BDB Bertsolaritzaren datu-basea

This master’s thesis in the realm of cultural heritage deals with the changes in identity, memory and interactions with heritage and culture among the Estonian Seto community in relation to the control line, wishing to evaluate what sort of everyday changes have taken place, as well as changes in cultural celebrations and traditions. It also seeks to analyse how the Setos on the Estonian side perceive the Seto culture across the border, and how they view their own situation in a changing landscape. In addition to this, the participants’ views on how they wish to see the situation with the control line mitigated are investigated. All these changes are framed by theories on cultural memory and border-making. The thesis uses qualitative interviews to gather the necessary data. The results reveal that many changes the Seto community face are connected to loss and restricted access, affecting the cultural memory of the community. The restrictive border is also a tool used in identity creation, using "lost ancestral lands" to create a view of the past that supports the existence of a strong and unified Seto community mitigating a loss.

Keywords: Setomaa, cultural memory, borders, identity, heritage studies

Acknowledgements ...1
Introduction ...4
The Seto people ...4
Note on the language ...6
Research objectives and questions ...7
The development of Seto identity and (self-)conception. The Estonian-Russian border and the Seto border identity ...9
Seto conception and identity ...9
The development of the Seto conception and identity to Estonians ...9
The development of the Seto self-conception and identity ...11
The Estonian-Russian border and the Seto border identity ...14
The border situation in the 20th century ...14
The Seto identity considering the border dispute ...16
Theoretical foundation and methodology ...19
Relevant theoretical concepts ...19
Collective and cultural memory ...19
Borders and identity creation through boundaries ...21
Methodology ...25
Literature review ...25
Semi-structured interviews ...25
Interview analysis ...28
Limitations ...28
Fieldwork – interviews in and around Setomaa ...30
Interview results ...30
Changes in everyday life since the establishment of the control line ...30
Reasons and frequency for crossing over ...31
Feelings related to the control line ...33
Connections to the parts of Setomaa now belonging to the other side ...35
The importance of crossing the control line and the crossing system ...36
Continuation of Seto traditions on the other side ...39
Changes in traditions and celebrations ...41
The Seto (self-)conception ...44
Changes in local relations and the control line’s potential effect ...46
Analysis of the interview results ...48
Changes in the daily life related to the control line ...48
The changes in Seto culture and the control line’s potential effect ...50
Seto culture in Russian Setomaa ...52
The Seto situation in Estonia and mitigating the control line ...53
The views of participants with very strong ties to Russian Setomaa ...57
Conclusions ...59
References ...63
Appendix 1. Interview guide ...67
Appendix 2. Interview consent form ...68