The origin of the national identity of the Estonian people

Ivanov Anton

The article deals with the emergence of the national identity of the Estonian people in the 19th century. The Estonians' identity was not political, but cultural, and was built, first of all, on the ethno-linguistic aspect. Among the events that were the basis of national awakening were: The Great French Revolution, the abolition of serfdom by the Russian Tsar Alexander I, the abolition of corvee, and the process of Russification - distance from the Baltic Germans. Ethnic proximity with the Finns gave birth to the Kalevipoeg epic, which became the root literary work in Estonian culture. The dominance of the Baltic Germans on the territory of Estonia and Livonia created the Estonian singing festival, a festival that is still considered one of the main manifestations of national culture. The tasks of the elite were to develop not only a national culture, but also education. The Estonian Alexander School was opened with charity money in 1871, the Society of Estonian Writers was founded, where they studied the development of the Estonian language, collected folklore, and published literature in Estonian. In 1870, theatrical performance took place for the first time in the Vanemuine song and theater society, which subsequently gave rise to the Estonian national theater.

Keywords:nationalism, national identity, Estonians, Estonian people, Kalevipoeg epic, Estonian singing festival, the abolition of serfdom, Estonia, Livonia, nation