Estonians

Categories / Population/Ethnic Groups
ESTONIANS, an ethnic community forming a part of the St. Petersburg population. The Estonian language refers to Finno-Ugric branch of the Uralic languages. Believers practice Lutheranism. The first Estonians (retired soldiers) settled in St. Petersburg in the late 18th - early 19th century. The Estonian community began to grow in the second half of the 19th century (in 1869 4,000 Estonians lived in the city, in 1910 - 23,400 and in 1989 - 5,000). The prevailing part of St. Petersburg Estonians was formed by artisans, workmen, servants and students. In the 19th century and in the early 20th century St. Petersburg for some time became the residence of the writers F.R. Kreutzwald, E. Wilde, O. Luts, painters J.P. Keler, K. Raud, A. Laikmaa, and composer A. Tomson. In 1845 the Estonian parish was established, in 1860 the Estonian Church of St. John was built. In 1880 the Estonian Charitable Society was founded, and in 1885 – the School Society (in 1907 they both united into Estonian Educational Society). In 1919-22 Estonian Institute worked in Petrograd, as well as the Estonian Pedagogical Training College, Estonian Department of the Pedagogical Institute in honour of Herzen, Estonian Workers' Faculty attached to Leningrad State University and the Kulvaja (Sower) Publishing House in 1920s-30s. In these years the Edasi (Forward) newspaper and magazines were published. All these institutions were closed in 1937-38. In 1992 the Society of Estonian Culture was registered in St. Petersburg under the name of Eestimaa (Estonia). This Society does various work for preservation of Estonian culture and language. The religious services in the Church of St. Catherine (1 Bolshoy Avenue of Vasilievsky Island) are conducted in Estonian.

References: Исаков С. Петербург - Ленинград в истории эстонской культуры // Нева. 1979. № 10. С. 182-187.

A. Y. Chistyakov. Herzen Alexander Ivanovich
Keler Johan
Kreutzwald Friedrich Reinhold
Laikmaa Ants
Luts Oscar
Thomson August
Wilde Eduard
Bolshoy Ave of Vasilievsky Island/Saint Petersburg, city, house 1
Исаков С. Петербург - Ленинград в истории эстонской культуры // Нева, 1979 Handicraft (overview)
Labourers
Servants
Students
Estonian Church of St. John the Baptist
Pedagogical University