Peeter's done his homework...no doubt about that! But I think that our nation's situation today is not as bleak as what could reasonably be projected from the statistics of this article. If we were only to hope that our own Estonian offspring uphold our cherished ancestry, things would be pretty hopeless. But all around me, everyday in Tallinn, I run into people who are obviously not of Estonian background, but have brought into our common cultural pool.....and that is cause both for relief and joy. All these old arguments about who left and why, and were they justified, carry no significance in the flux of today's outwardly looking Estonia. At the same time, it doesn't pay to forget our past. Thanks Peeter....

Good article. My mom actually made it to Sweden in a small fishing boat (small, as in with oars, and it was fitted with a motor for the risky trip). It was lined with people all along the sides. She remembered seeing a ship in the distance, burning in the water. The small boat, in which my mother made it, was passed over by an enemy plane -- the crew probably didn't want to waste their ammunition on such a tiny boat.

Nice to see you back, Peter!