By Anneli Reigas
When Estonia launched the year long festivities abroad to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the declaration of independence in February 1918, it was highly symbolic that Finland and its South-Western town Turku were picked up as the opening venue of the Estonia´s independence celebrations that will be held in 37 states around the globe in 2008.
The day long festivities in Turku on February 2, 2008 included history seminar and lot of beautiful Estonian music, performed by Estonians at the Turku Cathedral. Turku had been the capital of Finland until 1812 when Russia that had taken over the rule over Finland from Swedes, moved the capital from largely Swedish speaking Turku to Helsinki. In 2011 Turku will carry a title of capital again - together with Estonian capital Tallinn with whom Turku will share the title of Cultural Capital of Europe 2011.
Divided by sea,
Estonians and Finns share a close language and over the centuries have had also strong cultural and economic ties. The two nations have even fought for each others independence. Thousands of Finns came voluntarily to Estonia to fight for Estonia during Estonia´s independence war in 1918-1920. And thousands of Estonians joined voluntarily the Finnish army during World War II to fight the Red Army that at the end failed to occupy Finland, but remained in Estonia for nearly next 50 years.
Some, like 83-year old Estonian Raul Kuutma who joined Finnish army in 1943 being just 19 years old, believe that Finland managed to remain independent by the end of World War II partly because of Estonians. "The months long heavy battles of Estonian soldiers against the Red Army at the Estonian-Russian battle front near Estonian town Narva in spring and summer 1944 were very exhausting for Red Army and Soviets realized they have to reach peace at least with Finns. When Finnish Commander-in-Chief Carl Gustaf Mannerheim became a president and agreed for peace treaty with Soviets in summer 1944, the fate of Estonia was decided - Red Army troops from Finnish-Russian battle front were relocated to battle Estonians," adds Kuurma, Honorary Chairman of the Union of Estonians who fought in Finnish army.
During the Soviet era Estonians had a privileged status in all Soviet empire that was cut off from most of the global worldwide news broadcasting - thanks for close language Estonians living in North Estonia, including the capital Tallinn, managed to follow Western news and films via Finnish TV and radio channels that the regime failed to block.
At some extent, the Soviet brainwash ideology even reached the Finland. As decades passed, memories of horrors of war and loss of the part of Finnish territory in Karelia to Russia became less painful. Trade with Soviet Union boosted the Finnish economy in 70s and 80s and for many Finns, specially at the top of the state Soviet empire started to seem much less evil than for Estonians, who could not forgive the Soviets post-war atrocity, including the deportation of tens of thousands of Estonians to Siberia.
Ordinary Finns remained close
to Estonians with many of them visiting their Estonian friends, presenting them with coffee, clothes and sometimes even washing powder - all what used to be hard to get for many years. Strong personal contacts between the two nations also beared some controversial times when Finnish president Mauno Koivisto failed to support the singing revolution - drive for re-independence - of Estonians.
When Estonia regained its independence in August 1991, two Finnish Prime Ministers - Esko Aho and Paavo Lipponen did a lot to help Estonia at hard times. Aho decided to provide Estonia emergency help in winter 1992 when Moscow had cut off the traditional gas and oil supply and Lipponen became a strong voice for Estonia at various international meetings, being one of the first statesmen strongly supporting Estonia´s aspirations to join EU.
With history and ties like that it came like natural that the 90th anniversary of Finnish independence on December 6, 2007 was celebrated in Estonia more than probably in any other foreign state - with tens of special events in Tallinn and many Estonian counties organized.
Being the only nation in the world that puts every fifth year 19 000 singers to sing at the song festival in Tallinn in same choir under batton of just one conductor, it is also no wonder that Estonia celebrates its own independence anniversary this year with concerts in 37 states.
"The strong and long music culture
in Estonia is definitely one of the best trademarks of our nation," says Paavo Järvi (45), Estonian conductor who is the chief conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in the United States, Germany's Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and is scheduled to become lead conductor of the Orchestre de Paris in 2010. Paavo Järvi who can without hesitation be called Estonian Global Cultural Ambassador is one of the Estonian conductors, who will lead concerts marking Estonian independence anniversary.
Järvi who emigrated to US from Soviet Estonia in 1980 with his parents is also one of many Estonian musicians who have strong connection to Finland - Järvi often takes Nordic composers into program and says the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius is one of his most favorate composers.
