Everybody Hates The Russians

But Some Hate The Russians More Than Others

This is the Russian Embassy in Estonia. The fence is intended to keep the Estonians from defacing the embassy and the signs are protesting and condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine. Today there were no typical protesters because of the rain but often there are 50 to a 100 demonstrators outside Russian Embassy.

Talking to Estonians it’s easy to understand why and how much they hate Russians. During the Soviet occupation thousands of Russians moved into Estonia as they took control of the Estonian government and its larger businesses. In 1991 after independence a majority of those Russians fled back to Russia, many taking spoils of the occupation with them.

Estonia regained independence after a “Singing Revolution” where Estonians used national songs and gatherings to demand freedom, leading to the declaration of full independence on August 20, 1991, after a failed Soviet coup against the government, with the USSR formally recognizing it on September 6, 1991. This marked the restoration of the pre-1940 Republic of Estonia, ending the long illegal Soviet occupation.

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