EICICAH>{{cite web |url= http://www.historycommission.ee/temp/pdf/appendixes/312-318.pdf |title= Estonian International Commission for Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070609224843/http://www.historycommission.ee/temp/pdf/appendixes/312-318.pdf |archive-date= 9 June 2007 |df= dmy-all }}</ref>

<ref name=Chinn1996>{{cite book |url= https://archive.org/details/russiansasnewmin00chin |url-access= registration |title=Russians as the new minority |first1=Jeff |last1=Chinn |first2=Robert John |last2= Kaiser |year=1996 |publisher=Westview Press |isbn=0-8133-2248-0 |page= }}</ref>

<ref name=Smith2001>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lx-UmTnLJv0C&pg=PA38 |title=Estonia: independence and European integration |first=David |last=Smith |year=2001 |publisher= Routledge |isbn= 978-0-415-26728-1 |page=38 }}</ref>

<ref name=Bunce2005>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FFGNRfzndl8C |title=Sustainable peace: power and democracy after civil wars |first1=Valerie |last1= Bunce |first2= Steven |last2= Watts |editor=Philip G. Roeder, Donald Rothchild |publisher=] Press |chapter=Managing Diversity and Sustaining Democracy: Ethnofederal versus Unitary States in the Postcommunist World |year=2005 |page=151 |isbn=0801489741 }}</ref>

<ref name=Batt2002>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nXDgOeVXkt0C&pg=PA91 |title=Region, state, and identity in Central and Eastern Europe |first1=Judy |last1=Batt |first2= Kataryna |last2= Wolczuk |year=2002 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-7146-5243-6 |page=91 }}</ref>

<ref name=Campbell2004>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EjXrrOJhex8C&pg=PA418 |title=Historical Linguistics |first=Lyle |last=Campbell |year=2004 |publisher=MIT Press |isbn=0-262-53267-0 |page=418 }}</ref>

<ref name=Bojtar1999>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5aoId7nA4bsC&pg=PA88 |title=Foreword to the Past |first=Endre |last=Bojtár |year=1999 |publisher=Central European University Press |isbn=9789639116429 |page=88 }}</ref>

<ref name=NYT081206>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/world/europe/06aleksy.html |title=Patriarch Aleksy II |first=Sophia |last=Kishkovsky |work=The New York Times |date= 6 December 2008 |access-date=14 December 2008 }}</ref>

<ref name=Miljan>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=XKWRct15XfkC&q=tartu+yaroslav+1061&pg=PA420 |title= Historical Dictionary of Estonia |first= Toivo |last= Miljan |isbn= 9780810865716 |date= 2004-01-13 |publisher= Scarecrow Press }}</ref>

<!-- dead link <ref name=PDC>{{cite web |url= http://www.orthodox.ee/indexeng.php?d=parishes/convent |title= Pühtitsa (Pyhtitsa) Dormition Convent |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20040620024940/http://www.orthodox.ee/indexeng.php?d=parishes%2Fconvent |archive-date= 20 June 2004 |df= dmy-all }}</ref>-->

<!-- <ref name=ReferenceA>{{citation |title= Eesti NSV ajaloost. Lisamaterjali VII-VIII klassi NSV Liidu ajaloo kursuse juurde. 7. trükk |first1= J. |last1= Kahk |first2= H. |last2= Palamets |first3= S. |last3= Vahtre |location= Tallinn |publisher= Valgus |year= 1974 }}</ref> Heavily biased Soviet-era history textbook for primary school students-->

<ref name=Frucht2005>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lVBB1a0rC70C&pg=PA65 |title=Eastern Europe |first=Richard |last=Frucht |year=2005 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=1-57607-800-0 |page=65 }}</ref>

<ref name=Smith2005>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PSNML8BlGkUC&pg=PA234 |title=The Baltic States and Their Region |first= David James |last=Smith |year=2005 |publisher=Rodopi |isbn=978-90-420-1666-8 }}</ref>

<ref name=Miksike>{{cite web |url= http://www.miksike.ee/docs/lisakogud/tolerants/vahemused/vahemused_tekst.htm |title= EESTI - ERINEVATE RAHVUSTE ESINDAJATE KODU |language= et |publisher= miksike.ee }}</ref>

<ref name=WAJ1407>{{cite web |url= http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/russians-estonia-twenty-years-after |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140707173916/http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/russians-estonia-twenty-years-after |url-status= usurped |archive-date= 7 July 2014 |title=The Russians of Estonia: Twenty Years After |first= Katja |last= Koort |work= ] |date= July 2014 }}</ref>

