Estonia’s Seto people bolster their centuries-old culture and language with a kingdom for a day
Summary
The Seto people of southeastern Estonia hold an annual event where a village becomes a symbolic kingdom for a day. This festival celebrates their culture and language, which is closely related to Estonian but spoken fluently by only a few thousand today.Key Facts
- The Seto ethnic community celebrates "Seto Kingdom Day" each year in a village in southeastern Estonia.
- The event includes symbolic elements like entry visas, made-up money, and a mock military parade.
- The Seto language is related to Estonian, with several thousand fluent speakers remaining.
- The Seto homeland was split by the Estonia-Russia border after the Soviet Union collapsed.
- About 25,000 people reported speaking Seto in Estonia’s 2021 census, but only a few thousand use it daily.
- The event helps unite the Seto people, who now live on both sides of the border and often far apart.
- Traditional costumes with silver chains and coins are worn during the celebrations.
- The village of Mikitamäe hosts the event and is part of the Setomaa parish, home to fewer than 3,000 people.
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