Estonia The Baltic Tiger
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- Опубликовано: 8 июн 2024
- Lesley Riddoch and filmmaker Charlie Stuart travelled to Estonia in late February 2020 to make a film about one of the most recent small north European states to become independent. Tiny Estonia (pop similar to Wales) sees itself as a forgotten Nordic nation, sharing its language, forest and bog-covered topography and Baltic location with Finland. And its widely regarded as Europe’s Digital Tiger economy, performing an incredible transformation from terrible poverty in the wake of reestablishing independence just 30 years ago.
Obviously, there are big lessons for Scotland and the filmmaking duo were chuffed to get funding from lottery millionaire Chris Weir and the Scottish Independence Foundation that let them make a trip to capture Estonia’s Independence Day celebrations. Lockdown prevented the planned return trip in April 2020. But as so many others found lockdown proved the mother of invention and the film was finished using creative use of remote interviews. 
Кино
I'm a simple Latvian, I see our brothers Estonians I click like
JuliusRou is channel from Estonia.
There are good videos island Hiiumaa, Saku, Narva , Paldiski , Käru, Mõisaküla ja Lasnamäe.
Sup brotha
Based
Same here, I see brother Estonians I click like aswell. In the schools they told us we dont have any siblings/or family, but we do - and we have had past 30 year already 🙏❤
Latvian could also do the same..the Baltics should integrate their economies n defence under EU n NATO..
I grew up in Estonia in 90s it was hard time. Stores had no food… I’m so very proud of Estonians for pushing thru these hard times. 🇪🇪❤️🙏🏼
As latvian citizen i'm glad to see estonians as our neighbours and lithuanians to.
Many hugs and love forever :)
The three nazi states' alliance.
By the way, I've heard your revolting little country has recently outlawed the letter v, so you must now be identifying yourself as "latian" блат.
right back at you :)
What has happened in Lithuania in the last year or two is terrible. I hope Latvia and Estonia have not gone the same way. Leaving the USSR and then becoming totalitarian is a terrible irony.
If you need permission and ID to do everything you're no longer a democracy.
I'm happy for all three Baltic Nations to finally be free and independent members of NATO.
@@thursoberwick1948 the fuck are you talking about, covid passes were implemented everywhere in europe lmao
I love Estonia, from Finland! 🇪🇪🇫🇮
probably boose is cheaper aye!
I love Estonia, from Åland! 🇦🇽❤️🇪🇪
Drink more
Booze is VERY cheap in Estonia
@@andrehof7876 Are you an alcoholic?
As a Venezuelan I find the epic of Estonia's independence and nation rebuilding efforts deeply inspiring, long live freedom!
Hola soy de Nicaragua 🇳🇮 somos los únicos de Latinoamérica por acá 😆
X 3
If you are not wealthy or rich, the life here sucks. Don't get too excited. Most of the country lives in poverty.
@@allaraaver8432 you probably live in Valga that´s why you feel this way :/
@@kalevkivioja1250 Rakveres
Respect to Estonia 🇪🇪 from Scotland UK 🏴 🇬🇧 👏
As a Finn, I see Estonia as our friend nation and allay. We will fight together.
Let's hope you two countries, Estonia and Finland won't have to fight against the big bear of Russia - and Putin. The war Ukraine has gone on for three months now. Very sad. (I'm from Finland, but have lived the US for 30+ years.
@@JaanaG2005 The main danger isn't Russia, as the last two years have proven. We're all being sold out.
You are both astride St. Petersburg, and with the Ukrainian invasion going on now, I imagine both of you are keeping one eye on Putin. I wish both your countries well, and I hope he is not stupid enough to invade either Finland or Estonia. You will be fine. NATO membership has been applied for by Finland. It will help!
@@stevegarcia3731 "Membership" is what has been causing most of this. R. has a siege mentality and it justifies this kind of behaviour to it. NATO was not supposed to move any further east after according to Cold War talks.
@@stevegarcia3731 Inspiring story, wish you all the best in the future.
I am a Dane living in Tasmania for the last 50 years. would like to visit when I
go back home next year.
Im a simple Latvian - I see Estonia, I like the video!
Paldies from Tallinn!
You know that Estonians look at Latvians like brothers.... who do not speak Estonian ... yet. Or vice versa.
+
i'm a finnish/aussie guy Tallinn was beautiful when i visited there
I love how much the Baltic trio loves and supports eachother-- also with Finland simping for Estonia from the sidelines
"Courage is something that comes and goes; but for that one moment you need to have it, and then all other things will follow"
Love this!
Truly beautiful quote.
Yes , I agree with you
That was a very good line. There were a few times in my life that I needed to sustain courage, and thinking like this made my life very much more sane and calm. So on a personal level, I can agree. On a national level? It looks like he understood and got it right, for Estonia.
Lithuania is Happy and Proud of our cousins Estonians! An incredible progress has been done in the Baltic region since 90s independence and this is just the beginning!
Greetings from Estonia and best wishes to us all - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia!
@Silver Surfer And especially for lithuanian cars! :D
Lithuania is now a way more normal country than Estonia, which is an apple rotting inside.
Amazing country !! clean streets! clean air! respectful people, I love EESTI
A lot of graffiti in Tallinn otherwise yes.
Graffity is part of this citys independence story
You never been in Estonia, I see.
Clean money too
I dont
I am a Scot who moved to Estonia 11 years ago. I am now married to an Estonian, and have Estonian children. I love this place, and Scotland equally. When Scotland becomes independant, and opens an Embassy in Estonia, I will be at the front of the crowd, waving my saltire!
Is the presenter scottish aswell?
Pilv, I see :D
Married to a Cloud haha
In 1988 it was almost utopia to think that Estonia would be free again.
