From: thietaniemi@cc.helsinki.fi
Subject: Re: Narva (ESTONIA) (Was: Verbitsky...)
Organization: University of Helsinki
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 14:54:34 GMT

In article <1992Dec12.000653.18420@husc3.harvard.edu>, verbit@coolidge.harvard.
edu (Mikhail S. Verbitsky) writes:

>>>       This is what this discussion is about: Russian-speaking
>>>       population of Baltics supported the Baltic independence
>>>       in the name of freedom, and the native population - in
>>>       the name of nationalism.
>
>>When it comes to Estonia, unfortunately not the WHOLE of Russian
>>speaking population supported the Estonian independence, as you
>>might know...
>
>       You are right, the Narva situation was pretty messed
>       up from the start... The Latvian Russian-speaking population
>       was on a big part from "intelligentsia",


You are right, there is a tremendous difference! And Russian speakers
in Latvia recognized that they live in Latvia, but, on the contrary
not every one in Narva realized that he/she had come to "Estonia" (but
near Leningrad, instead).

In Latvian referendum, some districts the majority of which consists
of Russian speakers, voted for independence. The same phenomenon
was not to be observed in Estonia, unfortunately.


>       while Narva
>       is a city of factories, so there lives proletariat
>       with its own set of prejudices.


Indeed: blue-collar workers and managers, who formed the leagues
of "workers' soviets". I think that it is no coincidence that the
Lenin statue is (still) left untouched in Narva. I do not suppose that
Narvians are very eager readers and supporters of Leninism, but
they are unsecure about the future - therefore it might be
prudent from their point of view to leave the statue in it's place.


>       All the workers of
>       big factories in Russia are doing now, it seems,
>       is strikes; in Narva the same energy finds the
>       outlet in anti-Estonian sentiments.


Fortunately, there are other outlets for energy: even some energy
in Narva seems to be channeled to innovation. The Estonian television
reported previous week about one factory in Narva that had specialized
in the production of double windows, which spare a lot of
energy during the grim Nordic winter.

Usually the amount of energy spent on Soviet-style block houses is
many times the amount that is spent in the Finnish houses.

Now, when the energy price in Estonia (and in Imperium) has skyrocketed,
there seems to be need for new initiatives and enterprises.

Narva has been surprisingly calm. The reason might be that the Laar
government is anxious not to oppose the Narvians. Actually, this
is rather sad story. There would be enormous need for restructuring
the Narva manufactures, which might involve some unpleasant
political decisions - the unemployment rate would rise and that
might produce restlessness (because it could denote the end of
kormleniye).

The more adequate policy had been, according to my humble opinion,
to grant Narva a special status (some kind of home rule and no
language qualification). The Estonian government could have
been able to introduce there more radical reforms, if it were considered
to be totally legitimate from the point of view of the Russian
speaking population. The radical reforms would
benefit the whole population in Estonia in the long run.

So: the right wing government is forced to adapt a "conservative"
leftist (in post-soviet conditions) economic policy, because
of it's right-wing, legalistically emphasized citizenship
policy. Which will cost much to the Estonian republic, I am
afraid.

thinks
the observer
Tapani Hietaniemi, Universitas Helsingiensis
                   urbs fennorum

Xref: sparky talk.politics.soviet:9857 soc.culture.europe:10628