Singing the praises of Estonian culture
their cultural identity. They had no weapons, but they created their own power — remarkably — by banding together and singing.
Song has long been a cherished form of expression for Estonians, a way to keep hold of their national character, especially in the face of foreign domination. As long ago as 1869 (during another era of Russian subjugation), Estonians gathered in massive choirs to sing and celebrate their cultural uniqueness. Later, during the Soviet era, a brave choirmaster, Gustav Ernesaks, had the nerve in 1947 to lead singers in Estonia’s unofficial national anthem. For planting the seeds of the singing revolution to come, Ernesaks is still revered.
Finally, as the USSR began to crumble, the Estonians mobilized again, using song to demand independence. In 1988, they gathered — 300,000 strong, a third of the population — at the Song Festival Grounds outside Tallinn. Locals vividly recall coming out to sing patriotic songs while dressed in folk costumes sewn years before by their grandmothers. The next year, the people of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia held hands to make the “Baltic Chain,” a human bond that stretched 400 miles from Vilnius, Lithuania, to Riga, Latvia, to Tallinn. Some feared a Tiananmen Square-type bloodbath, but the Estonians just kept singing.
This so-called Singing Revolution, peaceful and nonviolent, persisted for five years, and in the end, Estonians gained their freedom. It was a remarkable achievement: 1 million singing Estonians succeeded against 150 million Russian occupiers.
The spirit of song continues in Estonia. Every five years, the Song Festival Grounds welcome 25,000 singers and 100,000 spectators (the current amphitheater, built in 1959, resembles an oversized Hollywood Bowl). This is a national monument because of the stirring role it played in Estonia’s fight for independence. I’ve visited Tallinn several times, and the thrill of this phenomenon — and its historic importance — continues to inspire me.
Thankfully, the Russians did not succeed in diluting Estonia into oblivion. I’d guess that today’s Tallinn has more restaurants, cafes and surprises per capita and square inch than any Baltic city I’ve visited. Cruise ships have discovered Tallinn, and sightseers mob its cobbles most days.
Despite the crowds, I am always charmed by Tallinn’s Old Town, the best-preserved medieval center in all of Nordic Europe. And I make a point to get beyond the tacky tourism of the city’s central square. In ancient townhouses and guild halls around town, I’ve discovered several humble but worthwhile museums that put Estonia’s storied past in context.
Tallinn was a stronghold of the Baltic-Hanseatic maritime world, and the Tallinn City Museum provides a fascinating introduction to the glory days of merchant traders. The sober Museum of Occupations, recounting Estonian life under Soviet and German rule, is a reminder of the struggles faced by small countries in the shadow of empires.
The compact Museum of Estonian History condenses 11,000 years of Estonian cultural history with relative ease, focusing on the events and traditions that have shaped the country’s psyche. The Estonian Open-Air Museum, just outside town, displays salvaged farm buildings, windmills and an old church, all transported from rural areas to a parklike setting to both save and share Estonia’s traditions.
Visiting this tiny country, you can’t help but feel the connection of its people to their land and heritage — and the vibrancy of a free nation that’s just a generation old. Estonian pride is in the air.