Estonia History

It was their country's first free day in half a century, and the 11th- and 12th-grade Estonian history classes at Tallinn Secondary School No. 1 took a break from their planned lessons Friday to discuss their tiny Baltic country's independence from the Soviet Union. "We were so determined that our little nation would not be destroyed by the Russians that we became like one person," said Heiti Valguee, a bright-eyed 11th-grader. "We held on to each other.

The History Official recognition of independence for the three Baltic states ends a struggle by Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia since their annexation by the Soviet Union on the eve of World War II. But their history involves centuries of both Germanic and Russian domination. * Independence for the three provinces of imperial Russia came with the Treaty of Versailles after World War I.

After a long struggle, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are being recognized as states independent of the Soviet Union. AD 1000 (approximately): Peoples of what now are Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are settled on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Organized into a number of small local units. 1193: Crusaders, mostly knights from the German kingdoms, invade Baltic region to impose Christianity. 13th to early 16th centuries: Period of German domination in most of the region.

It was their country's first free day in half a century, and the 11th- and 12th-grade Estonian history classes at Tallinn Secondary School No. 1 took a break from their planned lessons Friday to discuss their tiny Baltic country's independence from the Soviet Union. "We were so determined that our little nation would not be destroyed by the Russians that we became like one person," said Heiti Valguee, a bright-eyed 11th-grader. "We held on to each other.

The History Official recognition of independence for the three Baltic states ends a struggle by Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia since their annexation by the Soviet Union on the eve of World War II. But their history involves centuries of both Germanic and Russian domination. * Independence for the three provinces of imperial Russia came with the Treaty of Versailles after World War I.

People flocked to Estonia's churches Sunday to honor more than 300 relatives, friends and compatriots killed in the worst maritime disaster in the small Baltic nation's history. At Tallinn's Karli Church, people sang, prayed and shed tears for those who went down with the ill-fated ferry Estonia in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday. "There is no answer for why this disaster has befallen us," Pastor Gustav Piir told the congregation, which was much larger than usual.

After a long struggle, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are being recognized as states independent of the Soviet Union. AD 1000 (approximately): Peoples of what now are Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are settled on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Organized into a number of small local units. 1193: Crusaders, mostly knights from the German kingdoms, invade Baltic region to impose Christianity. 13th to early 16th centuries: Period of German domination in most of the region.