But times are changing. I am sure that one day GB understands that the family in peace is something more important than showing power.
Bless Scotland, whiskey and Gerry Cinnamon🙌
I'm an Estonian Canadian who lived in Estonia during the famous Scotland Estonia World Cup cancellation game of 1996. Scotland had asked that the game be moved to an earlier time because of light and bad flood lighting, which meant the hard working Estonians couldn't attend to their own home game at 2pm. There were 5000 Scots who had travelled essentially making it a home Scotland home game in Estonia. Because of this, the Estonian football team refused to take the field, so all we saw were news reports of 5000 crazy Scottish fans who were at the Stadium, who had travelled all that way, only to have the game cancelled. This was a time when hooliganism abroad was still a big thing, and the Estonians would only provide buses for the Scots if they took them to the airport people were so worried. So instead the Scots marched miles from the Stadium to downtown Tallinn, singing so loud, you could hear them from in the middle of the city from very far away. The Estonians tried to mobilize the army reserves, but there wasn't enough time. I remember sitting in my cousins bar, and finding out that my cousin had a gun permit. As the Scots approached, our building started to shake they were so loud, even though they were still blocks away. I've honestly never been so scared in my life, and I had a knife pulled on me at 3am in the morning in Vietnam. As they went by it was insane how loud they were and our building began to rock. But what people didn't realize, is that in order to appease the crowd, it was announced at the stadium that Scotland had won by default 3-0. Also many of the fans had been in Estonia for days already, as the Estonian government and Scottish governments had become very close, (education and singing being such a bond between the two cultures) so cheap travel packages for the week meant many Scots had already fallen in love with Tallinn. The Scots, seeing that most Estonians were scared and boarded up in their homes started singing over and over "We love Tallinn, oh yes we do. We love Tallinn, we love you." The Tallinners realizing their city wasn't going to be ransacked and raised, and the Scots were going to be up all night anyways, started to come out. Soon, the entire old city was one big party. What followed was the best party nights the world has ever seen. My cousin made more money that night selling drinks in plastic cups at the side of his bar than any night in his life. He completely ran out of alcohol. You probably know Scots from that night in Tallinn, as an incredible amount stayed, opened up pubs or bars in the city, and married Estonian women. It actually changed the city for the better, as it's been one of the best party cities in the world ever since (it was great before that, but it's so special now). Estonians love the Scots. And we thank you for not destroying Tallinn.
In Azerbaijan, people have great admiration for the Baltic states. We are eager to follow their path in the development and state buildup.
You need to start with eliminating corruption.. That’s one of the biggest things that helped us. Intolerance to corruption while building institutions
Estonia didnt have any dictatorship of religion or institutions which keep people from speaking out and demands and threatens anyone criticising obvious injustices. But of course , I hope you eventually get a happy country.
@@pehoone and we need eliminating dictator and corrupt Aliev family
LOL
With Aliyev Dynasty in charge?
It's like trying to transform North Korea to South Korea with the Kim dynasty still remaining in power. It's just NOT gonna happen.
Start from speaking in your own language. Forget Russian. Just forget it exists. Identity is very closely connected to language. And you need a strong sense of identity to build a society. There are very few examples in the world of countries that have managed to keep their sense of identity after abandoning their language.
The second important thing is a sense of responsibility. Every person is responsible for everything. Everyone must do their part, whatever it may be. Everone has to express their opinion, there has to be a healthy culture of debate. Without constant debate about everything, dictatorship comes.
And the third thing is that one has to be ready to sacrifice something. Nothing comes out on nothing. Estonia risked with A LOT. We knew we were taking risks. We also knew that nothing will be offered to us on a silver plate. Everything has a cost, and those who never risk never drink champagne. Look at Russia. The Russian people are not ready to risk, they do not have the courage to express their opinion. So, they will always be brainwashed slaves. Estonians, fortunately, have a very different mentality. We do not delegate things to our government. We ARE the government. I can go on front of the Parliamnt building and scream that A, B or C is an idiot, and nothing will happen to me. Not the most effective form of debate, that is true. But the point is, everyone feels that his country is his business. The state and the average person is one and the same thing in Estonia. It does not mean that everyone must become a parliament member. You do what you are best at. Maybe you are good at poetry and you express your points by those means. Maybe you are good with animals and you raise a good therapy dog who will help some kid learn to read, and that kid will become someone ...etc. My point is, if you want a certain kind of country, build it! It doesnt happen any way.
Greetings from America and also EU citizen. Very impressed with Estonia and look forward to visiting.
Extraordinary moving story. Should be required viewing for those who still find themselves retreating into, “the time is not yet right.” Estonia started literally from ground zero. Inspiring stuff.
a politically biased program that does not correspond to reality, not a word "of course" about the German occupation, not a word about the Estonian SS, not a word about the realities happening here! If you check worldwide statistics in negative topics you will surprisingly see our little Estonia among the top of many of them...drugs, alcohol, pollution and so on. Europe is not independent, neither Japan and so on! We were having much better life here during soviet times, Estonia was called a "pearl of europe" for a reason! Now nobody except finns who come to drink here know about Estonia! But digital environment is the best in the world here!
@@Orlington17 russian troll commenting under every nice comment to bring down Estonia. I've seen this, it's classic!
@@GigAHerZ64 Funny fact: Russia is The 2nd highest on The suicide rates. Also their alcohol consumption is on The top in The world. Much higher than Estonia's and Finland's.
@@Orlington17 yeah, thats why the kgb jailed people flying blue-black-white flags.... because the su was so great!
why did estonians want independance so badly? have you been to russia? compare the two.... if estonia had remained with russia, we would be down in the gutter with them. instead, we have western comfort and eastern no-nonsense ideology. the best of two. along with real freedom of speech and democracy.
