Andreas Beck A New Cold War

top of page

Estonian Defense Minister Jüri Luik (middle) is seen walking towards his car after having dinner with UK defense minister Gavin Williamson in Tallinn. The following day sixteen EU countries display 30 Russian diplomats as a result of the poisonous attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter. at a press conference the two minister proclaim "Now is a time to stand together".

Danish Nato soldiers during urban fighting exercise in southern Estonia. Corporal Skriver from the Danish Third Division of First Armored Infantry Company takes aim after been given directions.

In April 2007 violent demonstrations erupted in Tallinn because the government decided to move a Soviet military monument, the Bronze soldier, from its location in the center of the city to a military cemetery on the outskirts of the city. The ethnic Estonians saw the monument as a symbol of the Soviet occupation, while the ethnic Russians saw it as a symbol of victory over the Nazis in the Second World War. The demonstrations lasted for three consecutive nights. One person died and more than a thousand people were arrested.

Four years ago, Irina and Alexei (left and middle) founded the Dobrosvet. An organization, which collects emergency aid for the Pro-Russian Ukranians who are in need of medicine, clothing and food due to thethe civil war in the Ukrainian region of Donbass.
With the help of the infamous Russian motorcycle gang The Night Wolves, Dobrosvet drives the emergency aid to Russia. From where it is transported southwards, across the border and to Lugansk, one of the main cities of the insurgency.
"I saw in Russian television how the war made it impossible for people in Donbass to live. They are also Russians, they are also our people. We need to help them, "says Irina Esakov

Through its mono goggle, equipped with night vision, thermal vision and infrared vision, Corporal Jonas tries to spot potential enemies at dusk.

Alicia Esakov (three years old) tries on a Iron Man mask. She is the granddaughter of Irina and Alexei Esakov, who has founded the Pro-Russian emergency aid organization Dobrosvet. They store their collected aid in a worn out warehouse in the outskirts of Tallinn.

Soldier from Danish first Division of First Armored Infantry Company, during an exercise where a trench must be stormed and taken.

Annee Kalinen, 30, has sung at the Pärl restaurant in Narva for five years. "My grandparents are Russian and I like Russia. I'm not afraid of Russia."

Soldiers from the Danish Third Division of First Armored Infantry Company waiting on their instructor Bob. They sing about Bob. "MMMbop," they sing, just like the song that is hugely famous and for some maybe annoying by the American siblings band Hanson. Then they laugh.

Aaliyah Mikhailova is 28 years old and from Baku, Azerbaijan. Because her father is Estonian she has been granted an Estonian citizenship. She has applied to the Tartu University, despite her linguistic shortcomings. At the university all tests and exams are in Estonian and therefore Aaliyah keeps failing. Since Aaliyah does not speak Estonian she is having trouble finding a job that pays well enough to support language lessons. "I don´t feel welcome in Estonia. They do not directly say that it´s because I speak Russian and not Estonian that I can´t be here, but I can´t get integrated the right way. There is a very nationalist feeling in Estonia and I'm trapped in it. I don´t live forever, I don´t have all the time in the world. I want to study and I want to live my life. Sometimes I just want to scream. I would like to belong to and be part of a country. But it's hard because it feels like I'm not allowed to belong.

Corporal Arne (r with red light) Corporal Mathias (middle with red light) and Corporal Holm are reviewing a completed exercise and collecting comments for a joint review with the other groups from the First Armored Infantry Company, which has also participated in the exercise.

A Russian speaking man is sitting on a bench by the river Narva in the city with the same name. Over the river runs a bridge connecting Estonia and Russia.

At 6.45am the night watch wakes up the other soldiers, after which breakfast is at 7.

Language inspectors Marge Mägi (front) Erika Lindsalva (back) in their 7th floor office in Kohtla-Järve. Their task is to check whether especially public employees, but also some private employees, speak Estonian. She and her employees go out and interview doctors, teachers and people working in the service industry, for example, waiters, and if they do not speak Estonian at a high enough level, they first get a warning and if nothing is being done they will see a fine. "Estonia is a small country so it's vital that we keep our language. For hundreds of years we were under various rulings, so there is enormously much identity in our language. It is in the older generation, we have the problem and it dies at some point. Even though it's hard to think so. "

Xenia Solodski (29 years old) and her son Tigran (3 years). Xenia Solodski is Russian-Estonian and does not like talking about Russia when she is at family celebrations. "what's happening in Russia is not good . Something is not all right now, "she says." And it's hard because I feel Russian because of my native language. My whole family is pro-Putin. I can really understand them, because Putin is security, he is stability. But I'm afraid what he can mean for our future here. "" Honestly, "she says," I'm afraid. The Estonians are also afraid. We as a country are in a very difficult situation, especially if it escalates. It is very difficult. I have nothing against Estonians and I understand why we are different. As a Russian, you can feel the pressure to speak pro-Russian all the time, but I live in Estonia, and I understand Estonia's right to and need to be independent. "" I really do not want what happened in Donbass , happens here.

bottom of page