Anti-Estonian sentiment
Encyclopedia
Anti-Estonian sentiment generally describes dislike or hate of the Estonian people or the Republic of Estonia. Its opposite is Estophilia
.
-controlled sectors of the Russian media took advantage of anti-Estonian sentiment during Estonia's 2007 relocation of the Bronze Soldier, a Soviet-era statue "Monument to the Liberators of Tallinn" during the Second World War. At various times Russian national television has effectively shaped anti-Estonian sentiment with the state controlled media redoubling their anti-Estonian campaign after specific events that displeases Moscow.
According to Lilia Shevtsova
, Senior Associate at the Russian Domestic Politics and Political Institutions Program Chair of the Carnegie Moscow Center, anti-Estonian sentiment was intentionally escalated by Kremlin in its "search for enemies", however she also notes that even Russian democrats took Estonia's removal of the statue immediately before one of the most respected and cherished dates in the Russian calendar, to be an affront to the Russian national honour.
The Russian government used its state controlled media to propagate anti-Estonian sentiment in order to fan the flames of ethnic Russian outrage, leading to coordinated waves of cyber attacks against Estonian internet infrastructure
. As the President of Estonia
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
stated at the time "We are witnesses to the information war against Estonia which already reminds of an ideological aggression".
neologism, eSStonia, appeared in the Russia
n media, on Runet
, and at the street protests in the midst of the Bronze Soldier controversy in 2007. The term, a portmanteau of Estonia
and SS, is intended to portray Estonia as a neo-Nazi state.
In April 2007, some participants in the protested outside the Embassy of Estonia in Moscow
organized by the Russian youth organisation Nashi carried signs stating "Wanted. The Ambassador of the Fascist State of eSStonia" , referring to the then-Ambassador of Estonia to Russia Marina Kaljurand
. In May 2007, members of the Young Guard of United Russia picketed the Consulate-General of Estonia in Saint Petersburg
holding up pickets with slogans such as "eSStonia–the shame of Europe!" . The use of eSStonia in protests by Nashi and the Young Guard determined the head of the Saint Petersburg
youth branch of Yabloko
to file a complaint with Yury Chaika
, the Prosecutor General of Russia
, asking for an investigation into a possible breach of Article 282 Incitement of National, Racial, or Religious Enmity of the Criminal Code of Russia.
In November 2007, Komsomolskaya Pravda
, the biggest selling daily newspaper in Russia, ran a campaign asking readers to boycott travel to Estonia, Estonian goods and services. The campaign run under the slogan "I don't go to eSStonia" . The Economist
, in its editorial, called the term "a cheap jibe" by spelling the country's name eSStonia, President
Ilves
as IlveSS and Prime Minister
Ansip
as AnSSip, while noting the coining of the term Nashism
to describe what they regard as the populist, pro-authoritarian and ultra-nationalist philosophy of Nashi, a pro-Kremlin youth movement, as an encouraging countermeasure.
issued a statement accusing "the Estonian government's intention to continue its course of representing Nazism in a heroic light and justifying its ideology".
In Russia, the youth movement Nashi has been noted for anti-Estonian sentiments among its members; often, it is framed
as anti-fascism activities.
Estophilia
Estophilia refers to the ideas and activities of people not of Estonian descent who are sympathetic to or interested in Estonian language, Estonian literature or Estonian culture, History of Estonia and Estonia in general. Such people are known as Estophiles...
.
Bronze Soldier controversy
Christopher Walker and Robert Orttung allege that KremlinGovernment of Russia
The Government of the Russian Federation exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. The members of the government are the prime minister , the deputy prime ministers, and the federal ministers...
-controlled sectors of the Russian media took advantage of anti-Estonian sentiment during Estonia's 2007 relocation of the Bronze Soldier, a Soviet-era statue "Monument to the Liberators of Tallinn" during the Second World War. At various times Russian national television has effectively shaped anti-Estonian sentiment with the state controlled media redoubling their anti-Estonian campaign after specific events that displeases Moscow.
According to Lilia Shevtsova
Lilia Shevtsova
Lilia Shevtsova is a Kremlinology expert and currently serves as a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.-Biography:...
, Senior Associate at the Russian Domestic Politics and Political Institutions Program Chair of the Carnegie Moscow Center, anti-Estonian sentiment was intentionally escalated by Kremlin in its "search for enemies", however she also notes that even Russian democrats took Estonia's removal of the statue immediately before one of the most respected and cherished dates in the Russian calendar, to be an affront to the Russian national honour.
The Russian government used its state controlled media to propagate anti-Estonian sentiment in order to fan the flames of ethnic Russian outrage, leading to coordinated waves of cyber attacks against Estonian internet infrastructure
2007 cyberattacks on Estonia
Cyberattacks on Estonia refers to a series of cyber attacks that began April 27, 2007 and swamped websites of Estonian organizations, including Estonian parliament, banks, ministries, newspapers and broadcasters, amid the country's row with Russia about the relocation of the Bronze Soldier of...
. As the President of Estonia
President of Estonia
The President of the Republic is the head of state of the Republic of Estonia.Estonia is a parliamentary republic, therefore President is mainly a symbolic figure and holds no executive power. The President has to suspend his membership in any political party for his term in office...
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Toomas Hendrik Ilves is the fourth and current President of Estonia. He is a former diplomat and journalist, was the leader of the Social Democratic Party in the 1990s and later a member of the European Parliament...
stated at the time "We are witnesses to the information war against Estonia which already reminds of an ideological aggression".
eSStonia
An anti-Estonian pejorativePejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
neologism, eSStonia, appeared in the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n media, on Runet
Runet
Currently Internet access in Russia is available to businesses and home users in various forms, including dial-up, cable, DSL, FTTH, mobile, wireless and satellite...
