Language Inquisition: Estonia bans speaking russian

**European blood** · 12-03-2011, 04:33 PM

Renowned for their uncompromising policies to banish all signs of a Soviet legacy, Estonian officials are pushing harder and harder on the country's, still vast, Russian-speaking community. The minority that's long been threatened with a 'mother tongue ban' now plans to fight to the bitter end for language freedom.

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**Waidewut** · 12-03-2011, 04:57 PM

There is no "mother tongue ban", there is just a requirement for the ability to communicate in the only official language of the country. Those Russians who can't speak Estonian are actually discriminating Estonians, not vice versa.

**Comte Arnau** · 12-03-2011, 04:59 PM

Go, Estonians, go. Ochen' xorosho!

In Estonia, in Estonian.

**The Ripper** · 12-06-2011, 09:45 AM

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**oyster** · 12-06-2011, 09:48 AM

Pathetic... Russian to Estonians is way more useful than Estonian to Russians although I think Estonian is one of the best sounding languages in the world (just listen to Metsatöll). Anyway, some Estonians seems to have a problem...

**The Ripper** · 12-06-2011, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by oyster

Pathetic... Russian to Estonians is way more useful than Estonian to Russians although I think Estonian is one of the best sounding languages in the world (just listen to Metsatöll). Anyway, some Estonians seems to have a problem...

Estonians have a problem because they insist that Estonian citizens know Estonian?

**~~Stars Down To Earth~~** · 12-06-2011, 10:00 AM

From what I've read online, there's no ban on speaking Russian. It's just a normal fucking requirement that Russians learn the Estonian language.

I used to like RT, shame. I liked that they were West-critical and unbiased about stuff. As it turns out, it's just the Russian equivalent of Fox News.

**~~Han Cholo~~** · 12-06-2011, 10:02 AM

So are they being arrested for communicating themselves in Russian? If that's not the case I wouldn't call it an inquisition. Estonia was going to be turned into another St. Petersburg by Stalin, so I think this is a good move. Russians have Russia to speak Russian and teach their children their own language. The problem I think is that the government of Russia doesn't allow them to go back? Can anyone confirm this?

**The Ripper** · 12-06-2011, 10:03 AM

Well, they are the propaganda horn of the Kreml, just like CNN et al. propagate the views of Washington and London.

I think this demonization of the Baltics is more for domestic political purposes, a non-issue over which Putin and his crew can pose as the guardians of Russians.

**The Ripper** · 12-06-2011, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by Decimator

Russians have Russia to speak Russian and teach their children their own language. The problem I think is that the government of Russia doesn't allow them to go back? Can anyone confirm this?

On the contrary, a couple of years ago Russians living in Russia's near abroad were offered economic incentives to relocate to Russia.