The Estonians The Long Road To Independence

Alongside the Arab Spring, the 'Occupy' anti-capitalist movements in the West, and the events on the Maidan in Kiev, Russia has had its own protest movements, notably the political protests of 2011–12. As elsewhere in the world, these protests had unlikely origins, in Russia’s case spearheaded by the 'creative class'. This book examines the protest movements in Russia. It discusses the artistic traditions from which the movements arose; explores the media, including the internet, film, novels, and fashion, through which the protesters have expressed themselves; and considers the outcome of the movements, including the new forms of nationalism, intellectualism, and feminism put forward. Overall, the book shows how the Russian protest movements have suggested new directions for Russian – and global – politics.

This book deals with the construction of the ‘other’ in European media at a time when the recently expanded EU is facing new political, economic and social challenges. The aim of the book is to document the diverse discursive forms of othering, ranging from differentiation to discrimination, that are directed against various ‘other Europeans’ in both institutionalized media and such non-elite semi-public contexts as discussion forums and citizen blogs. Drawing on data from British, Polish, French, Czech, Italian, Hungarian, Spanish and Estonian contexts, the individual papers investigate how various social groupings – regions, nations, ethnicities, communities, cultures – are discursively constructed as ‘outsiders’ rather than ‘insiders’, as ‘them’ rather than ‘us’. While most of the papers are grounded in linguistics and critical discourse studies, the book will also appeal to numerous other social scientists interested in the interface between language, media and social issues.

This volume is one in a continuing series of books prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress. This volume is about Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Estonia covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, glossary, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

Estonia is a small country located in Northern Europe. It is situated on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Russia to the east, Latvia to the south, and the Gulf of Finland to the north. Estonia has a population of just over 1.3 million people, with the majority living in the urban areas of Tallinn, the capital and largest city, and Tartu. Estonian is the official language and the country has a strong digital infrastructure, with a majority of its citizens having access to the internet. Estonia has a rich history, with the first known human settlements dating back to around 9,000 BC. The country has been ruled by various powers throughout history, including the Danish, German, Swedish, and Russian empires. In 1918, Estonia declared its independence from Russia and became a republic. However, during World War II, Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union and did not regain its independence until 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since then, Estonia has undergone significant economic and political reforms, becoming a member of the European Union and NATO in 2004. Today, Estonia is known for its innovative technology sector, stunning natural landscapes, and vibrant cultural scene.