Universities Estonia, a body bringing together the rectors of Estonia's universities, wants the Russian citizens currently studying at higher education institutions in Estonia to be able to complete their studies in Estonia and then either continue their studies at the next level of education or stay in the country to enter employment.
In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Estonian World brings you the latest reactions from Estonia – one of the few NATO member states that is bordering with Russia.
Estonian World sat down with Maria and Ivan, two young and liberal Russian professionals, who came to Estonia before Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine and oppose their country’s actions – but were still denied their residence permits because of their nationality; in a candid interview, we discussed the opposition in Russia to the war and why the authoritarian system leaves a little room for a collective responsibility.
When local TikToker, Ksenia Niglas, posed a question to her followers about the national identity of Estonia’s ethnic Russian population, the response was nothing short of mixed. Now, journalist Svetlana Stsur attempts to tackle the question through the historical lens of ethnic nationalism, while making a case for why it may be more damaging to call native Estonians with a Russian-speaking background Estonian Russians, or “eestivenelased” in Eesti.
Svetlana Stsur, an Estonian Russian, writes that she understands the sentiment around 9 May and its meaning for the identity of many Russian-speaking people around the world – but, quoting a short story from her 23-year-old Ukrainian friend, Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine has devaluated the meaning of the date.