Tallinn
Our first morning at sea presented tranquil lake-like Baltic sailing that eased us into the expedition. Emma introduced the staff, and Ron Suny gave a brief survey of the history of tsarist Russia. He emphasized how the tsars built legitimacy through their claim to be representatives of God on earth. But by 1905 they lost support as the regime was challenged by European advances. Russia's own military defeats and the growing popular opposition to autocratic rule finally brought the Romanov regime down.
After lunch we made a bus tour of the Estonian capital, Tallinn. The first top was the Catherine Park, laid out by order of Peter the great. We visited the song festival park, where Estonians both expressed their national culture and in the late 1980s protested Soviet rule. Local Russians were reluctant to speak about the recent riots that brought out after the Estonian authorities removed the memorial to the Soviet victory over fascism in World War II. To the Estonians the monument was a symbol of the long endured Soviet occupation of their country.
Estonians are said to be a shy, quiet people. While an Estonian introvert looks at his shoes while speaking to you, an Estonian extrovert looks at your shoes! Each Estonian, they say, is "one in a million," since the population of the country is about one million!
Walking through the old city of Tallinn, looking at the variety of architecture -- Russian revival style in the Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky; Hanseatic Germanic style in the merchant houses of the narrow streets; imperial Russian buildings like the current parliament building -- it was impossible not to appreciate the charm of a town that survived through the centuries, even passing largely unscathed by the bombings of the Second World War. Tallinn impresses by its vibrancy, the bustle of its people, who in the last decade have emerged as dedicated enthusiasts of Western style capitalism. The major problem in the country remains the tensions between the Russian-speakers, who make up about a third of the country, and the majority Estonians.
Toward evening most of us returned to the ship for dinner, but a few found restaurants in town. The ship sailed early in the morning after the wisest and most tired were fast asleep.
Our first morning at sea presented tranquil lake-like Baltic sailing that eased us into the expedition. Emma introduced the staff, and Ron Suny gave a brief survey of the history of tsarist Russia. He emphasized how the tsars built legitimacy through their claim to be representatives of God on earth. But by 1905 they lost support as the regime was challenged by European advances. Russia's own military defeats and the growing popular opposition to autocratic rule finally brought the Romanov regime down.
After lunch we made a bus tour of the Estonian capital, Tallinn. The first top was the Catherine Park, laid out by order of Peter the great. We visited the song festival park, where Estonians both expressed their national culture and in the late 1980s protested Soviet rule. Local Russians were reluctant to speak about the recent riots that brought out after the Estonian authorities removed the memorial to the Soviet victory over fascism in World War II. To the Estonians the monument was a symbol of the long endured Soviet occupation of their country.
Estonians are said to be a shy, quiet people. While an Estonian introvert looks at his shoes while speaking to you, an Estonian extrovert looks at your shoes! Each Estonian, they say, is "one in a million," since the population of the country is about one million!
Walking through the old city of Tallinn, looking at the variety of architecture -- Russian revival style in the Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky; Hanseatic Germanic style in the merchant houses of the narrow streets; imperial Russian buildings like the current parliament building -- it was impossible not to appreciate the charm of a town that survived through the centuries, even passing largely unscathed by the bombings of the Second World War. Tallinn impresses by its vibrancy, the bustle of its people, who in the last decade have emerged as dedicated enthusiasts of Western style capitalism. The major problem in the country remains the tensions between the Russian-speakers, who make up about a third of the country, and the majority Estonians.
Toward evening most of us returned to the ship for dinner, but a few found restaurants in town. The ship sailed early in the morning after the wisest and most tired were fast asleep.
