About the Soviet Past in Estonia

Older people in Estonia, who were born and lived during the Soviet occupation (1945-1991), saw the horrors of a brutal totalitarian rule. Being wholeheartedly against it, but not being able to openly fight it, made people of Estonia angry, sad, and frustrated. For this reason, the older generations are sometimes still a bit serious-looking and not immediately too trusting towards strangers. But when you get to know them a bit better, you’ll find that they are kind and friendly.

A secret Estonian movement against the Soviet occupation was kept alive and carried on all through the decades of the horrific Soviet regime (1945-1991).

When in the end of 1980s the Soviet rule started to weaken and finally collapsed in 1991, Estonia became free again and all its people could start rebuilding their lives.

It was incredibly hard! Almost everything had been destroyed by the Soviets. But – Estonians are strong willed and hardworking people. They managed it and much more.

Today – in the year 2024 – Estonia has the biggest number of billionaire IT companies – unicorns – per capita, in the world!

And since regaining its freedom, Estonia could quickly restore its European way of life as it was before the Soviet occupation, during the Estonian Republic in 1918-1945, when heads of states from all around the world had visited and seen how beautiful and highly developed the independent Estonia was.

Estonians are very proud of their language. The Estonian language uses the Latin alphabet, belongs to the Finno-Ugric language group and is similar only to the Finnish language, no other.

The Imperialist Soviet rulers wanted to destroy and wipe out all other languages and cultures and tried to make all occupied nations and ethnic groups speak Russian. They did not succeed in the Baltic States as Estonians kept their beautiful language and culture alive. And that is one of the reasons why Estonians are very happy when you learn their language, even if just some words or sentences. See some basic tips of Estonian language on our page.

And today Estonia is a free democracy, a strong member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nation, including even having been an Elected Member of the United Nations Security Council (2020-2021).

Estonia is a small and friendly country with just 1.3 million inhabitants, with a long and colourful history. 13 thousand years being settled at the same territory, the first most Northern farmers. Old Vikings and traditional sea travellers.

Come and enjoy yourself in the free and friendly country – Estonia!