1. Why did you move to Finland and how well did you adapt to your new home land?
I came 10 years ago with my husband, who was offered an interesting professional opportunity here. I was curious to learn what it is like to live in another country and gain new experiences, so I decided to seize the opportunity. I participated in different courses and attended many schools. I loved meeting new people from all around the world, networking and exchanging information. It was all so exciting, sort of like travelling to somewhere new.
2. You created MEK already in 2011 and today it is an officially registered association. How did you come up with the idea of founding an Estonian club in Mikkeli, did you have certain role models and what were the main challenges you faced during the early days of MEK?
I was working as an Estonian-speaking counselor and had gained a lot of knowledge about the Finnish system. Also, I had studied international business management in the university and attended a few entrepreneurial courses. I recognized that understanding Finnish law can be quite difficult, especially in the beginning, and wanted to help Estonians moving to Finland and Mikkeli. Establishing a club, where they could get information and assistance, but also preserve a connection to their heritage and language, seemed like the best way.
I had no role models, but I relied on my experience as an entrepreneur and a as an artistic director at the Cultural Center of Otepää.
3. Who are the people keeping MEK active? What is your vision for the future of the club?
I believe that the board of MEK has to be strong and confident. I prefer a smaller amount of people to be involved in leadership, which means everyone has to contribute. Right now we are still working on the structure and strategy of the club, but our aim is to get to the level, where we could hire real specialists. It is a long and multi-faceted process to gain recognition, but we have already established our position in the eyes of the Estonian Ministry of Culture and Estonian Embassy in Helsinki. As an association it is vital for us to do good work and justify the need for this kind of a club, both for the members and the administration. The latter is especially important as most of our funding comes through various projects. In the future, we’ll hopefully work together with Estonian clubs and associations from all around the world.
4. What do you see as the greatest accomplishments of MEK? What are a few examples of the events you have organized?
In my opinion, our biggest achievement has been the fact that, in a very short period of time, we have been able to find loyal supporters and build our reputation both in Estonia and Finland.
All the events at MEK have been thematic and connected to Estonian traditions. Estonian cuisine also has an important role in our events, so we try to use food products that are used or grown there.
As about half of the members of MEK are Estophiles, who speak Estonian and are very interested in Estonian culture, our events always have a part that focuses on Estonian history and culture.
This year we also established a special culture club and a children’s club, both of which revolve around Estonian customs. We try to increase the knowledge about everything Estonian and give children the opportunity to use the Estonian language. Our methods are often playful, but still informative.
Due to insufficient resources, we have combined MEK gatherings, the culture club and the children’s club into joint events, but in the future, they could be separate.
On 29.04.2014 we participated in a roundtable of Estonian clubs and hobby groups operating in Finland. The event took place at the Estonian Embassy in Helsinki, where all together 21 Estonian-oriented associations and clubs gathered. The goal of the roundtable was to get to know each other, share experiences and discuss how to bring together Estonians living in Finland and uphold their national identity through hobbies, language and culture. We got confirmation that our direction at MEK has been right, especially important is the immigration consultation services, which makes MEK special compared to many others, and our vision of children’s and culture clubs as effective tools for teaching Estonian language.
5. Do you think it is easy for foreigners living in Finland to preserve their own culture and identity? What are the possibilities for getting support, which projects have helped to develop MEK etc.?
I don’t have enough information to talk about the overall situation, but when it comes to Estonians, there is certainly room for progress. It is not easy to preserve Estonian culture here, since most of the immigrants just aren’t interested in it. Estonians have quite a solitary character and often when problems emerge and it’s the right time to ask for advice, they choose to go and look for answers independently. Maybe it’s about pride or fear of seeming foolish. I’ve noticed that when Estonians encounter difficulties, they often stay away from the club, not the other way around.
A lot of Estonians, who have lived here for a while, seem assimilated and many of those, who are new, don’t seem to care about their heritage.
I believe our chances to get funding will increase over time as we’ll prove our sustainability and show more results. We have sent out many applications for different projects and the support we get from the town of Mikkeli has been modest but solid.
6. Let’s talk about the Estonian community in Mikkeli, who you have become familiar with over the years. How many Estonians live here and how active are they?
More than 300 people have visited MEK, but the number of Estonians is still quite small. There are also Estonian Russians here, but they usually don’t participate in the events. I’d use the word passive when describing the Estonian community and the need for preserving our traditions here.
Finns, especially Estophiles, show the most interest towards MEK and its events, although our focus on children and native language counseling remains important.
7. What is your opinion about the immigrants living in Mikkeli? Do you think Mikkeli could be called international or is it just a beautiful and maybe even unrealistic idea to be pursued?