}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite web |url= http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CERD/Shared%20Documents/EST/INT_CERD_NGO_EST_17812_E.pdf |title= Alternative Report for the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination of United Nations }}
* {{cite web |url= http://www.multilingual-matters.net/jmmd/021/0058/jmmd0210058.pdf |title= The Russian Diaspora in Latvia and Estonia: Predicting Language Outcomes |date= 13 April 2023 }}
* {{cite web |url= https://www.amnesty.org/en/region/europe-and-central-asia/baltic-states/estonia |title= Report on Estonia |publisher= ] |year= 2007 }}
* {{cite web |url= https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur51/002/2006/en/ |title= Linguistic minorities in Estonia: Discrimination must end |publisher= ] |date= 7 December 2006 |df= dmy-all }}
* {{cite news |url= http://edwardlucas.blogspot.com/2006/12/estonia-and-amnesty.html |title= An excess of conscience – Estonia is right and Amnesty is wrong |newspaper= ] |first= Edward |last= Lucas |author-link= Edward Lucas (journalist) |date= 14 December 2006 }}
* Rovny, Jan (2024), "]" in ''Ethnic Minorities, Political Competition, and Democracy'', Oxford University Press, pp.&nbsp;211–240,
* {{Cite journal|jstor= 424806 |title= Ethnic conflict and accommodation in post-communist Estonia |first= Raivo |last= Vetik |year= 1993 |journal= ] |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages= 271–280 |doi= 10.1177/0022343393030003003 |s2cid= 111359099 }}
* {{Cite journal|jstor= 153989 |title= The Legal Status of Russians in Estonian Privatisation Legislation 1989–1995 |first= Erik André |last=Andersen |year= 1997 |journal= Europe-Asia Studies |volume=49 |issue=2 |pages= 303–316 |doi= 10.1080/09668139708412441 }}
* {{Cite journal|jstor= 153031 |title= Ethnicity and Independence: The Case of Estonia in Comparative Perspective |first= Andrus |last= Park |journal= Europe-Asia Studies |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages= 69–87 |year= 1994 |doi= 10.1080/09668139408412150 }}
* {{cite book |first1= Peeter |last1= Vares |first2= Olga |last2= Zhurayi |year= 1998 |title= Estonia and Russia, Estonians and Russians: A Dialogue. 2nd ed. |location= Tallinn |publisher= Olof Palme International Center }}
* {{cite book |first1= Marju |last1= Lauristin |first2= Mati |last2= Heidmets |title= The Challenge of the Russian Minority: Emerging Multicultural Democracy in Estonia |location= Tartu |publisher= Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus |year= 2002 }}

{{Estonia topics|state=autocollapse}}
{{Russian diaspora}} {{Russian diaspora}}
{{Ethnic groups in Estonia}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:History Of Russians In Estonia}}
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Latest revision as of 12:34, 17 December 2024

Ethnic Russians living in Estonia Ethnic group
Russians in Estonia
Total population
296,268 (est.)
(21.5% of total population)
Regions with significant populations
Harju County, Ida-Viru County
Languages
Russian and Estonian
Religion
Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate
Percentage of Russians by county in Estonia and municipality in Latvia and Lithuania, according to 2021 censuses
Tatjana Mihhailova-Saar, a Russian-born singer and actress, was raised and now lives in Estonia, and also represented the country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014.

In Estonia, the population of ethnic Russians (Russian: Русские Эстонии, romanized: Russkiye Estonii, Estonian: Eesti venelased) is estimated at 296,268, most of whom live in the capital city Tallinn and other urban areas of Harju and Ida-Viru counties. While a small settlement of Russian Old Believers on the coast of Lake Peipus has an over 300-year long history, the large majority of the ethnic Russian population in the country originates from the immigration from Russia and other parts of the former USSR during the 1944–1991 Soviet occupation of Estonia.

Early contacts

The modern Estonian-language word for Russians vene(lane) is probably related to an old Germanic word veneð referring to the Wends, speakers of a Slavic language who lived on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea during the Middle Ages.

The troops of prince Yaroslav the Wise of Kievan Rus' defeated Estonian Chuds in ca. 1030 and established a fort of Yuryev (in modern-day Tartu), which may have survived there until ca. 1061, when the fort's defenders were defeated and driven out by the tribe of Sosols.

Due to close trade links with the Novgorod and Pskov republics, small communities of Orthodox merchants and craftsmen from these neighboring states sometimes remained in the Estonian towns of medieval Terra Mariana for extended periods of time. Between 1558 and 1582, Ivan the Terrible of Russia (Tsardom of Russia) captured large parts of mainland Estonia, but eventually his troops were driven out by Swedish and Lithuanian-Polish armies.

17th century to independent Estonia

A Russian Old Believer village with a church on Piirissaar

The beginning of continuous Russian settlement in what is now Estonia dates back to the late 17th century when several thousand Eastern Orthodox Old Believers, escaping religious persecution in Russia, settled in areas then a part of the Swedish empire near the western coast of Lake Peipus.