@@diamondsarenotforever8542
funny indeed )) cause in Russia its 11.7 and 11.6 in Estonia ) and also Estonia is the 4th in the world in terms of the amount of waste produced! And also Estonia on 3rd place for drug mortality rates while Russia is 16th!
Estonia is a great country with friendly people love from an Indian living in Montenegro
My mother was born and raised in Estonia, Tallinn and I have many beautiful and intelligent relatives still there❤️🌟🇪🇪 I love it there...its the most beautiful country and I'm proud to be 50% Estonian😊 They have been through so much and I pray God continues to bless Estonia 🙏❤️🇪🇪
We are mostly atheists but good thoughts are always welcomed and returned with a warm hug ;)
Mhh thank you for good thoughts. If i watch your last name i quess you are half estonian and half Brazilian? Am i right
@ my family is Christian. I have my Grandmother’s Bible from 1900🙏🏼❤️
@@popeofdope6468 Spanish.. my father was 50% Spanish (Spain) and 50% Native American...
@Allan I used to be an atheist, but then it all changed, through science (because I consider myself a very intellectual person who needs proof about everything and that's just how God reached me)! :D I would like to challenge you to find out from Estonian history not only the bad done by the Crusaders but the enormous good God has done in Estonia! God cares about nations and every individual. God is truly real! God spoke of Estonia's independence to Christians way before normal people would even have any hope about it!
By the way there was a HUGE awakening in Oleviste chruch in the 70ies and 80ies and people from all over the Soviet Union came here - check out this video: ruclips.net/video/FAVZe86zqm4/видео.html
God also spoke to Christians about the coming hardships before the Soviet occupation and called people to repentance, which most did not, including Konstantin Päts!
See this article in Pealinn: www.pealinn.ee/koik-uudised/rikkast-perest-mees-kuulutas-ette-tallinna-pommitamist-ja-kaubast-n206409
If you only knew HOW much prayer has gone into it all! How much old Estonians, way before independence have prayed! If you come to any church you can ask people! And still we pray for this country ALL the time!
I am from Romania, your story is similar to ours, the independence that we gained 30 years ago is seen in the immense evolution of our states, Russia seems to have been stuck in time.
Russia is not a vassal state of The Empire or the Nazi Union. It is re-emerging as a superpower. It is not stuck in time.
I love Romania. Our friends were so welcoming
Thanks for this video !
I'm Swiss, came to Tallinn end of 2020 to invest and launch a start-up in the field of web-services.
Everything is simple, goes fast and smoothly. Estonia's administration is more efficient than Swiss' and much cheaper in terms of fees. Regarding tax, it is simple, not the cheapest but for the money you pay you get good services.
Estonian people are certainly more reserved than people from Latin countries, but they are very helpful and nice. They can be very proud of what they have achieved !
Shall Scotland gain it's independence !
Hello Robin, I'm from Thailand. I also admire about start-up business in Estonia. I wish to work with you if possible, I plan to immigrant to Estonia soon. Thank you. 😃
@@boombeamprm9416
Hi Boombeam,
Thank you for your message.
I'm Swiss with Indian and German origins... born in the Swiss mountains.
I don't know Thailand, but immigrating from Thailand to Estonia will be a huge cultural and climate choc.
You have to understand that the Estonian culture is deeply linked with Scandinavian peoples (Vikings).
Estonians have suffered from various dominations mainly Nazis and USSR.
As a guy enjoying the Swiss freedom... since 1291 thanks to our elders that where the best warriors in Europe to fight for our independence... and later "neutral" during WWII.
Business is difficult and Visa is difficult to obtain.
My self, I'm not an employee of my own company and not entitled to receive a salary.
I don't want to discourage you... Europe is a huge boat that is slightly but surely sinking.
Here, immigrants are used as slaves.
My previous post, was to encourage Scottish people to fight for their independence.
I thank you for your inquiry and wish you the best.
🙏
Visited Estonia summer 2018, stunning country with a beautiful coast line, incredible food and proud hard working innovative independent people. Their Scandinavian routes
from centuries past were re-born when the USSR left. Sanitised form their Soviet past, from no bread in 1991, its now a digital utopia. Estonia was pillaged for centuries, but
this once bleeding nation have recovered to become the star of the EU. When you listen to people speaking English, they sound Scandinavian, not former Soviets.
Can think of another small nation who could achieve the same. Great production Lesley, well done to all the crew involved. Estonia - the Jewel of the Baltic.
Very proud of Estonia, we love you guys! (Latvia and Lithuania too!) from Poland. X
Love you too ❤❤❤I visited Poland in summer.
Love Estonia! 🇪🇪 Best wishes from Australia 🇦🇺😄
Very nice message
I am a geography teacher from Singapore, another small little country which also had to forge a nation from scratch in unfavourable circumstances. Hence I watch this with so much awe, with a strange sense of familiarity for a country I have yet to visit and is so different from mine. And all the while I was making mental notes of how similar yet different the paths and decisions were made during nation building in our respective countries. I will always be rooting for you guys and hope to visit Estonia one day (along with your lovely Baltic neighbours) when the global situation improves!
it is a wondrous thing to observe 100%
Seems like you will have to wait for a while more for the global situation to improve.
I fell in love with Estonia on my first trip to Europe. Coming from Australia, i didn’t know much about their history - and I couldn’t help but be incredibly impressed by them as a people the more I learned about them. Amazing spirit, amazing country. When I was leaving, there were billboards at the airport asking foreigners with certain skill sets to consider staying and making a life there. I made the wrong decision and I still regret it, I should’ve stayed. ❤
Bald and Bankrupt Eastonia , Varlamov Эстония (with English subtitles) , Eastory Estonian war for Independence 1918-1920 - these are also interesting doc.films about Estonia.
