Episode 18

Tha cànan, cultar agus creideamh na Ruis air a bhith rim faicinn ann an Estòinia airson na ceudan de bhliadhnaichean, leis an dùthaich Bhaltaigeach a' tighinn fo a smachd aig diofar amannan tro eachdraidh. Aig aon àm mar dhùthaich Shobhietach, fhuair Estòinia neo-eisimeileachd às dèidh mar a chaidh cur às de chomannachas ann an 1991, agus bhon uair sin tha i air oidhirp a dhèanamh gus a fèin-aithne fhèin a stèidheachadh. Ach air taobh an ear Estòinia, ann am bailtean leithid Narva, tha buaidh na Ruis fhathast ri fhaicinn, le mòran dhaoine an seo aig nach eil Estòinis. Bho thòisich an cogadh sa Ucràin, chaidh oidhirpean a bharrachd a dhèanamh le riaghaltas Estòinia gus i fhèin a sgaradh bhon eachdraidh Ruiseanach aice, le bhith a' toirt air falbh ìomhaighean Shobhietach, a' toirt prìomhachas do dh'fhoghlam Estòinis ann an sgoiltean agus a' tighinn sìos cruaidh air meadhanan stàit na Ruis san dùthaich. Ged a tha gu leòr a tha a' toirt taic don Ucràin toilichte mu na ceumannan seo, tha cuid eile ann a tha a' faireachdainn gu bheil e ceàrr dualchas na Ruis san dùthaich a chuingealachadh, agus tha beag-chuid ann a tha an dòchas gun soirbhich le rèisim Putin aig a' cheann-thall.

Russian language, culture and religion have been prevalent in Estonia for hundreds of years, with the Baltic country having been under Russian control at differing times throughout history. Once a Soviet country, Estonia gained independence after the fall of communism in 1991, and has since made efforts to forge her own distinctive identity. But in eastern Estonia, in towns such as Narva, Russian influence still looms large, with many people here speaking little or no Estonian. Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, further efforts have been made by the Estonian government to distance the country from its Russian past by removing Soviet monuments, prioritising Estonian-language education in schools, and clamping down on Russian state media in the country. Although many who support the Ukrainian effort are pleased to see these developments, there are others who believe it to be wrong to curtail Russian identity in Estonia, and there is a minority in the country who hope that Putin's regime will eventually win.