Mikkeli certainly isn’t international and I don’t think it’s a goal either. It’s a small and lovely town with pure nature, a great place for families and seniors, who enjoy the serenity and security that can be found here. However, the truth is that there aren’t too many free jobs in Mikkeli, so for many people, settling in here may turn out to be unachievable.
8. It is often said that the main reason why Estonians move to Finland is money. Do you agree with this statement?
No, I don’t. Money may be the most important thing for those, who work here temporarily and have a family back in Estonia. The people, who have actually moved here, usually come because of love or marriage, but also education, new experiences, health care, social security etc. I guess the latter could be the key factor for Estonians, who decide to stay.
It should be reminded that Finland has a progressive income tax and the services, real estate etc. are quite expensive. The average person here often spends what he/she earns, so for those, who live here permanently, Finland isn’t a gold mine. It is also hard on small business owners as the taxes are so high.
9. How would you evaluate the adaptability of Estonians, our strengths and advantages compared to other ethnic groups found in Finland?
Russians and war refugees from different countries form the biggest immigrant groups. Compared to many others it is very easy for Estonians to adjust here, since the language, culture and climate are so similar to our home country. In my opinion, it’s actually a problem sometimes that Estonians adapt too well, becoming almost like Finns themselves, teaching their children only Finnish and forgetting about their own culture. This is a very big issue when it comes to mixed families. For instance, in a Finnish-Russian family it would impossible to imagine that one of the parents stops using his/her native language, since there are relatives in both countries and the language is absolutely necessary in order to preserve the connection to their roots. That is why I think it’s so important to develop the children’s club at MEK.
10. Is Finland a racist country? How can we teach tolerance and multiculturalism?
I don’t think it is. Both multiculturalism and tolerance are taught already in elementary school. I don’t see the average Finn being racist, although there are exceptions, of course.
11. What are your plans for the future?
I plan on continuing my work and cooperation with various Estonian associations, also outside of Finland. I think the field of work is very broad, when it comes to building relationships between different Estonian communities around the world. I’m already in so deep that I can’t imagine not giving my all and working towards the preservation of the Estonian culture and language in families living abroad. I’ve also understood that it is important to focus on doing things on a large scale, since this is the only way to stay up to date and keep abreast with the latest information and ideas.
It is said that it’s easier to see things clearly from a distance and I have to agree. My understanding of the need to preserve our heritage matured, while I was already living in Finland. I wish that Estonians would appreciate their culture more, take greater interest in Estonian history, traditions and language and share these values with their children and grandchildren.
I came 10 years ago with my husband, who was offered an interesting professional opportunity here. I was curious to learn what it is like to live in another country and gain new experiences, so I decided to seize the opportunity. I participated in different courses and attended many schools. I loved meeting new people from all around the world, networking and exchanging information. It was all so exciting, sort of like travelling to somewhere new.
2. You created MEK already in 2011 and today it is an officially registered association. How did you come up with the idea of founding an Estonian club in Mikkeli, did you have certain role models and what were the main challenges you faced during the early days of MEK?
I was working as an Estonian-speaking counselor and had gained a lot of knowledge about the Finnish system. Also, I had studied international business management in the university and attended a few entrepreneurial courses. I recognized that understanding Finnish law can be quite difficult, especially in the beginning, and wanted to help Estonians moving to Finland and Mikkeli. Establishing a club, where they could get information and assistance, but also preserve a connection to their heritage and language, seemed like the best way.
I had no role models, but I relied on my experience as an entrepreneur and a as an artistic director at the Cultural Center of Otepää.
3. Who are the people keeping MEK active? What is your vision for the future of the club?
I believe that the board of MEK has to be strong and confident. I prefer a smaller amount of people to be involved in leadership, which means everyone has to contribute. Right now we are still working on the structure and strategy of the club, but our aim is to get to the level, where we could hire real specialists. It is a long and multi-faceted process to gain recognition, but we have already established our position in the eyes of the Estonian Ministry of Culture and Estonian Embassy in Helsinki. As an association it is vital for us to do good work and justify the need for this kind of a club, both for the members and the administration. The latter is especially important as most of our funding comes through various projects. In the future, we’ll hopefully work together with Estonian clubs and associations from all around the world.
4. What do you see as the greatest accomplishments of MEK? What are a few examples of the events you have organized?
In my opinion, our biggest achievement has been the fact that, in a very short period of time, we have been able to find loyal supporters and build our reputation both in Estonia and Finland.
All the events at MEK have been thematic and connected to Estonian traditions. Estonian cuisine also has an important role in our events, so we try to use food products that are used or grown there.
As about half of the members of MEK are Estophiles, who speak Estonian and are very interested in Estonian culture, our events always have a part that focuses on Estonian history and culture.
This year we also established a special culture club and a children’s club, both of which revolve around Estonian customs. We try to increase the knowledge about everything Estonian and give children the opportunity to use the Estonian language. Our methods are often playful, but still informative.