Some Estonian composers like Veljo Tormis in turn have written beautiful music for Finnish lyrics. When festival "Estonian music days" ended in spring 2007, organisers had picked the songs in Finnish to end the festival of Estonian music - with Estonian Philharmonic Choir singing poetry from Finnish epic Kalevala for what Tormis composed a great music already during Breznev era.
Main Estonian musical event in Helsinki this year - concert for Estonian friends in Finland -will be arranged on April 14, 2008 at Finlandia House. Tallinn Chamber Orchestra will be conducted by Estonian conductor Eri Klas, who himself has worked in Finland during many decades.
With culture uniting both nations deeply at grass-root level, the economic ties started to boom soon after Estonia regained freedom.
"Finland is the main investor
into Estonian industry and trade, 25% of all foreign direct investments made into Estonia are from Finland. There are over 3800 companies in Estonia with Finnish capital - no other country is so much involved in Estonia´s economy," says Valdar Liive, head of Helsinki mission of the Enterprise Estonia.
"15 years ago most Finnish investments went to industry - Finns bought up some of Soviet era industry but also started to build new factories. Biggest Finnish investments have been made into electronic companies like Elqoteq, Efore, Incap, into mechanical engineering industry (Cargotec, Metalliset), telecommunication (Elisa), timber industry (Stora Enso). Finns have also invested a lot into food industry in Estonia. Nowadays Estonia is not seen any more attractive just for its cheaper labor force and foreign investors invest more to increase productivity. Instead of simple products more sophiscated products are produced. More Finnish investments are made into IT sector but also into real estate projects and highly valued products design sector in Estonia," Liive adds.
"The Finnish investors often turn to our office in Helsinki to seek advice and first assistance. We try to find them partners and goods they seek, explain the business-making options in Estonia etc. Despite we are very alike by cultural background, some differences should be accounted. Finns spend much more time and resources to consider and prepare their plans. Estonians in turn - probably because of out historic background - want to act more quickly and are more ready to face all kind of changes. Finnish investors are also keen to find out what kind of resources they can seek from EU structural funds that Estonia can use like other EU states," Liive says.
Enterprise Estonia mission in Helsinki collaborates also with Invest in Finland and Finpro, organises seminars and business promotion trips. In addition to helping Finnish investors the mission also assists Estonians looking for trade partners in Finland or seeking to establish their own business in Finland.
"Together with Estonian embassy, Estonian Institute, Tuglas Society and Union of Finnish-Estonian friendship societies we have opened a website www.viro90.fi with detailed info about Estonian independence festivities in Finland that we organise together," Liive says.
"For many Finnish companies Estonia is often the first step to enter international markets and also to coordinate the local branches of Finnish companies in other Baltic States, also in Belorussia and Ukraine. For many Finnish companies Estonia is the place where from to order and produce goods for Europea market," Liive adds.
Finns make also up the biggest share of tourists
visiting Estonia. "Nearly 49% of foreign tourists who stay overnight in Estonia, come from Finland. With one-day visitors accounted over 6 million passengers cross the Gulf of Finland between Helsinki and Tallinn annually. Finns have started to stay longer during their visit and are more eager to visit also other Estonian towns and countryside," says Toomas Tärk who promotes Estonian tourism in Finland and works like Liive at Enterprise Estonia.
"Estonia has changed so rapidly during last 10-15 years, that someone who visited it years ago might have very different opinion about Estonia than someone who has been in Estonia recently. That is why we consider the ongoing marketing of Estonia and Estonian image in Finland very important. As Finns are often very sensitive to customer service level and compare it with Finland it is also our challenge to guide them to restaurants and other places that always offer a good service," Tärk says.
In order to attract even more Finns to visit Estonia, Enterprise Estonia is organising various events. ""Estonia comes to visit" days are organised in seven Finnish towns and will include cultural program as well as enterprise and tourism promotion. Bigger Finnish audience will have a chance to see 9 TV-programs "Visiting Estonia", compiled by the order of Enterprise Estonia. Estonia as tourism destination will be also promoted in Helsinki on May 9-10 at Estonian days, organised in front of Kampi trade centre," Tärk adds.
In addition to many ongoing projects Liive and Tärk are promoting together with some Estonian-Finnish institutions a plan to establish Estonian House in downtown Helsinki in order to provide even better ground for all those seeking to strengthen the economic and cultural ties between Estonia and Finland that for many often seems like a twin-nation already.
Magazine "Life in Estonia", 2008
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