, and at the street protests in the midst of the Bronze Soldier controversy in 2007. The term, a portmanteau of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
and SS, is intended to portray Estonia as a neo-Nazi state.
In April 2007, some participants in the protested outside the Embassy of Estonia in Moscow
Embassy of Estonia in Moscow
The Embassy of Estonia in Moscow is the chief diplomatic mission of Estonia in the Russian Federation. It is located at 5 Maly Kislovsky Lane in the Presnensky District of Moscow.-External links:...
organized by the Russian youth organisation Nashi carried signs stating "Wanted. The Ambassador of the Fascist State of eSStonia" , referring to the then-Ambassador of Estonia to Russia Marina Kaljurand
Marina Kaljurand
Marina Kaljurand is an Estonian diplomat ....
. In May 2007, members of the Young Guard of United Russia picketed the Consulate-General of Estonia in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
holding up pickets with slogans such as "eSStonia–the shame of Europe!" . The use of eSStonia in protests by Nashi and the Young Guard determined the head of the Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
youth branch of Yabloko
Yabloko
The Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" The Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" The Russian United Democratic Party "Yabloko" (Russian: Росси́йская объединённая демократи́ческая па́ртия «Я́блоко» Rossiyskaya obyedinyonnaya demokraticheskaya partiya "Yabloko"; is a Russian social...
to file a complaint with Yury Chaika
Yury Chaika
Yury Yakovlevich Chaika is the current Prosecutor General of Russia.-Career:Chaika began his career as an electrician in a shipyard. After serving in the army, he graduated from Sverdlovsk Institute of Law in 1976 and began work at Irkutsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office where he served as an...
, the Prosecutor General of Russia
Prosecutor General of Russia
The Prosecutor General of Russia heads the system of official prosecution in courts known as the Office of the Prosecutor General of Russian Federation ....
, asking for an investigation into a possible breach of Article 282 Incitement of National, Racial, or Religious Enmity of the Criminal Code of Russia.
In November 2007, Komsomolskaya Pravda
Komsomolskaya Pravda
Komsomolskaya Pravda is a daily Russian tabloid newspaper, founded on March 13th, 1925. It is published by "Izdatelsky Dom Komsomolskaya Pravda" .- History :...
, the biggest selling daily newspaper in Russia, ran a campaign asking readers to boycott travel to Estonia, Estonian goods and services. The campaign run under the slogan "I don't go to eSStonia" . The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, in its editorial, called the term "a cheap jibe" by spelling the country's name eSStonia, President
President of Estonia
The President of the Republic is the head of state of the Republic of Estonia.Estonia is a parliamentary republic, therefore President is mainly a symbolic figure and holds no executive power. The President has to suspend his membership in any political party for his term in office...
Ilves
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Toomas Hendrik Ilves is the fourth and current President of Estonia. He is a former diplomat and journalist, was the leader of the Social Democratic Party in the 1990s and later a member of the European Parliament...
as IlveSS and Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Estonia
The Prime Minister of Estonia is the head of government of the Republic of Estonia. The prime minister is nominated by the President after appropriate consultations with the parliamentary factions and confirmed by the Parliament. In case of disagreement, the Parliament can reject the President's...
Ansip
Andrus Ansip
Andrus Ansip is the current Prime Minister of Estonia, and chairman of the market liberal Estonian Reform Party .-Early life and career:...
as AnSSip, while noting the coining of the term Nashism
Nashism
Nashism and Nashists are post-Soviet Russian political neologisms derived from the word "наши" . The word is used to refer to various forms of worldview based on the primacy of "ours" over the "outsiders". Various Russian journalists, politicians and politologists put different meanings into this...
to describe what they regard as the populist, pro-authoritarian and ultra-nationalist philosophy of Nashi, a pro-Kremlin youth movement, as an encouraging countermeasure.
Accusations of sympathies with Nazism
In 2007, as a response to the possibility of removal of WWII graves (in the context of the Bronze Soldier controversy) Russian State DumaState Duma
The State Duma , common abbreviation: Госду́ма ) in the Russian Federation is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia , the upper house being the Federation Council of Russia. The Duma headquarters is located in central Moscow, a few steps from Manege Square. Its members are referred to...
issued a statement accusing "the Estonian government's intention to continue its course of representing Nazism in a heroic light and justifying its ideology".
In Russia, the youth movement Nashi has been noted for anti-Estonian sentiments among its members; often, it is framed
Framing (social sciences)
A frame in social theory consists of a schema of interpretation — that is, a collection of anecdotes and stereotypes—that individuals rely on to understand and respond to events. In simpler terms, people build a series of mental filters through biological and cultural influences. They use these...
as anti-fascism activities.
External links
- Sveriges RadioSveriges RadioSveriges Radio AB – Swedish Radio Ltd – is Sweden's national publicly funded radio broadcaster. The Swedish public-broadcasting system is in many respects modelled after the one used in the United Kingdom, and Sveriges Radio - like Sveriges Television - shares many characteristics with...
/Komsomolskaya PravdaKomsomolskaya PravdaKomsomolskaya Pravda is a daily Russian tabloid newspaper, founded on March 13th, 1925. It is published by "Izdatelsky Dom Komsomolskaya Pravda" .- History :...
May 11, 2007: Anti Estonian hysteria in northwest Russia (article contains incorrect translation from Russian)