4 ms·

For context: in USSR a person could not choose to move to live in another area, city or town. that was VERY difficult to do (was possible by marriage). Baltic c

For context: in USSR a person could not choose to move to live in another area, city or town. that was VERY difficult to do (was possible by marriage). Baltic countries and any close to border areas were especially controlled. But military, KGB and Communist party could appoint people to live in Baltic countries. those were "special" people - that proved their allegiance I can say. That is why they are a challenge to Estonia and other Baltic countries.

O__________O 4y ago
My understanding is the Estonian-Russian border as it is currently has been in place over 100 years, is this inaccurate?
- twixfel 4y ago
  Yes, but most Russians living in Estonia are post-1945 colonists or descendants of post-1945 colonists. I had imagined that the bulk of the population have a long and storied history in Estonia, but they don't. For example, no ethnic Estonians were allowed to return to Narva after the war, and was instead settled overwhelming mostly by Russian colonists. Narva is the third biggest city in Estonia, and 88% Russian. Pre-colonisation it was majority Estonian. So the border is old but the ethnic borders are very new and based on very recent Russian colonisation.
  - O__________O 4y ago
    Specific to Narva, Wikipedia has a breakdown of its historical affiliation and invasion, which date back 1000s of years: https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Narva https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Narva Of note, “The status of Narva was resolved in a July 1917 referendum, when the district population, at that time roughly equally divided between ethnic Russians and Estonians, voted to attach itself to the newly autonomous and soon to be independent republic of Estonia.”
sam_lowry_ 4y ago
This is not true. USSR existed for some 70 years and there were different times. One could move quite freely by 1970-ish. Except that you could not have permanent residence in Moscow and Leningrad.

O__________O 4y ago

My understanding is the Estonian-Russian border as it is currently has been in place over 100 years, is this inaccurate?

twixfel 4y ago
Yes, but most Russians living in Estonia are post-1945 colonists or descendants of post-1945 colonists. I had imagined that the bulk of the population have a long and storied history in Estonia, but they don't. For example, no ethnic Estonians were allowed to return to Narva after the war, and was instead settled overwhelming mostly by Russian colonists. Narva is the third biggest city in Estonia, and 88% Russian. Pre-colonisation it was majority Estonian. So the border is old but the ethnic borders are very new and based on very recent Russian colonisation.
- O__________O 4y ago
  Specific to Narva, Wikipedia has a breakdown of its historical affiliation and invasion, which date back 1000s of years: https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Narva https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Narva Of note, “The status of Narva was resolved in a July 1917 referendum, when the district population, at that time roughly equally divided between ethnic Russians and Estonians, voted to attach itself to the newly autonomous and soon to be independent republic of Estonia.”

sam_lowry_ 4y ago

This is not true. USSR existed for some 70 years and there were different times. One could move quite freely by 1970-ish. Except that you could not have permanent residence in Moscow and Leningrad.