Julian journey this week on the d, w ah, a along the Eastern Shores of the baltic sea lithuania, la fia and estonia, the Baltic States in awe. For half a century, they belong to the soviet union. A forced brotherhood with, with the singing revolution of 1990. The bolts regained their independence. To day, they are russias neighbors. But russias war on ukraine has rekindled old beers. Many here wonder, are we next . Ah ah, our journey through the baltics begins in the north east in the estonian city of nava, a border city where nato and the you meet russia ah, less than 300 meters separate the 13th century estonian fortress hammons festa from the russian fortress. Yvonne garad no, i leak a man from oil. Thus larva is located where europe begins and is the most russian speaking city. And while european union, our population is 9 go. 6 per cent ration speaking only 4 percent. Speak estonian here with fitness one of some 2000 estonians and nava country right belongs to that 4 percent they do not but she is also the citys mayor home to some 55000 people to day nor ever has seen its share of upheaval. Originally an estonian city, by the end of world war 2, it was deserted and almost completely destroyed. The red army had driven out the german van mocked and with it, most of nervous inhabitants. Soviet era buildings and apartment blocks make up most of the city to day. Many who live in nava moved here during soviet times as well would idly would ann arbor roy born actually narvie was born in new in 1945 or its it was the year one for nerve out of noise mystical new people came at the beginning more from the border region than from the euro region for neurology. Lighter or not about i nicholas and dangerous threeish thought fit. Narvie was a shiny Industrial City vintage. The women wore beautiful dresses of there was a lot of caviar and sausage cheese milk, milk. It was a nice life is what it wasnt important that it was a stony and it was just a town. It could have been anywhere. And then quite unexpectedly, in august 1991, the state became independent. That was a shock. The ispa i took in the soviet era nava and yvonne garad were twin cities the bridge that connects them is still called the bridge of friendship. But today the cities exist in 2 very different political systems. With a stony as independence in 1991, a guarded border went up since 2004, when a stoney at joined the european union, it has also served as an external border for the e. U. A 2nd Border Crossing is reserved for pedestrians every day, commuters between the 2 cities and systems around half of novice, ethnically. Russian residents are not estonian citizens. They have a russian passports, or the so called grey passport, which identifies them as stateless, but allows them to walk easily without a visa, between russia and europe. Mainly people who make the crossing do it to go shopping with me for mission with other solvable world. Once a month we go there to buy alcohol and cigarettes, you just now we were asked if we were carrying salt. You should. I asked if that was forbidden. The border gods said no. Just that now every one. Bring salt, salt and soda. Fruitful nissan can buy them. Ram pickle firewall, do you buy there are cheap vodka. Cigarettes, salt sugar cakes . Chocolate confectionary. Good. The cup is already waiting, filled with little salt is practically sold out in the supermarkets of nava people are stalking up. Who knows if bella roost will stop exporting salt to estonia . In addition to worrying about empty store shelves, russian residence, say they fear discrimination, mayor country reich has invited the public for a discussion with the minister of justice in the city hall. Yes it estonia welcomes and cares for ukrainians who have fled the war for some russians and nava. This is a sore spot. They say it makes them feel like 2nd class citizens. What is putins war doing to estonia . Isnt uniting or dividing people here as to whats the worst one with these days. We hear calls from various ministers, but also from the president warning against denigrating or suspecting the russian population in estonia. Im here with me, but this is exactly what were experiencing in the media. And at the same time, i see how the ukrainian side is reported and refugees are taken care of. And for me, a completely justified question arises. What has the estonian state done in all these years with regard to the russians who were born here and live here . You said, yes i am. I dont know if there is any one here among us who has experienced the 2nd world war. But then i experienced it for me, the war began when i was 9 years old, i was with my grandmother. She said to me, girl, run him quickly. The war has begun. Children have to be with their parents now. And i ran 3 kilometers to my parents house. Why am i telling you this . The war is a terrible thing. And for us now, there is only one thing to do to prevent a blood bath in ukraine, where you go crazy lou for the russian president vladimir putin. The dissolution of the ussr was the greatest tragedy of the 20th century. And according to russian state television, todays neighbouring baltic countries represent a fascist threat. The xen meet, click on ale. We are a member of the eel, and of nito. Article 5 is our protection. Our future are guaranteed if it died our freedom it at so called windows that i got on t was that i for i hiked the base of the Estonian Defense league or kites sell it in norfolk members of a stony as volunteer army are returning from training once or twice a month, they give up their free time for their homeland. The Estonian Defense league was founded in 1918 when a stony 1st gained its independence. The kite so it was banned during the soviet period. Then we emerged in 1990. In 2015, alexander moisture jenko joined the group. He is russian born in norfolk for those the dual results were more hes local were bureaus abolla rose from your will. Joining was my reaction to the annexation of crimea. The 1st thing my acquaintances asked me was whether this meant that i would be ready to shoot that russian soldier the last many of my friends, because i suggest mall guard would probably consider me a traitor to the