Ruhnu Residents Sought to Join Sweden After Estonia Regained Independence
New research by historian Mart Kuldkepp reveals that the Swedish-speaking community of Ruhnu island actively leveraged competing Estonian, Latvian, and Swedish interests to secure special rights from the newly independent Estonian state.
Historian Mart Kuldkepp has published research that reexamines the incorporation of Ruhnu island into Estonia. Previously viewed primarily through the Estonia-Latvia territorial dispute, Kuldkepp used previously untapped sources from the Swedish National Archives to show that the island's Swedish-speaking community played an active role in the negotiations.
In 1920 and 1921, the residents of Ruhnu sent petitions to the King of Sweden asking to unite with Sweden. This was not a spontaneous idea; the island had strong ties with Sweden, which funded a new church and sent clergy. However, the Swedish government was cautious, not wanting to get involved in potential conflicts with Russia, and after recognizing Estonia's independence, the prospect of joining Sweden became virtually impossible.
The islanders then shifted tactics, seeking to preserve their historic privileges within Estonia. They secured rights to use state forests free of charge and to complete military service on the island. The Estonian state framed these as administrative decisions rather than recognition of ancient rights, allowing both sides to claim success.
Kuldkepp highlights the "seal blubber expedition" of 1919, where Estonia purchased seal blubber from the islanders in exchange for weapons, effectively buying their loyalty. The research challenges the view that small communities were passive subjects of larger states, showing that the few hundred residents of Ruhnu had genuine agency and made the most of a brief window of opportunity.