Estonians are good people. A beautiful country. Enjoyed the delicious food they make. Wow. Love from Sri Lanka 🇱🇰
Ayubavan!
Whaaaaat? Sri Lanka is one of my most favorite places, which i have visited twice in the last 2 years, managing to cover half of the country!
@@marat.usm69 That’s awesome. I’m sure the other half of Sri Lanka is missing you. Which part couldn’t you cover?? In different parts the food and culture are different. So anywhere you go, there’s something new you can experience..
BTW I am still enjoying the clean air of beautiful Estonia.
@@premaust9585 from Colombo to kandy to nuwara eliya, Adams peak, to yala national park and then down south back to Colombo during my first trip, and mostly north-west during my second trip :)
Felt quite emotional at times watching this. Time to reconvene Scotland, Scotland... 🏴🇪🇺🌍
I really want to visit Scotland now. It seems that we have something in common. And in general I think that the Scottish accent is awesome!
@ All the films in this series, no less this one, have been very inspiring, but this really struck a chord with me on an emotional level in a way the other films didn't quite. I've had some days to ruminate in those feelings and process my thoughts, and I think what stuck a chord most with me was the comment that Estonians never doubted they would re-assert their independence and that people were prepared to take any economic hit for the chance at a better future for their - and everyone else's - children. I hope that one day soon Scotland will join Estonia on that path. After that happens, and we re-join the Community, I'll remember this film and make my way to see Estonia, the wee country that stands tall. Terviseks!
Scotland to Scots! Come back to EU, brothers!
@@LarsOfMars. ruclips.net/video/VqGe4V9obE8/видео.html
@@KohaAlbert Thank you for the link to this 1990 Timeline documentary on Estonia. It was profoundly moving to hear more of the backstory to Estonian independence, and from those personal perspectives. Particularly Albert, who sadly died just before Estonia reasserted your independence, and after nearly 50 years of exile in England, although there is a part of me who is glad he didn't live to see what the UK has become 30 years later. More and more Estonia seems to me like a beacon on the Baltic, and I hope one day some of your light will shine on Scotland.
As a citizen of Kazakhstan and a representative of a nation who equally suffered from the Russian occupation & oppression I am sincerely happy for Estonia! Today I hear and see a lot that Estonia has become a prosperous nation like Finland and Denmark!
Estiis along with Lithuanians and Latvians made everything to tear up ties with the Russian heritage, -now you see the results. Azerbaijan people turned to Turkey and the US and it is the 4th country of the former Soviet Union that lives good compared to the Central Asian states, Georgian and Armenia. Ukraine wanted to follow that path too but now they face consequences of viewing Russians as their ally. Unfortunately, your country will be the 2nd Ukraine
It's propaganda . Pure propaganda.
@@pertpesc7058 Absoluutselt!
@@pertpesc7058 what is?
@@nbalbrecht8942 fake NEWS by fasists
I love Estonia as much as my motherland, Loves from Azerbaijan 🇦🇿🇪🇪
Love to you in Aserbajan!
Wow. What lovely people. Sane, industrious, creative and a democratic nation. May they become one of the strongest independent countries outside of Russian totalitarianism, and continue to also speak such a pleasing English dialect. I would like our Australia to be good friends with Estonia.
Fun fact: Australia actually has one of the biggest populations of Estonians outside of Estonia itself. A large swath of immigrants/refugees arrived during World War II, whereas nowadays it is a popular destination for young Estonians to travel and work for a couple of years. I can name at least five people in my immediate circle who have done that. :)
I'm an Estonian, lived in England for 10 years. I prefer my hometown.
But love the British pound more 😂😂
Greetings from Greece! Our Minister of Digital Transformation has Estonia as a role model. He is already doing wonders!
same for Moldova
I'm very proud of my Estonian heritage! Ma armastan Eestit!
Kas sa räägid eesti keelt?
Am here after Estonian President visited my country Kenya the other day.
The fact that Estonia was a part of USSR more than 30 years ago and now it's so advanced makes me think how the rest of former Soviet Bloc would have looked like if the former communist bureaucrats didn't infiltrate in the new democratic structures (like how it happened in Romania,my country)
You just have to decide as a society what it is that you want. It is about making a clear decision. And then taking responsibility for implementing it. Not expecting someone else, some magical "goverment" to do it for you. A lot of former Soviet block countries have the same mentality they had at Soviet times: "What can I do, I am just one person" As long as a nation thinks like that, it is screwed. Like Russia is, Russia is a perfect example of a nation of individuals who think nothing depends on them. Perfect nation to be slaves.
estonia had a strong culture of independence, democrscy and tatehood from our interwar independence. we actively despised everything russian, including corruption, because it reminded us of the occupation. thats probably why. estonians have always been noted as a proud and honest people, so that might've helped too
Greeting from Lithuania :). You have achieved a lot, really commendable. Thank you for hanging around and preserving your culture :D
What a beautiful place and beautiful people. Love from India
I love Estonia, food, people are so nice,I am from USA I love to go back
was there 2 years ago
Welcome back when ever you come👍
Best wishes from New Zealand 🇳🇿❤️
I have the deepest respect for this small country that pulled itself up by the boot staps, and its my fondest wish to visit. Also as a technology practitioner, I am well aware of how digitally advanced they are. I wish the Caribbean nations would take note.
a politically biased program that does not correspond to reality, not a word "of course" about the German occupation, not a word about the Estonian SS! Europe is not independent, neither Japan and so on! We were having much better life here during soviet times, Estonia was called a "pearl of europe" for a reason! Now nobody except finns who come to drink here know about Estonia! But digital environment is the best in the world here!
