Abdul Turay

Go West follow up article

Musician Jaan Tätte's view: As far as foreigners are concerned, we are Russian.
First published Postimees 21 July 2010

Musician and traveller Jaan Tätte's experience is that foreigners think Estonians are Russians and mostly Estonia has to be introduced via neighbouring countries.

In today's Postimees opinion piece Abdul Turay writes that gradually Estonia has started to be separate from other Eastern Europe countries and more and more it is becoming part of the Nordic countries. Postimees asked Tätt what his experience shows.

“When I meet with a foreigner and explain where Estonia is located, then we talk at first about Finland and Sweden. Yes And Russia is our neighbour,.... then there is understanding,” he said.

The musicians evaluation is foreigners think Estonia is Eastern European.
“The more intelligent understand that we want to belong to there the North but actually we belong still to the East,” he said.

“For many acquaintance it doesn't matter if we are well-dressed or can speak English well, still the thinking is that we are Russian. There is something in our appearance and nature that they think is actually Russian. The first offering is that “Ahah Russians” he described this situation frequently occurring.

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