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Outline:

1. Russian Orthodox Icon in Estonia. Historical reasons for appearance.

1.2 The factors for emergence of icons in Estonia

1. Russian Orthodox Icon in Estonia. Historical reasons for appearance.

Because of historical reasons and unique geographical position between Russia and the West, there had been a great number of Russian Orthodox people in Estonia, which established numerous settlements. For instance, in the capital of Estonia Tallinn, in 1806, about 35% of the capital real estate belonged to Russians. Emigrants from Russia were the members of the Trade Guild.
From the 1710, Estonia has become a part of Russian Empire, with all succeeding consequences.

Does it worth to mention that any believer (there was about 99.9% of Orthodox people in Russia up until 1917), had a habit of taking Holy Icons to a new place of living?

Despite that, the missionary operations of Russian Orthodox Church were taking place. And it is absolutely correct to say that this type of activity is completely inseparable from Icons - one of the dogmas of Orthodox Christian faith.

A document of 19th century is an interesting case in point. An Orthodox priest who serves at a church in Estonia writes a letter, - request, to Moscow, to his superior, -the highest clergy. He asks to send him, to the city of Tallinn, the Icons "brighter and nicer", because, according to his understanding, the beautiful Icons are needed, "to amaze with their magnificence", for turning local inhabitants into Orthodox Christians.

In 1917, Estonia was an independent capitalist state, bordering with Russia and Europe. A massive wave of immigrants from Russia went through Estonia. Some of those people settled here, and others continued their way to France and other countries of Europe. People who was escaping from the Red Russia, were the best, most intelligent specimen of Russian people.
A large number of Icons has settled here during this period. They were being saved from the Red militant atheism. Red activists in Russia were destroying hundreds of thousands of Icons, chopping them for firewood and burning in street campfires.
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1.2 Therefore, there are several factors, for emergence of Russian Orthodox Icons in Estonia.

1. Natural, permanent migration of Russian-Orthodox people from 1590 to 1900s.

2. 1677. A huge flow of so-called "Old Believers", who did not agree with innovations in liturgy, and some changes in church texts. Old Believers were persecuted, and a fraction of them has found their sanctuary in Estonia. These people were very diligent, and founded their settlements and successful farms.
Icon-workshop of Frolow Brothers existed up until the 1920s.

3. Revolution in Russia in 1917.

4. Missionary operations of Russian Orthodox Church in Estonia

5. The needs of Estonian-Orthodox people.

It needs to be mentioned that Estonia, in contrast to Russia, was almost untouched by the World War II, which did a horrifying losses to the culture of Russia, not mentioning about the devastation done by the October Socialist Revolution.

In many respects, the Icons were well-preserved, due to the Estonian national feature of tolerance. Here people always tolerantly treat other cultures and religions.
Moreover, we frequently come across Estonians-Non-Orthodox, who carefully kept Icons, once got into their home.
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