@@Orlington17 russian troll commenting under every nice comment to bring down Estonia. I've seen this, it's classic!
@@GigAHerZ64
dude,i comment only where i see non-truth , i cant watch someone spreading lies about my motherland, which is soviet Estonia ;) classic is tryin to bring down Soviets, im not bringing down Estonia in my comments!
@@Orlington17 this video is focusing on regain of independence, therefore that German and SS irrelevant (different time area). Nazy German occupation did got mentioned, as area between Soviet occupation.
But something, if interested: ruclips.net/video/-cgoSk_yg6k/видео.html
What special are in Estonia not in other European countries? I don't know anything.
Came home from a screening of Denmark State of Happiness in Peterhead cinema and put this straight on. Estonia is a country I’ve been to. Proud of their independence. Good work Lesley. Keep going 🤛
I love Eesti from itaalia 😍🇮🇹🇪🇪
CORRECTION Re-Independence
My grandfather was Metsavend he also was deported several times but always found way back.
I was in the song event in 1988 and in the Baltic chain too(i still remember both even though i was 3 years old).
I watched from my home window when the tanks rolled out back to russia.
@meh meh same reason why in Estonian independence war we invadedrussia and natzy occupied Latvia, took Riga and gave the country back to latvians.
@meh meh so proud to see such a neighbor hugging us into one.
ruclips.net/video/d6ig3YQ5Z64/видео.html
You (us) are still there, hard do see term Baltic could exist as today without you.
@@KohaAlbert Saddly that lectirer seems to have some missing info or he's data is nitpicked as there is plenty of Livonian buildings/ruins/data survived(enought to confirm Livonian origin) that are quite farther north than he admits.
And yes true, we have a lot more common with you guys than just borders. Brotherhood and similar harsh past and to support eatchoter to survive it.
If someting similar would happen we will again come to help you (this time we hope we are not gonna be sindeled out pf our lands like Rus did and still Seto and Narva areas are under Russias occupation).
American here. I studied Russian and lived in St Petersburg, but on my first visa run I "discovered" Estonia. I spent so, so much time there. I've been to Latvia and Lithuania, and to Finland and Poland, but Estonia has a special place in my heart. I fell in love with Estonia.
Bald and Bankrupt Eastonia - is a great video in YT.
Love Estonia 🇪🇪 from Ukraine 🇺🇦
Thanks, hope you are safe. Come here if can. You are welcome.
aitäh ❤️🩹 i hope you’re safe
God bless you Estonia, wish you bright future, you deserve it. Regards from Slovakia
Much love from Aruba! Some day I will visit! I have so much respect for the way that Estonians overcame hardships to become independent.
Love from Abruka, a small island in Estonia we sometimes jokingly call Aruba!
Thank you for a honest and very good film about our mentality and courage building up our independent little Estonia.
you overestimate independence! Europe is not independent, neither Japan and so on! We were having much better life here during soviet times, Estonia was called a "pearl of europe" for a reason! Now nobody except finns who come to drink here know about Estonia!
@@Orlington17 russian troll commenting under every nice comment to bring down Estonia. I've seen this, it's classic!
@@GigAHerZ64
you are so narrow-minded that i couldnt expect more from you than "russian troll" comment! dude,i comment only where i see non-truth , i cant watch someone spreading lies about my motherland, which is soviet Estonia ;) classic is tryin to bring down Soviets, im not bringing down Estonia in my comments!
Estonia is a horrible police state.
@@marguskiis7711
not at all
Two cards are definitely not enough, can't imagine someone can survive without Rimi card )
You can use a phone app :)
You can get the Partner bank card from LHV
@Maarius Tass LHV partner bank card or mTasku app for selver and id card for Prisma. Don't know about coop etc.
two cards, whats the other card? Thinking about it, I even don't use that only one: smartId.ee
Way to go Estonia. You are a positive beacon for the rest of the world 🌍
Lesley should have a patreon account, I’d rather give her a regular donation than continue paying my SNP membership. The quality of these documentaries is fantastic. They should be on television.
Well done Lesley! Hope you continue to be a strong voice for Scotland’s independence.
Totally agree Colin. Also - Estonia had plans already to go once Independence came. There's a novel idea eh?
The SNP is just a branch office of Davos these days. Right down to the social credit/pass system they wish to introduce. So sad.
One reason for taking this story about Estonia with a pinch of salt. Everything is wonderful and a model for an independent Scotland. No chance of any bias from the presenter in selecting the information you are allowed to see?
@@markm6764 Estonia is no longer independent, it is part of the international tracking ID scheme now. They now have to have government permission to visit a shop or a hairdresser now, and it won't go away. They didn't even have to do that under the USSR they fought to leave thirty years ago. All for something that most people have to be tested for to know they have
@@thursoberwick1948 What the hell are you talking about? Have you even been to Estonia? You obviously have no clue what you are talking about. The situation is NOWHERE even close to what you are saying. Also was that ending of your sentence a reference to covid vaccines because if so then oh my god, who even talks about that?
I love Estonia ,thanks for sharing this. Watching from Kenya
Very nice documentary which captures the essence of Estonian life and fights etc.. It"s rare. Most such films have a weird perspective, talking about us as a Russian country or expresses extreme surprise that we are not that etc
The thing Marju Lauristin says here is really true about Estonians having been preparing for independence their whole lives. It"s difficult to explain but it is so true. I was born in 1974 and I have known my entire life that Soviet Occupation was a temporary thing, that Estonia as a country was just sleeping and waiting. so, yes, when the moment came, people were really ready and really uniform in those aspirations. I think this is one thing that makes us really different from countries like the Ukraine or Romania, for example: we as a people were very sure of what we wanted and we all wanted to be an independent country, and a normal. country with a normal living standard. And to this day, the core narrative of what we want is still very similar for all Estonians. Details differ but not the basic things. That is why we have managed so much. That, and the fact that we are a small society which makes changes easy to implement. We have the same main values. We knew decades before the collapse of the Soviet Union that we wanted a country where different sorts of freedoms were guaranteed, where corruption is not tolerated, which is safe and were citizens are taken care of.
