In a recent radio interview on Vikerraadio’s “Vikerhommik,” cultural historian and folklorist Marju Kõivupuu acknowledged that keeping Estonian culture and identity alive abroad demands motivation and determination.
Kõivupuu said she has a lot of respect for those who keep the Estonian language and culture alive living beyond Estonia’s own borders.
“They take the time to read the latest Estonian literature, are interested in Estonian mythology, folklore, music, and art, they speak with their young children in Estonian – it’s incredible,” she emphasized.
“Sometimes I feel like those who work a long way from home pay more and deliberate attention to language and culture,” she continued, adding that a diaspora literary club in Bern, Switzerland actively asks more questions than people in Estonia do. “They still say about Estonians that no matter where you place the front row, [an Estonian] will never sit there.”
The cultural historian stressed that maintaining this Estonian culture and identity abroad doesn’t happen by itself.
“You have to have determination and motivation, which is why I stand in awe of all of those communities abroad of people with Estonian roots – for taking the time and also [spending] the money to get together and to keep up with everything going on in Estonia even today, to chat with one another and also maintain a certain social network, which is also indispensable abroad,” Kõivupuu said.
“Means of expressing oneself through culture and keeping all of this alive actually makes Estonia bigger, more visible to the world, and more attractive,” she noted.
The expert also highlighted how, in her practical experience, crucial to kids being able to learn the Estonian language is the opportunity to speak the language with their peers.
“It’s very difficult to preserve a language in children if they don’t have any peers,” Kõivupuu stressed.
ERR News
