Local sensitivities

Like in many European countries, after decades of political upheaval there is a complex and often fluid ethno-social mix. About 40% of the population don't enjoy full citizenship and tend to prefer their own language, schools and cultural activities. Estonia's roughly similar and all.

Since 1990, many of the political problems have been resolved although the two main communities still retain their own strong identities. Unlike in the Soviet era, Russian speakers tend to do the low-paid jobs- cleaners, cabbies*, night-club touts etc. On our 2004 trip, we were met outside the Le Coq stadium by a guard of squaddies.


Whether they were just showing off, bored, or genuinely thought 95 NI fans plus a party of Finnish groundhoppers were a threat I'm not sure. Anyway, the sergeant barked orders half-heartedly in Estonian for about five minutes until he lost interest, at which all the Russki squaddies started bartering their cap badges for western cigarettes. One of our number, the intrepid 'Mad Dog', bribed his way into the stadium (then a building site) and later abseiled from the roof of the terraces, narrowly escaping a 10 meter drop head first.

* taxi drivers tend to be employed by specific clubs, bars etc. Under no circumstances accept a ride from smooth talking Boris the Spider: regardless of stated destin ation, he'll take you to a venue deep in the forest halfway to Moscow. Full of dodgy mafia types and their molls.