In the 18th century, after the Imperial Russian conquest of the northern Baltic region, including Estonia, from Sweden in the Great Northern War (1700–1721), a second period of immigration from Russia followed. Although under the new rule, power in the region remained primarily in the hands of the local Baltic German nobility, but a limited number of administrative jobs was gradually taken over by Russians, who settled in Reval (Tallinn) and other major towns.

A relatively larger number of ethnic Russian workers settled in Tallinn and Narva during the period of rapid industrial development at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. After World War I, the share of ethnic Russians in the population within the boundaries of newly independent Estonia was 7.3%. About half of these were indigenous ethnic Russians living in the Petseri (Pechory) district and east of Narva river ("Estonian Ingria"), in the two areas which had been added to Estonian territory according to the 1920 Peace Treaty of Tartu, but were transferred to the Russian SFSR in 1944.

In the aftermath of World War I Estonia became an independent state where ethnic Russians established Cultural Self-Governments according to the 1925 Estonian Law on Cultural Autonomy. The state was tolerant of the Russian Orthodox Church and became a home to many Russian émigrés after the Russian Revolution in 1917.

World War II and Soviet Estonia

Prior to World War II, the majority of ethnic Russian population in Estonia lived in border areas that were annexed by the Russian SFSR in 1945.

After the Occupation and annexation of the Baltic states by the Soviet Union in 1940, repression of both ethnic Estonians and ethnic Russians followed. According to Sergei Isakov, almost all societies, newspapers, organizations of ethnic Russians in Estonia were closed in 1940 and their activists persecuted. The country remained annexed to the Soviet Union until 1991, except for the period of Nazi German occupation between 1941 and 1944. In the course of population transfers, thousands of Estonian citizens were deported to the interior parts of Russia (mostly Siberia), and huge numbers of Russian-speaking Soviet citizens were encouraged to settle in Estonia. During the Soviet era, the Russian population in Estonia grew from about 23,000 people in 1945 to 475,000 in 1991, and other Russian-speaking population to 551,000, constituting 35% of the total population at its peak.

In 1939 ethnic Russians had comprised 8% of the population; however, following the annexation of about 2,000 km (772 sq mi) of land by the Russian SFSR in January 1945, including Ivangorod (then the eastern suburb of Narva) and the Petseri County, Estonia lost most of its inter-war ethnic Russian population. Of the estimated 20,000 Russians remaining in Estonia, the majority belonged to the historical community of Old Believers.

Most of the present-day Russians in Estonia are recent migrants and their descendants who settled in during the Soviet era between 1945 and 1991. After the Soviet Union occupied and annexed Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1940. The Stalinist authorities carried out repressions against many prominent ethnic Russians activists and White emigres in Estonia. Many Russians were arrested and executed by different Soviet war tribunals in 1940–1941. After Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, the Baltic States quickly fell under German control. Many Russians, especially Communist party members who had arrived in the area with the initial occupation and annexation, retreated; those who fell into the German hands were treated harshly, many were executed.

After the war, Narva's inhabitants were for the most part not permitted to return and were replaced by refugees and workers administratively mobilized mostly among Russians, as well as other parts of the Soviet Union. By 1989, ethnic Russians made up 30.3% of the population in Estonia.

During the Singing Revolution, the Intermovement, International Movement of the Workers of the ESSR, organised the local Russian resistance to the independence movement and purported to represent the ethnic Russians and other Russophones in Estonia.

Post-Soviet Estonia (1991–present)

Today most Russians live in Tallinn and the major northeastern cities of Narva, Kohtla-Järve, Jõhvi, and Sillamäe. The rural areas are populated almost entirely by ethnic Estonians, except for the coast of Lake Peipus, which has a long history of Old Believers communities. In 2011, University of Tartu sociology professor Marju Lauristin found that 21% were successfully integrated, 28% showed partial integration, and 51% were unintegrated or little integrated.

There are efforts by the Estonian government to improve its tie with the Russian community with former Prime Minister Jüri Ratas learning Russian to better communicate with them. Former President Kersti Kaljulaid is also considered to be a defender of the interests of the Russian-speaking minority, having previously moved to Narva in order to "better understand the people and their problems". The younger generation is better integrated with the rest of the country such as joining the military via conscription and improving their Estonian language skills.

Citizenship

The restored republic recognised citizenship only for the pre-occupation citizens or descendants from such (including the long-term Russian settlers from earlier influxes, such as Lake Peipus coast and the 10,000 residents of the Petseri County), rather than to grant Estonian nationality to all Estonian-resident Soviet citizens. The Citizenship Act provides the following requirements for naturalisation of those people who had arrived in the country after 1940, the majority of whom were ethnic Russians: knowledge of the Estonian language, Constitution and a pledge of loyalty to Estonia. The government offers free preparation courses for the examination on the Constitution and the Citizenship Act, and reimburses up to 380 euros for language studies.