russian people. And yours look good. But let me put it this way that the, if someone comes here with weapons in his hands, no matter who he is, he is an enemy. It doesnt matter what language she speaks. Criminals have no nationality. Do you understand what mercy we live here . And these are borders calling you for the estonian does not invade anyone this i was born here. This is my homeland or the half a defendant from you. Closer for you 3 that genius, lou. Almost carousal schuler sir. Blush through it from the present when ukraine was invaded on february 24th. So i called my mother and said, if the state of estonia wants me to go to ukraine to defend it, i will go. My mother is ukrainian, she is from odessa sooner. She said to me, were you craniums are now getting what they deserve. I was stunned. I cant talk to my parents about this issue anymore and they will not understand me. They think that bruton is doing everything right. No more for them to. I am a traitor, ever since i joined the kite cellar to amuse roscoe well go to a burglar above for buford city. Alexanders parents were staunch communists. His father helped to build the Nuclear Power plant in chernobyl. With the collapse of the soviet union they like Many Russians and nava lost the country they had identified with now they live in europe. But what does that mean . A the government to yet go to an issue with the government could what happened in crimea, or don bass also happened to norma. Could it be split by force from estonia . Since the annexation of crimea and 2014 relations between estonians and russians, living in estonia have deteriorated. A certain level of tolerance had been painstakingly achieved. Now its given way to old cliches, long ago, evil russians and nationalist estonians from the kite. So it base alexander most a yankee goes straight to the cities theater, where he works as a stage hand panama. Alexander is both russian and estonian at heart. But at 48. 00, hes too old for the young republic, too old for the estonian language, which he never learned. A stateless person with a gray passport. Because if you dont speak estonian, you cant be an estonians citizen or hold Public Office the urban with, but very good you to wish you was doing you. If the russian people who live here are really given the feeling that they are also at home here than russia will have no argument to protect their citizens in estonia than putin will not be able to mobilize people who are ready to provoke or support a russian invasion when your solution is where you grow movie you multiple floor on the ball and you should go hershey. I understand that a stone is citizens suffered a lot from the soviet unions violence of it. But we all come from the time. We all want to be in europe premium. The new show, very similar values are brought. The only difference is, is that we talk about these values and different languages. But if i have to redeem myself in every conversation, for something i didnt do, it doesnt create a could dialogue when you do, if that goes on, that a line will always be there between new russians and we estonians rosky. This is not how it should be looking those numbers. Oh oh, i am allowed, diamond magen diamond. Our next destination is taught to in south eastern estonia. I dont know. Tar 2 is the oldest city in the baltics 1st mentioned in the year 1030. And the 2nd largest in estonia. For centuries it was under foreign rule. The german knights of the order arrived in the 13th century, followed by ivan the terrible than the suites. In 1941, the german van mocked occupied the city. In 1944, the red army took over and stayed for almost half a century. How do you rebuild the country after 50 years of imposed to talis tarion rule . As stony had looked to its youth and digitization . Since 2000, the estonian constitution has guaranteed it citizens access to the internet. Free. Why fi is ubiquitous here. Has tonia is considered a digital pioneer in europe at the university of ta to the delta centers. Modern building is an epicenter of digital progress students, researchers, developers, and entrepreneurs work here under one roof. One person who was a student here, and tar 2 is now considered something of a National Hero in estonia, at least by the younger generation. The programmer ot heinlein, develop the telephony software, skype in 2003. A pioneering act that still inspires many young estonians. Since then, digitization has become an important economic driver. Now, estonia is home to over 400. 00 start up companies. Among them fo, 2 class founded by kristen tom at 30 years old. Hes always lived in an independent estonia kilogram. You know, when i met, you know, when i went in with, in brazil, i considered for the city it when ive only ever known estonia as a free country. And thats a piece of luck. My parents and grandparents didnt have obama on today. They told me how everything was nationalized back then. There was no free enterprise. Oh god, i said, yeah, i mean, ive seen things like that in some of the countries ive traveled to google countries that are not democratic. All that are under the influence of russia. Youre, im about, you can see it in their Gross National product, but also just on the streets where you can see how people are doing the difference between these countries in estonia today, its light years that we didnt elaborate on it. Weve done our business and they dont take wasnt than i do business with them. Other in estonia, Internet Access is standard in schools. First graders learn to program. Chris and tom and his team have developed a computer game for learning using Virtual Reality headsets. They want to make lessons into an adventure. What is rico for length and who to class is an educational game that we developed for chemistry and physics classes for 8th and 9th graders south. And that again, is it. Students learn about complicated topics using Virtual Reality laboratories and Laboratory Facilities at schools are expensive in this virtual lab. On the other hand, you can repeat an experiment a 100 times, try it again and again, and learn from your mistakes as it was that the war in ukraine is not virtual. While its all to real that my mind was