We have always known what we wanted. It was always just about waiting for the right time. And when the time came, people and the leaders were very calm, constructive and organised. That is also why we managed to escape a bloodshed with everything happening with the Russian tanks on the streets.
I really dislike it when some documentaries portray the entire process as just some magical singing revolution because it gives a very distorted picture. Yes, there were a lot of events like that. But there was so much more. Because you do not build up a country and society by singing.
Actually, it goes much further back in time. Centuries. We probably have what we have now because the Estonian language has been functioning as a language of higher education, science and all administration for a long time. That takes centuries of tradition. Most nations eaten up by Russia speak mainly Russian and it is probably not a coincidence that their countries are a mess as well. We have always had a very clear national identity that is strongly connected to language. At the same time we are open to learning foreign languages with every Estonia knowing at least two foreign languages, usually 3, by the time they graduate high school.
It's easy to say that, but I think even in 1988 or early 1989, I wouldn't have envisioned the Soviet bloc falling apart so quickly.
Very good work, Leslie and Charlie, thank you! I am born and raised in Southern California so I am blessed with a lot of freedoms. I am very happy to see how the Estonians have broke free from Soviet rule and are living out their dream to to be free in their own way!
Greetings from Sydney Australia. I love Estonia land of my ancestors. 💙🇪🇪
Look also : Estonia Travel Documentary Lucas T. Jahn
Unique story and amazing people. I can't wait to commence Grad studies by September and experience your rich culture! Please be nice to me Estonians.
With love from Nigeria 🇳🇬🇳🇬
I went Estonia recently on a completely random trip and ended up having a great time.
Nice to hear :) What interesting things You did? :)
Beautiful documentary! Go Eesti!❤️🇪🇪 Greetings from the Netherlands🇳🇱
Lucas T. Jahn Estonia Travel Documentary is good doc. movie about Estonia in RUclips.
Bald and Bankrupt Eastonia video and Daily Bald The road to Paldiski video are very interesting too.
For us just Holland:) Greetings back...
I’m from Ghana 🇬🇭 and I have fallen in love with the country after watching a documentary about them. I wish I can move and work there
Love Scotland, Finland, Estonia!
The Scots and the Estonians have a very special relationship. I'm an Estonian Canadian who lived in Estonia during the famous Scotland-Estonia World Cup cancellation game of 1996. Scotland had asked at the last minute that the game be moved to an earlier time because of light and bad flood lighting, which meant the hard working Estonians couldn't attend to their own home game at 2pm. There were 5000 Scots who had travelled essentially making it a home Scotland home game in Estonia. Because of this, the Estonian football team refused to take the field, so all we saw were news reports of 5000 crazy Scottish fans who were at the Stadium, who had travelled all that way, only to have the game cancelled. This was a time when hooliganism abroad was still a big thing, and the Estonians would only provide buses for the Scots if they took them to the airport people were so worried. So instead the Scots marched miles from the Stadium to downtown Tallinn, singing so loud, you could hear them from in the middle of the city from very far away. The Estonians tried to mobilize the army reserves, but there wasn't enough time. I remember sitting in my cousins bar, and finding out that my cousin had a gun permit. As the Scots approached, our building started to shake they were so loud, even though they were still blocks away. I've honestly never been so scared in my life, and I had a knife pulled on me at 3am in the morning in Vietnam. As they went by it was insane how loud they were and our building began to rock. But what people didn't realize, is that in order to appease the crowd, it was announced at the stadium that Scotland had won by default 3-0 (which was a lie but kept the Scots in a good mood). Also many of the fans had been in Estonia for days already, as the Estonian government and Scottish governments had become very close, (love for education and singing being such a bond between the two cultures) so cheap travel packages for the week meant many Scots had already fallen in love with Tallinn. The Scots, seeing that most Estonians were scared and boarded up in their homes started singing over and over "We love Tallinn, oh yes we do. We love Tallinn, we love you." The Tallinners realizing their city wasn't going to be ransacked and raised, and the Scots were going to be up all night anyways, started to come out. Soon, the entire old city was one big party. What followed was the best party nights the world has ever seen. My cousin made more money that night selling drinks in plastic cups at the side of his bar than any night in his life. He completely ran out of alcohol. What's amazing, is an incredible amount stayed, opened up pubs or bars in the city, and married Estonian women. It actually changed the city for the better, as it's been one of the best party cities in the world ever since (it was great before that, but it's so special now). Estonians love the Scots. And we thank you for not destroying Tallinn.
Tears pricked my eyes reading this. Thank-you. From this Scot, with love. Eliza x
I love Estonia. From Bangladesh 🇧🇩
It's scary to think that we have been independent for so little time. What brings the future? We must remind ourselves not to take this independence for granted.
you overestimate independence! Europe is not independent, neither Japan and so on! We were having much better life here during soviet times, Estonia was called a "pearl of europe" for a reason! Now nobody except finns who come to drink here know about Estonia!
