The Singing Revolution in Estonia and Hope for Belarus

After I graduated from college, I took an epic trip before starting work. I flew into Budapest and flew out of Bangkok three months later, traveling only by land and staying with people I met on couchsurfing.com (the free precursor to AirBnb). It was an unforgettable and amazing trip that affirmed all of Humankind’s points on the innate kindness and connectedness of the human species. 

One highlight of the trip for me was the two nights I spent in Tallin, Estonia. I was hosted by a local, and her friend, a diplomat, came over and showed me around the country. They proudly talked me through Estonian history and how they had survived both German occupation during WWII and the more prolonged Russian invasion afterwards. How did the Estonia spirit survive? By singing.

EVERY YEAR, A THIRD OF THE COUNTRY WOULD GATHER FOR AN ANNUAL SINGING EVENT.

The Soviets would censor the song list, but you can't stop tens of thousands of people from singing. And every year, unplanned, there would be an outbreak of the traditional Estonian Anthem. When the time came for the Baltics to declare independence, Estonians left their homes and linked arms, singing. They surrounded the communication tower and took over the broadcast system. And then formed a human chain spanning hundreds of miles. 

It's documented in the film: The Singing Revolution, which I watched with my Estonian hosts into the early hours of the morning one night in June 2008. Watching the peaceful protests in Belarus against a blatantly fraudulent election reminds me of the story of Estonia declaring its freedom. I wish the same for the people of Belarus.