rigorous. The article, me so is the question of what to do about it. No, i mean away, little on to move to here. Fail immigration, the war has affected my life so much that yesterday i attended my 1st volunteer army informational sessions. Im going to join the defense laker. Weve got a needed no lab which with her as the business good may be our International Partners no longer trust us because we live close to the russian border. Good luck on, but we belong to nato. Everything is good here. Im not worried about how company man would have to go. Ne us any sick. Our car will to let the air was her twin odella. The see who had mimi . Kristen. Tom doesnt have to worry about finding new recruits for his company either. The Software Developers of the future are right next door. They study just across the courtyard in the delta center, they know not to lead even after their 1st semesters. Students are hired by start up companies and by the time theyre 20 or 25. 00, theyre earning twice as much as their parents. He, they, they sca id been away from tar to we travel further south along the russian and bellow russian borders dug up is, is the 2nd largest city in lafayette after riga, ringed in soviet times by machine building factories and a chemical plant. In the 1990s, many of these factories had to close. One of the most important employers to day is the locomotive repair works. Founded in 1866. 00 as a repair facility for the st. Petersburg, warsaw, railroad line. The factory boomed under the soviets. They expanded, adding a house of culture, a pioneer camp, vacation homes, and a Training Center for the 4000 people who worked here with the collapse of the soviet union. The plant shrank. Today. It only has 640. 00 employees. Valerie, but on, off worked for the railroad for decades. Then 2 years ago his job was eliminated. At the repair plant, he found new employment as a master craftsman, mother. We think he is russian and a citizen of latvia. Yevgeny bog donna, was born and raised in dog appeals. He trained as an engineer in riga. Hes been working in the locomotive factory for 2 and a half years. On a resume, eva has been with the company for 29 years. She is bell russian and has a russian passport. She is happy with that which is some severe let the we live in latvia so we also feel like latvians as the how do we speak latvian and ration but of that a flipped over memorial days for the with the city belonged sometimes to one state. Sometimes to another, as a result, different nationalities live here. I think that it is people from the outside who tried to make a conflict out of it. To drive a wedge between us. Like now persevere, which we, ordinary people dont care whether we are real latvians or real russians. We dont want any problems. We have to hold on to were jobs with elizabeth, so we can live here half decently to sort of an air worship microphone. Historically doug of pills has always been around the russian city. Now more and more people, especially the young speak latvian. Im a latvian citizen at here in the company. We speak russian. Its still our everyday language. I have no problem with it. So im never confident problem the russian language is common here. So to was russian television, but not any more. Russian Television Channels are now blocked in all baltic countries. Abdulla caesar thing you followed . He said, louise little was that i think there can be no objectivity for us like this. Not from one side or from the other. We cant influence the situation anyway. We have our own thoughts about what we see that and good. We stand outside politics with niger to somebody 0. If you go to the village window, moving your body. Yes. Yes, this is what you do. It again is the blue. I think its bad that the tv channels have been blocked. After all, there has to be another opinion if what western mass media report is true, that was what is the Russian Media have to be blocked. Something been hidden from us so much for me it is quite clear propaganda comes from both sides, spoke on the suddenly said on the little whisper, yes, 5015 is emotional, but you could choose for yourself if you could hear and see both sides. But probably there is no neutral mass media either. One is either for one side or for the other. That is why it is absolutely wrong to pound the channels sit on it. After all, not only the political channels were blocked, but also entertainment and sports channels. Yes, what the grannies watch, keith, us, but i also dont understand why russian and bella, russian athletes were barred from the paralympics. Why do they have to suffer from politics . Im also strictly against at sports have nothing to do with politics. The war is also impacting the plant repair orders come mainly from russia and ukraine. They have disappeared overnight and before the russian attack, ukraine placed a major order. Now the payment of 9000000 euros is outstanding. Will it come late or not at all . The plant has asked for government assistance for employees. The situation feels threatening. You can feel it, you feel it interest. We felt it immediately mature. Was the situation heated up quickly . I from one day to the next. From when your computers flow, several Diesel Locomotives that were supposed to come to us from ukraine and russia were stopped and turned around. Which of our markets depends on these 2 countries. For care of your family, we live on the periphery of these countries. What happens there affects us here to not just our businesses, which will also affect other industries. You can see how so people are starting to panic. You only have to look in the stores or at the prices at gas stations to see how hysteria is mounting. That over to put them a little bit of closing the plant would be a disaster or its 640. 00 employees. The city too would lose an important source of tax revenue. And people would start to move away to places where there is more work, estonia or elsewhere in europe. From dug up is we crossed the border into lithuania, home to the cities of vilnius and vista. It is the westernmost of the baltic countries. Lithuania is sandwiched between bell roost to the east and the russian enclave of colleen and ground to the wes