00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Welcome back to Discover Estonia.
00:06 We're in Tartu, the second largest city
00:08 and one of the European capitals of culture in 2024.
00:11 This is where Estonia's first theater was built,
00:14 its first newspaper published,
00:16 and its first song festival was held.
00:18 It's our starting point to learn about Estonian culture
00:20 in all of its many forms.
00:22 Come with me.
00:23 (upbeat music)
00:28 Tartu is the cultural epicenter of Estonia.
00:31 There always seems to be something going on,
00:33 like this folk dance performance
00:34 we stumbled on in the park.
00:36 (upbeat music)
00:39 Chief among the city's creative spaces is Aparadi Tehas,
00:43 a former factory complex
00:44 that's now a hip gathering spot for artists.
00:47 - Here we are here in Aparadi Tehas,
00:49 where are many galleries with international residences
00:53 and artists coming here.
00:54 I think it's a very vibrant city.
00:56 The feeling is very youthful.
00:58 Tartu University is bringing in a lot of students
01:02 from Estonia, but also abroad.
01:05 - We visited one of the galleries in Aparadi Tehas.
01:08 Haki Gallery features work
01:10 from young up-and-coming Estonian artists.
01:13 It's also recently become a safe haven
01:15 for Ukrainian artist, Victoria Berezina,
01:18 who fled her home in Herson after the Russian invasion.
01:21 (speaking in foreign language)
01:26 (upbeat music)
01:28 - Modern Estonian culture is evolving with the times.
01:44 Now let's head south to find out
01:46 how one of the country's oldest ethnic groups
01:48 is trying to preserve its age-old traditions.
01:54 Arriving in Seto Ma can feel a bit
01:56 like stepping back through time.
01:58 The region straddling the border with Russia
02:00 is inhabited by the Seto people.
02:02 They have their own dialect, religion,
02:05 and traditions they've fiercely maintained for centuries.
02:07 - Before 100 years ago,
02:10 this was absolutely 100% oral culture.
02:14 People were illiterate,
02:15 and every knowledge you had, you had to pass on orally.
02:19 I'm often thinking that it must have been
02:21 like living in a musical,
02:22 because the Setos have songs for every occasion,
02:25 for working, for herding, for partying.
02:29 And this was how knowledge and traditions
02:33 and tales were passed on.
02:34 - Helen Kulvik has been living in Seto Ma for years.
02:39 She's taking us to learn
02:40 about the Seto polyphonic singing tradition, called lelo.
02:45 But first, we need to get dressed for the occasion.
02:47 So Helen, in a lot of cultures,
02:50 it can be seen as a bit controversial
02:52 to put on cultural clothing
02:53 if you're not part of the community.
02:55 In Seto Ma, it's encouraged.
02:56 Can you explain to me why that is?
02:58 - I think we just want to learn about the community
03:01 and the culture as much as possible.
03:03 And by getting dressed up in a national costume,
03:06 you kind of start understanding the culture so much better,
03:09 because you understand which place works where.
03:12 And we also like to see how a person transforms
03:16 through this process.
03:19 - All right, well, now it's my turn.
03:21 Helen and Jana are gonna help me dress up Seto style.
03:24 - And every woman has different.
03:26 - Yes.
03:27 - Like, as you see, all our patterns are different.
03:28 - Oh, wow, yeah.
03:29 - Yeah, there are no two that I like in the world.
03:32 - Like a snowflake.
03:33 - Yes.
03:34 - It's said that you can hear a Seto woman
03:36 before you see her,
03:37 because of the clanging of all of her silver jewelry.
03:40 My headpiece, or vanik, is different from Helen and Jana's,
03:44 because I'm not married.
03:45 Married Seto women also wear a large silver brooch,
03:48 a symbol of fertility that's passed on through generations.
03:52 Well, now I'm all dressed up and ready to party,
03:54 thanks to you.
03:56 We're gonna go listen to some Lelo music.
03:58 Are you ready to go?
03:58 - Yeah. - Oh, yes.
03:59 (laughing)
04:00 (singing in foreign language)
04:02 - Lelo singing is believed to be about 2,000 years old.
04:05 It's still considered a crucial part
04:07 of Seto people's cultural identity.
04:09 So, Jana, can you describe a little bit Lelo singing?
04:11 What are we gonna hear?
04:14 - So, I'm going to sing words, or a line,
04:19 and the choir is repeating it.
04:22 And there is one woman who is singing this higher voice
04:26 called kille.
04:27 - Okay, great.
04:28 Let's take a listen.
04:28 (singing in foreign language)
04:31 This song is about asking the sun to go down,
04:34 so the working day can end.
04:35 As you can hear, there's still a lot more songs
04:38 left to discover.
04:39 So, thanks for watching and stay tuned.
04:41 Our trip isn't over here in Estonia.
04:43 So, see you soon.
04:43 Bye-bye.
04:44 (singing in foreign language)
04:48 (singing in foreign language)
04:52 (singing in foreign language)
04:56 (singing)
04:58 I love it.
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