Under the law, residents without citizenship may not elect the Riigikogu (the national parliament) nor the European Parliament, but are eligible to vote in the municipal elections. As of 2 July 2010, 84.1% of Estonian residents are Estonian citizens, 8.6% are citizens of other countries (mainly Russia) and 7.3% are "persons with undetermined citizenship".

Between 1992 and 2007 about 147,000 people acquired Estonian or Russian citizenship, or left the country, bringing the proportion of stateless residents from 32% down to about 8 percent. According to Amnesty International's 2015 report, approximately 6.8% of Estonia's population are not citizens of the country.

In late 2014 an amendment to the law was proposed that would give Estonian citizenship to children of non-citizen parents who have resided in Estonia for at least five years.

Language requirements

The perceived difficulty of the language tests became a point of international contention, as the government of the Russian Federation and a number of human rights organizations objected on the grounds that they made it hard for many Russians who had not learned the language to gain the citizenship in the short term. As a result, the tests were altered somewhat, due to which the number of stateless persons steadily decreased. According to Estonian officials, in 1992, 32% of residents lacked any form of citizenship. In May 2009, the Population register reported that 7.6% of residents have undefined citizenship and 8.4% have foreign citizenship, mostly Russian. As the Russian Federation was recognized as the successor state to the Soviet Union, all former USSR citizens qualified for natural-born citizenship of Russia, available upon request, as provided by the law "On the RSFSR Citizenship" in force up to the end of 2000.

Socioeconomic status

According to a 2016 report by the European Centre for Minority Issues, the Russian-speaking population in Estonia faced significant challenges in the labor market and education after the post-Soviet transition, which fostered a persistent perception of inequality among minority groups. Today, health conditions and access to healthcare are similar for both majority and minority populations. However, accumulated disadvantages affect marginalized Russian-speaking communities, who experience higher rates of extreme poverty, incarceration, homelessness, drug abuse, and HIV/AIDS. These issues contribute to social exclusion and may hinder the right to health for ethnic Russians and other minorities. Additionally, the reduced use of Russian in healthcare services has emerged as a new challenge, given Estonia's demographic composition.

Estonian statistics show that ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers are disproportionately represented in a number of areas, including:

  • 83% of persons registered as HIV-positive
  • 70-85% of prostitutes
  • nearly 60% of prison inmates
  • 98% of injecting drug users
  • 66.4% of the homeless population in Tallinn

Politics

Historically, the Estonian Centre Party has been the most popular party among Russian-speaking citizens. In 2012, it was supported by up to 75% of ethnic non-Estonians.

In 2021, some pundits advanced as speculation that since 2019, Conservative People's Party of Estonia support grew in the Russian community (notably in Ida-Viru County which has a majority of Russians), despite the party's Estonian nationalism and oftentimes anti-Russian rhetoric and positions. This was speculated by them to be attributable to the party opposition to European Union federalism and the softening of the rhetoric of the party at the time on Russia, and to its then coalition with the Centre Party. However, despite these claims, the Conservative People's party underperformed in Ida-Viru County during the 2023 Estonian parliamentary election, with only 8.4% of the votes in that county, their lowest result. In that county, the leftist and Russian minority-oriented Estonian United Left Party performed a breakthrough during this election and obtained 14.9% of the votes. This party also performed better in Tallinn, where a significant Russian minority live, than in most other parts of Estonia.

By county

County Russians Percent
Ida-Viru 92 090 69.6%
Harju 167 544 25.9%
Tartu 15 059 9.1%
Valga 3 252 11.6%
Lääne-Viru 4 951 8.3%
Pärnu 5 331 6%
Lääne 1 445 7%
Jõgeva 1 728 6.3%
Rapla 1 051 3%
Põlva 776 3.2%
Võru 1 105 3.2%
Viljandi 1 046 2.3%
Järva 655 2.1%
Saare 190 0.6%
Hiiu 45 0.5%
Total 296 268 21.5%


Notable Russians from Estonia

See also

References

  1. Campbell, Lyle (2004). Historical Linguistics. MIT Press. p. 418. ISBN 0-262-53267-0.
  2. Bojtár, Endre (1999). Foreword to the Past. Central European University Press. p. 88. ISBN 9789639116429.
  3. Tvauri, Andres (2012). The Migration Period, Pre-Viking Age, and Viking Age in Estonia. pp. 33, 59, 60. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  4. Miljan, Toivo (13 January 2004). Historical Dictionary of Estonia. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810865716.
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