@@Orlington17 stop drinking and smoking
@@arnas1280
you confused me with your dad
@@Orlington17 Life during soviet times was hell for Estonians. Life in the west was so much better in those days. People were poor and there was KGB oppression. Estonians were deported and thrown into jail for being educated or they owned a land before the occupation. Do you think you want to serve soviet union when half of your siblings were deported to death camps by the same government? The list goes on for so long why the life in the soviet union was so much worse than in the west or if Estonia would have been independent.
@@MeediaArtur
mate, 40.000 estonians served in SS, think about it, thats the people who were sent somewhere, not educated ones! Btw 80% of deported were sent back during first years after war! At soviet times, Estonia was considered the health resort of Europe, it was called the pearl of Europe! The Soviet Union invested the largest finances in Estonia, built several thousand kilometers of roads and railways, schools, hospitals, etc., a large share of economically profitable enterprises in Estonia was laid down in Soviet times. The Soviet Union organized an architectural school, the graduates of which built a city hall, a singing stage, a sailing center in Pirita, a technical school in Yaneda, etc.! If you watch the video chronicles of those years, you can see that Estonia was filled with a secular society. But not only new enterprises were created, the Soviet era was also the flourishing of the Estonian local industry. The Kalev factory was known all over the world, today many do not even know that only the Kalev brand remained, and the company itself does not belong to Estonia. Baltika, which produced raincoats, in Soviet times began to produce clothes and such brands as Mosaic, Monton, Ivo Nikkolo, Baltman, Bastion became its brainchildren. Põltsama even produced food for astronauts. Factory "Standard" produced chairs, in the Soviet era they began to expand it, built a design bureau on its basis, as a result of which the factory grew into an international company.
In Estonia, only members of the leadership who were in collusion with the Germans suffered, and, as I said, most of them returned! Those 40,000 SS soldiers went underground, had wide support from the British, and of course received political posts, which eventually led us to such an information field, in which we blame the Soviet Union for everything! And now think about the situation in which the Soviet Union was! Europe conspired to divide European territories, the Soviet Union, destroying fascism, lost a quarter of its male population, most of the country was in ruins, the British openly discussed an attack on the Soviet Union. Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union in collusion, while 60,000 Estonians were killed during the German occupation in the first week.
Think about it
I am proud to be Estonian resident!
Every nation should be free .one love fr Jamaica
Love from India 🇮🇳 to Estonia 🇪🇪
Big love to 🇪🇪from Croatia🇭🇷.
I think you made a really good job so far.
I'm from Thailand. I'm so admire with your achievement in the Digital economy. Love the way how citizen love the country. I wish I can immigrant here soon. Love Estonia. 🇪🇪
All countries have suffered in the past and destroyed by occupation but some how by the magic and courage of human will they were to survive and thrive magnificently like Estonia, the Estonian people are hard working and ambitious with a drive to excel and they did it, may they all be blessed...
Wonderful to see how Estonia developed in the last thirty years, congratulations for all these achievements. As a hungarian I always felt such a closeness to our relatives in origin and language, visiting this beautiful country and its capital city, Tallinn, many times. At the same time I feel such sadness that my country, where I was born and raised had chosen such a different, destructive path. But I send greetings to the Baltics from another northern liberal democracy, where I live, with much admiration,🇨🇦
My mother's family came to the US from Hungary, and my thoughts mirror yours. Incidentally, how does the name Szaszak translate?
@@charlessmart7640 Szaszak does not mean anything in Hungarian as far as my knowledge of the language goes, therefore it cannot be translated
Judit, thanks for your reply. In looking in a Hungarian dictionary, I learned that Szasz means Saxon. Unfortunately, I couldn't find Szaszak. Have you encountered other words ending in ak? What did they mean?
@@charlessmart7640 if you say Szaszok, it means that we talk about more than one szasz, Saxon person. İf you put a letter k at the end of hungarian nouns the noun generally becomes plural. But it is quite tricky what letters will be between the root of the noun and the plural form. Some examples: ló, lovak (horse, horses), szék, székek (chair chairs), csillag, csillagok (star, stars) etc. This is very hard to learn, just like the Turkish language what uses vowel harmony.
@@juditszabo8751 Thanks again. I'll bet I misread my grandmother's or mother's handwriting and wound up misspelling the word. Best regards!
Love Estonia from Sydney Australia
I am in estonia these days. Very good people and beautiful country
Education is always the key to a better future. I am so happy for Estonia.
Limited corruption is also critical.
Thanks so much, Lesley, for a really interesting explanation of how Estonia became independent. The final point about having courage and then everything else follows was so relevant. I hope one day I will visit Estonia, maybe after Scotland has gained independence. Many thanks again.
You would be most welcome. And if we should fail to meet in Estonia, then maybe on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
All 3 Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania had the similar story of occupation by USSR in 1940 & regaining the independence in 1991.
@@lifeimprovementknowhow3822 Lithuania has i slightly different, but what would you understand.
From Catalonia... Congrats Estonians!
VIVA Estonia ! The greatest success to the people of Estonia ! America and Americans love Estonia.
Hello 👋
I love and miss Estonia, beautiful country and loving people. From Riverside, CA with ❤️
You get the feeling that these are intelligent people with a strong sense of self and who they are as a nation. They're also rather attractive.
Amazing documentary & truly amazing people. I respect the way people of Estonia stood with each other and with their government, with a belief that they will succeed & see good days in future with their hard work.
Beautiful country.... 😍 🤩.
I love Estonia ❤🙏🇬🇧
Such a great documentary. Beautiful country, beautiful, optimistic and courageous people. "Estonia received a bloodless revolution." Amazing history and deeply inspiring. Who would believe that in 30 years Estonia would be the World's first Digital nation. God bless Estonia.
The Baltic countries went backward in 2020. Trying to force citizens to inform the state of where they were at all times digitally. Not even the KGB could have dreamt of that level of power.
