Setomaa

As Setumaa ( in Seto and Võro Setomaa ) refers to a historical region in Eastern Europe. It includes the present-day south-eastern Estonia and the Rajon Pechory in western Russia.

Term

Since the restoration of Estonian independence in August 1991, shares the Estonian- Russian border Setumaa. To Setumaa belong on the Estonian side the communities Mikitamäe and Värska in Põlva County and the municipalities Meremäe and Misso ( German Illingen ) in a circle Võru. On the Russian side, this includes the area around the city Pechory (Estonian Petseri, German Petseri ) in the Pskov oblast (Estonian Pihkva, German Pskov ).

Setukesen

Setumaa is named after the Orthodox people of the Setukesen (or Seto or Setu ) whose ordinary home is Setumaa. They speak Seto, a Finno- Ugric language that is most closely related to Estonian. The Setukesen have a strong own tradition and identity. The culture and folklore differ from the Estonian and Russian. Especially her folk poetry and her songs and mythology (especially to the pagan god Peko ) have survived for centuries. Today, only about 5,000 live in Setukesen Setumaa ( other figures speak 10000-13000 Setukesen in Estonia and 3,000 to 4,000 in Russia) and are compared to Estonians and Russians in the minority.

History

Archaeological findings date the first settlement Setumaas to about 6,400 BC. A Stone Age settlement was detected in Meremäe. Since 862 the majority of the settlements of the Setukesen the Russian Empire was, initially probably for the Principality of Pskov, then the Republic of Novgorod. Setumaa later came under the rule of the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Russian Empire.

The Christian faith in Setumaa struck between the 10th and 13th century roots. Today there are still stone crosses from this period. From the 14th century was the borderland region between the Prince of Pskov and the bishops of Tartu ( Dorpat German ). Setumaa was thus at the interface between Western and Eastern Christianity. In defense of the area, the Prince of Pskov, the bishops of Tartu could build the castle izborsk, the fortress of Vastseliina.

With the attainment of state independence of Estonia and the Estonian War of Independence Setumaa came in the Peace Treaty of Tartu of 2 February 1920, Estonia. It was an Estonian county as Petserimaa. However, the residents were already at that time the majority of ethnic Russians, so that Setumaa was perceived more as a cultural foreign body in the interwar period.

With the occupation of Estonia by the Soviet Union in 1940 also Setumaa was occupied. On August 15, 1944 75 % of the former district of the Russian SFSR Petserimaa were slammed and the Leningrad Oblast incorporated.

With the restoration of Estonian independence in 1991, the 1944 drawn administrative boundary remained. In the Russian-Estonian border treaty this demarcation is established in international law. The border treaty was signed on 18 May 2005 by both governments, but has not yet ratified by the Russian side so far. The Treaty Setumaa is also shared international law in an Estonian and a Russian region through which runs the external border of the European Union.

Organizations

The four Estonian communities Setumaas have with the " Association of Municipalities Setumaas " ( Setomaa Valdade Liit ) founded a community of interest, which is to preserve the common cultural heritage Setumaas. For the Setukesen the division of their homeland remains a bitter experience of history.