Since the mid-19th century the Estonian press has published articles on the topic of settlements, initially based on information obtained from Lutheran pastors and local parish clerks (Konstantin Butzke, Jaan Nebokat, etc.). In the late 19th and early 20th century the issue of expatriation and settlements was regularly covered in the press, and several newspapers (e.g. Sakala) even introduced a separate column on the settlements. In 1910 as many as 9 issues of Asunik, a newsletter of Estonian expatriates and settlers, were printed in Tallinn.
Estonian-language newspapers and journals were also published in Russia: in the years 1884–1930 about 45 different titles were released, while in 1931–1940 only proletarian periodicals could be printed.
An important source of information on the life of the settlements were Peterburi Teataja [St. Petersburg Gazette] (temporarily called Petrogradi Teataja [Petrograd’s Gazette]), issued in 1908–1914, which was replaced by Pealinna Teataja [The Capital’s Gazette], issued in 1914–1917. Issuing of Peterburi Teataja was continued in 1999.
Specifically targeted at the Siberian Estonians were the newspapers Siberi Tööline [The Siberian Proletariat] issued during 1920–1922 in Omsk and Siberi Teataja with its literary supplement Uus Küla [The New Village], issued during 1922–1930 in Novosibirsk.
Information on Estonian settlements was also published in the Russian-language press of Russia, particularly in regional newspapers.
Overviews
The first published descriptive overviews of Estonian settlements and Siberian Estonians in Russia were written by Jüri Meomuttel (1900) and August Nigol (1918). By the time A. Nigol’s book “Eesti asundused ja asupaigad Venemaal” [‘Estonian settlements and habitations in Russia’] was published the majority of the settlements had already been founded, and certain inaccuracies aside, the book has remained the most comprehensive overview of the settlements.
The overviews by Hill Kulu (1992) and Raimo Raag (1999) published in the 1990s examine the Estonians in Russia in the context of the global Estonian community.
Overviews of the population and the distribution of Estonians in Russia have been published by Samuel Sommer (1929), Villem Ernits (1929), Alo Raun (1958, 1986), Lembit Võime (1992, 1993), Lembit Tepp (1993), and other authors.
Research
Research on the expatriation movement and Estonians in Russia was also published in the Soviet era; however, the subject has come into a greater focus after Estonia regained independence with the publishing of several monographs, some overviews and a fair number of articles. Today, researchers also have at their disposal materials that were formerly inaccessible.
The expatriation of Estonians to Russia and the reasons thereof have been treated by historians Artur Vassar (1975), Sirje Kivimäe (1981), Tiit Rosenberg (1998), and others.
Historian Viktor Maamägi has published a study on the development of Estonian settlements and the Estonian minority in the Soviet Union during 1917–1940 (1980).
Since 1984 linguist Jüri Viikberg has published articles on the settlement history, language and linguistic relations of the Siberian Estonians and has defended his Candidate of Science thesis “Estonskije jazõkovõje ostrovki v Sibiri: Vozniknovenije, razvitije, kontaktõ” [‘Estonian Language Enclaves in Siberia: Formation, Development, Contacts’] (1989).
Linguist Lembit Vaba has published, together with Jüri Viikberg, an article on language relations of the Siberian Estonians.
Aavo Valmis has published a study on teaching the mother tongue in Estonian schools in Russia (1997).
Demographer Hill Kulu has addressed the formation and everyday life of the Estonian settlements in West Siberia and repatriation of Estonians. His Ph.D. thesis “Eestlaste tagasiränne 1940–1989. Lääne-Siberist pärit eestlaste näitel” [‘Estonian Return Migration during 1940-1989. Estonians in West Siberia’] appeared in print in 1997.
Ethnologist Mare Piho has written several articles on the origins, everyday life and the present situation in the Setu settlements in Siberia.
Ethnologist Aivar Jürgenson has published an article on the Estonians settled around the Sea of Japan, he has also studied the expatriation, territorial distribution and identity of the Siberian Estonians and has defended his Ph. D. thesis “Siberi eestlaste territoriaalsus ja identiteet” [‘The identy and territoriality of the Siberian Estonians’] (2002).
Folklorist Anu Korb has studied the repertoire of songs, ancestral tales, death and funerary customs and community traditions of the Siberian Estonians and, on the basis of fieldwork conducted in Siberia, the theory of folkloristic fieldwork. She defended her M.A. thesis “Suulise pärimuse kogumistöö Siberi eestlaste juures ja selle tulemust mõjutavad tegurid” [‘The Collection of Oral Traditions Among Siberian Estonians and Factors Influencing the Results’] in 2001.
In addition, she has published four volumes of selections of commented texts “Eesti Asundused” [Estonian Settlements] (1995–1999).
Folklorist Astrid Tuisk has explored issues related to the changes in the traditions of the Siberian Estonians as well as their topographical traditions and ethnobotany. She is the editor of the collection of articles “Eesti kultuur võõrsil. Loode-Venemaa ja Siberi asundused” [‘Estonian Culture in Exile. Settlements in Northwest Russia and Siberia’] (1998) and has defended M.A thesis entitled “Oma ja võõra rühma piirid Siberi eestlaste rahvaluule põhjal” [The Boundaries between “Familiar” and “Foreign” on the Basis of Siberian Estonian Folklore] (2001).
Russian ethnographer Ilya Lotkin (Omsk) has, together with his research students, explored ethnic processes in the Estonian and Latvian settlements in West Siberia.
Finnish researcher Alpo Juntunen has focussed in his studies on the Finnish settlements and deportees in Siberia, his works also contain information on the Siberian Estonians.
Individual articles and reviews have also been published on the popular calendar of the Siberian Estonians by Mall Hiiemäe, on protective letters of the Siberian Estonians by Ell Vahtramäe, on the narrative tradition of the Siberian Estonian community in the Orava villageby Risto Järv, and on the Estonians in the Far East by Mart Mäger and Anatoli Rekk-Lebedev.
In 1997 an interdisciplinary research unit The Centre for Expatriate Estonian Studies was established at the University of Tartu, aiming to study the migration of Estonians and the history, identity, language and literature of expatriate Estonians. Owing to the small number of employees, the Centre has so far confined itself to studying migration issues. Estonia has yet to establish a centre for integrating and coordinating the activities of researchers of settlements.
Anu Korb