Due to insufficient resources, we have combined MEK gatherings, the culture club and the children’s club into joint events, but in the future, they could be separate.
On 29.04.2014 we participated in a roundtable of Estonian clubs and hobby groups operating in Finland. The event took place at the Estonian Embassy in Helsinki, where all together 21 Estonian-oriented associations and clubs gathered. The goal of the roundtable was to get to know each other, share experiences and discuss how to bring together Estonians living in Finland and uphold their national identity through hobbies, language and culture. We got confirmation that our direction at MEK has been right, especially important is the immigration consultation services, which makes MEK special compared to many others, and our vision of children’s and culture clubs as effective tools for teaching Estonian language.
5. Do you think it is easy for foreigners living in Finland to preserve their own culture and identity? What are the possibilities for getting support, which projects have helped to develop MEK etc.?
I don’t have enough information to talk about the overall situation, but when it comes to Estonians, there is certainly room for progress. It is not easy to preserve Estonian culture here, since most of the immigrants just aren’t interested in it. Estonians have quite a solitary character and often when problems emerge and it’s the right time to ask for advice, they choose to go and look for answers independently. Maybe it’s about pride or fear of seeming foolish. I’ve noticed that when Estonians encounter difficulties, they often stay away from the club, not the other way around.
A lot of Estonians, who have lived here for a while, seem assimilated and many of those, who are new, don’t seem to care about their heritage.
I believe our chances to get funding will increase over time as we’ll prove our sustainability and show more results. We have sent out many applications for different projects and the support we get from the town of Mikkeli has been modest but solid.
6. Let’s talk about the Estonian community in Mikkeli, who you have become familiar with over the years. How many Estonians live here and how active are they?
More than 300 people have visited MEK, but the number of Estonians is still quite small. There are also Estonian Russians here, but they usually don’t participate in the events. I’d use the word passive when describing the Estonian community and the need for preserving our traditions here.
Finns, especially Estophiles, show the most interest towards MEK and its events, although our focus on children and native language counseling remains important.
7. What is your opinion about the immigrants living in Mikkeli? Do you think Mikkeli could be called international or is it just a beautiful and maybe even unrealistic idea to be pursued?
Mikkeli certainly isn’t international and I don’t think it’s a goal either. It’s a small and lovely town with pure nature, a great place for families and seniors, who enjoy the serenity and security that can be found here. However, the truth is that there aren’t too many free jobs in Mikkeli, so for many people, settling in here may turn out to be unachievable.
8. It is often said that the main reason why Estonians move to Finland is money. Do you agree with this statement?
No, I don’t. Money may be the most important thing for those, who work here temporarily and have a family back in Estonia. The people, who have actually moved here, usually come because of love or marriage, but also education, new experiences, health care, social security etc. I guess the latter could be the key factor for Estonians, who decide to stay.
It should be reminded that Finland has a progressive income tax and the services, real estate etc. are quite expensive. The average person here often spends what he/she earns, so for those, who live here permanently, Finland isn’t a gold mine. It is also hard on small business owners as the taxes are so high.
9. How would you evaluate the adaptability of Estonians, our strengths and advantages compared to other ethnic groups found in Finland?
Russians and war refugees from different countries form the biggest immigrant groups. Compared to many others it is very easy for Estonians to adjust here, since the language, culture and climate are so similar to our home country. In my opinion, it’s actually a problem sometimes that Estonians adapt too well, becoming almost like Finns themselves, teaching their children only Finnish and forgetting about their own culture. This is a very big issue when it comes to mixed families. For instance, in a Finnish-Russian family it would impossible to imagine that one of the parents stops using his/her native language, since there are relatives in both countries and the language is absolutely necessary in order to preserve the connection to their roots. That is why I think it’s so important to develop the children’s club at MEK.
10. Is Finland a racist country? How can we teach tolerance and multiculturalism?
I don’t think it is. Both multiculturalism and tolerance are taught already in elementary school. I don’t see the average Finn being racist, although there are exceptions, of course.
11. What are your plans for the future?
I plan on continuing my work and cooperation with various Estonian associations, also outside of Finland. I think the field of work is very broad, when it comes to building relationships between different Estonian communities around the world. I’m already in so deep that I can’t imagine not giving my all and working towards the preservation of the Estonian culture and language in families living abroad. I’ve also understood that it is important to focus on doing things on a large scale, since this is the only way to stay up to date and keep abreast with the latest information and ideas.
It is said that it’s easier to see things clearly from a distance and I have to agree. My understanding of the need to preserve our heritage matured, while I was already living in Finland. I wish that Estonians would appreciate their culture more, take greater interest in Estonian history, traditions and language and share these values with their children and grandchildren.
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