Culture of Estonia

From time immemorial, the Estonia was in the sphere of European culture. For example, Tallinn (Reval at the time) was, with the Moyen-âge, the Eastern city of the Hanseatic League.

Strong of the various cultures which were côtoyées and succédé because of the successive occupations, Estonia forged a made particular culture of tolerance and respect towards the foreigner, whatever its country or its culture. Estonia counts many minorities: the Russians account for 25,7% of the population. Then the Ukrainians come: 2,1% of the population; 1,2% of the population are Belorusse and 0,8% Finnish… The importance of the population Russian speaker comes naturally from the Soviet occupation and the exaggerated industrialization whose Estonia had been the object at the time.

Literature

The Estonian is not an Indo-European but Finno-ugric language just as the Finnois and the Hungarian. The literary Estonian is born tardily, between XVIe and the 17th century. It is especially used by German pastors to transmit the religious literature. The oldest book in Estonian is the catechism of Wanradt and Köll, published in 1535 with Wittenberg. It will be noticed that it is the Réforme which is at the origin of this book.

The 18th century sees the birth of the national literature, and the written language is spread by the almanacs and newspapers, hawked until the bottom of the campaigns. The literature is then made up of imitated accounts of German works. From 1820, Kristjan Jaak Peterson is at the origin of modern Estonian poetry. In the years 1850, in the continuation of the national movements and romantic, the literature makes true great strides, with in particular the redécouverte of the national folklore and the drafting of the national epopee, the Kalevipoeg , composed by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, was published between 1857 and 1861 (see the Wood Man and the Woman of Bark, a typically Estonian tale) in the publications of the Estonian Learned society. The popular edition was published in 1862 in Finland. At this period, between 1860 and 1885, the Estonian nation becomes aware of itself, and the literature develops quickly. Poetry is a particularly long-lived kind (and the remainder today), symbolized at that time by one of the great poétesses of this country, Lydia Koidula. As in the rest of Europe, the end of the 19th century sees the development of a realistic literature, in particular with Eduard Vilde.

A little later the literature opens more and more with the Western currents, with the group of the “Young Estonians”. It is in this context that emerges one of the Estonian figures most known abroad, that of the poetess Marie Under. The Twenties see the return of realism, with Tammsaare. The period of the between-two-war, that of independence, strongly contrasts with the following one, that of the exile for the ones, the deportation in Siberia for the others. The Estonian literature in exile remains very long-lived, for proof 2600 volumes in Estonian which are appeared between 1945 and our days. In Estonia become Soviet, the “middle-class” literature is burned, prohibited, censured, etc A certain revival is declared after the death of Stalin, with the beginnings of great authors like Viivi Luik and Jaan Kaplinski, but especially the alive monument Jaan Kross which is published at Robert Laffont. He is the author in particular Fou of the Tsar (1978), Prix of the best book foreigner 1989. Its novels, now translated into many languages, revive for the majority of the important figures of the Estonian History or the Estonians having reached in their field a certain international notoriety like the Baltic baron Timotheus von Bock of Insane of the Tsar. Once the return of independence, free Estonia finds a beautiful literary vitality, marked by the emergence of many young people authors, in particular thanks to the generous subsidies of the Foundation for the culture.

Music, performing arts

Weren't the music is indissociable national culture, the Estonians described as “singing People”? The first festival Estonian side of song took place in 1869 in Tartu, nearly thousand singers and musicians come from all the country were brought together. Today this festival gathers thirty thousand singers and musicians in front of a public of 200.000 people. These traditions inspired in 1988 the “singing Revolution”, it is while singing that Estonia released itself from the Soviet yoke. In 2002, Estonia gained the contest of Eurovision.

There exist two large theaters in Estonia: the Estonia theater in Tallinn founded in 1865, the Vanemuine theater in Tartu founded in 1883. All the registers are approached there.

Estonia has certainly more the cinematographic low level of audience in the world but it is very productive especially with regard to cartoon films and documentary, a festival is proposed each summer, is devoted to anthropological film with Pärnu and in winter it is in Tallinn that is held the “Cinema festival of the black nights”.

Sports

The sport now, Estonia is a sporting nation that no one cannot be unaware of would be this only in comparison with the cyclist Jaan Kirsipuu, victorious of many stages of the Tour de France, in Sydney, the gold medal of the decathlon was gained by Erki Nool, and one should not forget the winter sports when the athletes are very productive (a gold medal, of money and bronze in Salt Lake City). Lastly, in rally, Markko Märtin gained several tests at the wheel of Ford Focus WRC then of Peugeot 307 into 2003,2004 and 2005.

See too

Live

External bonds

France-Estonia
Here (in English)
Literature-Estonian
Some elements on the Estonian literature

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