We are proud of our home Estonia! Lovely people, breathtaking Mother Nature and amazing culture!
Thank you for a positive story in the current global environment. I am now a Singaporean citizen, having previously been a UK citizen who grew up in Scotland.
Fabulous. Thank you Lesley. Actually quite emotional at times. Amazing what can be done with courage and belief. Estonia 🇪🇪 will continue to improve itself and the wee ones will have a better future.
a politically biased program that does not correspond to reality, not a word "of course" about the German occupation, not a word about the Estonian SS! Europe is not independent, neither Japan and so on! We were having much better life here during soviet times, Estonia was called a "pearl of europe" for a reason! Now nobody except finns who come to drink here know about Estonia!
@@Orlington17 russian troll commenting under every nice comment to bring down Estonia. I've seen this, it's classic!
@@GigAHerZ64
you are so narrow-minded that i couldnt expect more from you than "russian troll" comment! dude,i comment only where i see non-truth , i cant watch someone spreading lies about my motherland, which is soviet Estonia ;) classic is tryin to bring down Soviets, im not bringing down Estonia in my comments!
@@Orlington17 do you know why Estonian SS was established?
@@raitkondor2743
puhaha, tell me, soviets to blame? xD
Our group of Moldavian students traveled to Tartu by tourist bus from Tallinn during winter vacations in February 1974.
I will never forget an old guide/professor Leesment so friendly, showing us proudly the famous University of Tartu.
And the lunch somewhere - a Swedish table - was delicious ! Now I like also Saku beer !Unforgettable life lasting
memories/trip to Estonia ! And I read the book -"Bye, yellow cat" by Mati Unt.Warm Greetings from Kishinău/Moldavia
JuliusRou is a good channel about Estonia in YuuTuube.
Look there films : Саку , Кяру , Рапла , Тапа , Валга , Палдиски , Бесплатный общественный транспорт в Таллинне , Кохила , Что такое хутор? , Лиива - деревня на острове Муху , Пылва , Рига , Минусы Таллинна , Вильнюс итд.
I am very proud of you, Estonian cousins!!! I cant understand why we cannot do the same here in Hungary....
🇭🇺🇪🇪
The Balts were among the most oppressive European countries during the lockdowns...
I love Estonia from Ghana 🥰
I know very little of Estonia, i am in Australia, but after watching this video it makes me proud for this country. What great people, makes us Australians shamed as many of our young think they are so privileged 👌👌
What was it Clive James said about his native Australia? That it wasn't a shame that so many Aussies were descended from convicts, but that so many were descended from the prison guards. Unfortunately he was proven right in the last year or two as Australia has reverted to that. Even detention without trial.
Protest through songs just brings me joy. And I love that it became a part of Estonian culture because of that.
Greetings to Baltic Tiger!
-From east asian tiger (Korea)
Dear Estonians: "Let Freedom Ring" and much Love from the USA!
Yes, let freedom ring. Not social credit systems and state digital surveillance because that is where they are heading.
I’m half Estonian half french so I’m happy to see a video of my favourite country !!!
Look also Estonia Travel Documentary Lucas T. Jahn in RUclips.
What an epic little documentary, as an Estonian I feel proud, thank you!
Wow what an excellent documentary. I think the whole world is learning to love the Baltic states.
Wonderful that Estonians preserved their identity, survived Soviet times and won freedom and prospered..Hope to visit and see how they live
Do they have to present government ID to get in everywhere now? A lot of the EU went down that road.
amazing that estonia became a progressive hi-tech country in such a short time with a lot of cool millenial patriots.it looks like they are very proud of their country.
Lesley, thank you so much for this brilliant footage, the perfect sequel of the Nation trilogy. I hope your films and reports inspire Scotland to follow the path of these great small countries and thrive at an independent country, for its own right.
It's absolutely inspiring story of the Estonian path. And it looks like a to-do plan for Belarus
Thank you for completing this in such difficult times. We needed to hear this right now.
I like the fact that. Estonia was able to shake off it's Soviet pass quickly and embrace a new modern and digitally integrated society also with the fact that their education was fully digitized thus liking the educational system from the kindergarden all the way to university level great move. Estonia as someone who lives in the. Caribbean I truly admire your digital capabilities. Way to go Estonia.
Shook off the Soviet prison and thirty years later moved into a digital one instead.
@@thursoberwick1948 So what are you trying to say then it's better that. Estonia had remained under the Soviet Union which is now today. Russia.
@@andreholder1540 The USSR was a creaky bureaucracy and a brutal one at that. It wished to watch everyone for sure, but it never got to the stage where people's movements could be tracked every minute by technology or social credit scores. The KGB and Stasi could only dream of the levels of surveillance and control that Big Tech is beginning to bring us.
@@thursoberwick1948 Point taken but the. U.S.S.R or Russia today may not be able to gain the technology of Big Tech and at the time was not monitoring the movements of its citizens but they were under surveillance from the KGB and other state agencies at that time if the U.S.S.R or Russia was so good then why did all the former Soviet States after the fall of the U.S.S.R gained their Independence and choose to joined N.A.T.O and the European Union it's because they all know that someday Russia would seek to consolidate them back into Russia thus forcing them to carry out their bidding and wiping their culture off the map it is this same reason why the. Ukrainians are fighting against Russia to protect their culture and identity as the. Ukrainian people would you like if Russia invaded your country and force you to learn the Russian language and adopt it's way of life. I don't think so and Russia cannot be trusted so the only way for Russia to be defeated its to arm. Ukraine because the war is symbolic Democracy vs Tyranny and Tyranny cannot be allow to win otherwise. China, North Korea, Iran and all who have chose the path of tyranny would seek to destroy the World.