Estonia - Occupation and awakening

Estonia is a country whose beauty belies a long and complex history. For over seven centuries, it endured successive foreign dominations – Swedish, German, Russian and Soviet – before independence was finally restored in 1991, having been first gained and then lost between the two world wars. The material and historical legacy of these occupations, and the quest for self-determination and independence, are central themes of this tour.

Architecturally and culturally, Estonia offers remarkable variety. The Swedes established schools throughout the country and founded Tartu University in 1632, though their tangible legacy is most evident in Tartu and Kuressaare. More striking still are the remnants of the Baltic German presence – the surviving red-brick fortresses and ubiquitous manor houses, along with their furnishings and collections, reflect a legacy of wealth, power and cultivated taste. Following Peter the Great’s conquest in 1710, Russian imperial policy upheld German landholding and political rights, further embedding their presence within Estonian society.

Since the mid-19th century, the Estonian national movement navigated carefully between the powerful Baltic German nobility and the Russification policies imposed by the Tsarist empire. The Age of Awakening refers to this period when language, folklore and song helped kindle a powerful sense of national consciousness – later instrumental in mobilising mass support for independence during the final years of Soviet occupation. 

Meanwhile, the countryside and coast offered a form of quiet resistance as places of retreat and cultural continuity. Forests are a central to Estonian folklore and Estonians are experts in the use of wood. Their distinct skills and craftsmanship are particularly evident in the spa town of Pärnu, which flourished in the 1920s–30s, and on Saaremaa, the country’s largest island, where wood was also the material of many of its early churches.  

Today, Estonia is one of Europe’s least populous countries, yet among its most dynamic. Estonians are their own masters now, and their eclectic tastes and diverse skills – as expressive in a piece of fabric, glass or juniper bark as in a skyscraper – can finally enjoy free rein. Meanwhile, the country’s galleries, museums and concert halls offer a cultural variety that a country ten times the size would struggle to match.