EstoniaThings to Know

Local Vikings, the Oeselians, were known for their ships and raids. They occupied Saaremaa, a beautiful island in the Baltic Sea, which has one of the richest finds of archaeological treasures anywhere.

Foreign Vikings came from the seas, then Christian invaders from the west, and Dutch and German knights invaded, and eventually the Estonian territory was divided between the conquerors. Bishops became central figures of authority and cathedrals were built throughout the country. The transformation to Christianity was slow, and because of the resistance to change, eventually the local religion became a mix of Christianity and the pagan belief system that existed first.

Ivan the Terrible of Russia was defeated by the Swedes in Estonia, and those victors created a peaceful era until the Plague and Great Famine killed twenty percent of the population in the 1690s. A new war then saw Russia take control of the country. During this time peasants purchased their own land (good), industrialization saw poor working conditions (bad) and the Russian Tsar squashed any striking uprisings.

At the end of the First World War Estonia declared itself independent and the Tartu Peace Treaty of 1920 further limited Russia’s influence. WWII was a disaster for Estonia. Like the first world war, many soldiers were killed and the country was annexed by the Soviet Union, beginning a period of repression. In the 1980s Mikhail Gorbachev helped to improve conditions in the Baltics and independence was regained in 1991. Estonia joined the EU in 2004 and is known today for its unspoiled beauty and for being one of Europe’s most friendly nations.

The Euro was adopted as the official currency in 2011.