But a darker part of Estonian-Russian history is the Soviet occupation of Estonia started in the 1940s. Around 30, 000 Estonians were forced to leave their homes and taken to Siberia to work in labour camps, factories and mines. Some escaped to the woods and became known as “forest brothers“. The last known “forest brother” was captured by the Soviet police in the 1970’s. Nowadays a number of unique themed areas and buildings have been set up to show visitors the hardships that Estonians had to endure. You can even spend a night in a bunker where “forest brothers“ hid out.
The Russian occupation made its mark on Estonian’s daily life and the signs are visible even today: you can see the houses built for workers in Lasnamäe and Mustamäe. The whole of Paldiski is covered in military debris and abandoned apartment blocks. There are also interesting museums and theme parks dedicated to the Soviet era. In some of them you can participate in play fights and even drive a real World War II tank.
