Estonia

Born 1992 in Pärnu, Estonia
High-school student (Audru Secondary School)

"Slavjanotška - the keeper of the spark of integration in Sindi" (2010)

This project is a local one revolving around the Slavic community of Sindi, a small town (4,000 people) in south-western Estonia. From its settlement in 1833 till its bankruptcy in 1993, the local textile factory provided employment for almost all the inhabitants. When the existence of the factory ceased the whole town felt devastated and in danger. That is when the choir Slavjanotška  was formed by some of the Russian women living in the community in order to bring some positive experiences to all the people. The author presents this choir as a positive example of integration between Estonians, Russians and other immigrants of Slavic descent living in Estonia underlining its place in the community as a keeper of traditions and a good way of coming in contact with a different culture and knowing its values.

For her paper, Mare Heinluht received a special prize from the jury of the Estonian history competition for carrying out research on an interesting cultural subject.