I'll first try to give an overview of the situation, and I'll attempt to be as objective as possible. A lot of the political conflict about Russians in Estonia has stemmed from the fact that when Estonia "re-established" (note this word, it's important) its independence in 1991, it only offered citizenship to those who could verify that they or their ancestors lived in Estonia before World War II. The argument was that Estonia was an independent country that was illegally occupied by the Soviet Union as a result of the Malatov-Ribbentrop Pact. To simplify the argument, since Estonia was never legally Soviet, settlers from the rest of the Soviet Union were illegal immigrants who were not automatically entitled to an Estonian passport. Many Russians were granted citizenship- there had been a fairly large group of religious refugees living in Estonia prior to the war. But those who settled in Estonia under the Sovietization policy during the illegal occupation needed to be naturalized. To become naturalized, you needed to speak Estonian. Most Russians didn't and thus became stateless. They were, however, given EU citizenship when Estonia acceded to the EU, and they have a grey passport which allows them to travel. Any permanent resident is given access to social services and can vote in local elections.
Estonia was initially criticized for making its naturalization test unnecessarily difficult, but has since changed the exam. Most of the Russian criticism I have heard of the citizenship policy is based on the idea that Russians are second-class citizens (if they are citizens at all). I've also heard several complaints of discrimination against the Russians, but haven't seen any hard facts about it. It's difficult, in any case, to quantify what is discrimination: Are you not being hired because the employer doesn't like Russians, or could it possibly be because you don't adequately speak the country's national language?
My heart goes out to the Estonians. The Soviet Occupation was brutal in so many ways. A couple days ago, I had dinner with a woman whose grandma had been deported to Siberia as an 11-year-old. She didn't finally return to Estonia until she was 26. Some Estonians I've met are unnecessarily combative when discussing the Russians, but I think most are just looking to move forward. If you respect that you are in Estonia, you learn the language, and you will be ok in their eyes. I'm not sure all of the Russians accord adequate respect to Estonia's independence, and I think they should be a little more willing to meet Estonians halfway. (A few girls I know who work retail have told stories of Russians throwing fits at her for not being able to speak Russian, for example.)
My heart goes out to the Russians as well. Though Estonia is a very nice place to live, I haven't gathered that the situation was that many people packed up and moved here because it was finally their right as a Soviet. Many were moved here somewhat forcibly (depending on who you talk to) because the Soviet Union wanted to try to dilute the local population and because the Soviets didn't trust Estonians working in certain industries. Many of the Russians in Tallinn still live in the huge dour cement blocks the Soviets called apartment buildings. These Russians were largely victims of the Soviet Union as well, and I don't think many Estonians accord adequate respect to that. These effects still linger- even today, educational attainment, unemployment, drug usage, HIV infection rates (etc) are all disproportionately high among Russians.
My assessments of what it is like to be Russian in Estonia had been shaped by one key fact: I live in a city that is reasonably mixed. Tallinn is roughly 40% Russian. Public education is available both in Russian and Estonian. Some university courses are available locally in Russian as well. Most Russians I have encountered do speak Estonian. After all, they are exposed to it on a daily basis. The economy is very dynamic, and I think the situation here is such that you can go far if you learn Estonian.
I learned, however, you can't adequately assess the situation of the Russians in Estonia without going to Narva. The city has, in short, been left behind both by the Soviets and by the Estonians, and I think it is further dragged down by well-meaning EU minority protection policies.
Narva, the last city on the northern coast before you enter Russia, was once a beautiful and important trading city. However, 98% of the city was destroyed during World War II. Those who inhabited the city prior to World War II (about 65% of whom were Estonian) were never allowed to return because the Soviets planned to open a secret uranium processing plant and close the city to the outside world. The factory was built in a nearby town, but the initial plans solidified Narva's current position as a city that is about 95% Russian. The industries that sustained the city have been in decline ever since Estonia gained independence. Without the Soviet Union, many of these factories simply closed. Many left Narva. Many more would like to leave, but face structural impediments to doing so.
As an EU member, Estonia is obliged to offer primary and secondary education in a person's mother tongue. It is of course a well-intended policy. But in effect, it has meant that many in Narva simply never learn Estonian adequately. Though some opportunities exist to receive a university education in Russian, students have a limited range of subjects. In practice, it is very difficult to attend an Estonian university without learning Estonian. Furthermore, Estonia is such a small country that it is difficult to imagine it will base much of its economy on manufacturing in the future.
The thing that seemed so odd to me about Narva was that, if you were deaf, you would not necessarily have any way of knowing that you were in a Russian-speaking city. Street signs are all in Estonian. I passed the Town Hall, and noticed the signage, including the opening hours, were also only in Estonian. Fair(ish), I guess, since these are all provided by the Estonian government. However, I went grocery shopping, and all of the signs were ALSO in Estonian. Now, I've lived in enough countries to know that the first words you learn are hello, goodbye, please, thank you, numbers, and food items. I'm sure if you live in Narva, you manage somehow. It still seems like such bad business though. If you're in a city that's 97% Russian speaking, and you run a grocery store, wouldn't you WANT to print labels in a language people actually read? In a country where citizenship and success means learning Estonian, Russian-only public education seems almost cruel. Then to have all signs in Estonian on top of that... Truth be told, it seems almost like a middle finger to the city's inhabitants. I'm so hesitant to pick sides on this. I understand that Estonians suffered decades of occupation and don't want to validate it by making their invaders' language official. I firmly believe that, while it's important culturally to keep your language, it is equally important to learn the language of whatever country you live in. Though I can say that I see why those in Narva might feel as though they've been left behind.
My photos are available here. They were all taken in Narva.
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