A national minority shall mean Estonian citizens who:
- reside in the territory of Estonia;
- have long-term, sound and permanent ties with Estonia;
- differ from Estonians by their ethnic belonging, cultural characteristics, religion or language;
- are led by their wish to collectively maintain their cultural customs, religion or language which are the basis for their common identity.
According to Statistics Estonia, 220 nationalities are represented in Estonia besides Estonians, Estonians being the largest ethnic group at 68,2%, 20,9% of the population are Russians, 5,4% are Ukrainians, 0,8% Belarusians, and 0,6% Finns. The rights of national minorities are protected by law and international treaties.
National minorities living in Estonia are actively involved in preserving their culture and traditions – about 260 cultural associations are active here. The state supports minority organisations in preserving, learning, and promoting their mother tongue and culture. The state grants an operating grant for umbrella organisations of national minorities and a project grant for cultural associations. Minority cultural organisations can apply for funding through various calls for proposals organised by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, the Centre of Folk Culture, and the National Foundation of Civil Society. The preservation and development of minority languages and cultures is also supported by local governments, private foundations, and embassies.
At the Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Council of National Minorities, the Roundtable of National Cultural Associations of Ida-Viru County, and Roma Integration Council act as advisory bodies.
Read more about cultural diversity and integration on the website of the Ministry of Culture.
References
Laws
- National Minorities Cultural Autonomy Act
- The Constitution of the Republic of Estonia
- Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities