Three generations of a Seto family live in the small village next to Saatse on a huge property with endless lawns, lush flowers, a large vegetable garden, a greenhouse with tomatoes and a swimming pond - among other things: Sirje (mother), Meelike (daughter) and Hendrik (grandson). The Seto are an indigenous ethnic group in north-eastern Europe. Their historical Setomaa region lies on the present-day border between south-eastern Estonia and the north-western part of Russia. Despite changing political affiliations and border demarcations right through their territory, the proud people have managed to preserve their traditions.
Meelike is 41 years old and proud to belong to the Seto people. “They are my roots, and I like this culture,” she sums it up. Every Monday, she sings traditional Seto songs in a choir. This polyphonic singing tradition has been recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. While this singing used to accompany daily work, it is now performed at all regional folk festivals. There are also modern interpretations of this singing and blends with modern musical styles. “In my choir, we limit ourselves to traditional melodies and lyrics in the Seto language.” The Seto Leelo have their historical roots in the Runo singing of the Baltic Sea Finns, but also contain influences from the Russian folk singing tradition.
Traditionally, it was customary for lead singers, usually women, to create the lyrics on the spot. “Today, we have song lyrics that have been written down based on the traditional texts,” explains Meelike.
Seto is their mother tongue, which has been passed down through generations. It is a Finno-Ugric language. “We mostly speak Seto in the family,” says Meelike. Her nine-year-old son Hendrik nods. He also speaks the language of his parents and grandparents. All schools in the historic Setooma region on the Estonian side have at least one Seto lesson a week. “We learn a lot about the culture, the clothes and the singing,” says Hendrik. “We also learn typical games and expressions.”
Meelike, who works as a primary school teacher, explains that the Seto actually have two religions. "We go to the Orthodox church and celebrate every church holiday very intensively. But we also have our traditional religion, which is connected to nature and the earth." The fertility god Peko is very important to the Seto. He is usually depicted as a wooden figure. “People used to have these figures in their grain stores.” Meelike laughs and explains that they no longer have a peko. “But we don't have a grain store either.”
She then talks about the big celebrations that take place at the cemetery on certain holidays. "Many families come with food and drink and gather around the graves of their loved ones. We eat, talk, sing and remember the deceased. This is how we honor and care for their souls." Meelike emphasizes that this is not a sad gathering, but a happy one.
King's Day is also an important day in the annual calendar. "Every year we elect a king or queen in Seto. He or she is supposed to represent us to the outside world for a year. However, this is a symbolic matter and not an official one," explains Meelike. This tradition is not based on a historical monarchy, but is an expression of a new Seto identity. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and Estonia's regained independence in 1991, the traditional settlement area of the Seto was divided by the newly drawn Estonian-Russian border. This separated families and communities and threatened the unity of the Seto culture. In order to strengthen identity, the idea of the Seto kingdom was born. A king was elected for the first time in 1994. “On King's Day, we also celebrate our god Peko and the beauty of the earth.” One of the duties of the king or queen is to represent the needs of the Seto. "For example, our king has to go to Tallinn and speak to the government to ensure that our schools are maintained or that we get proper roads. It's often about money so that we are not forgotten here in the border region."
There are very few job opportunities in this rural region. Mother Sirje (64) remembers regularly travelling to Saint Petersburg to sell produce from her fruit and vegetable garden during Soviet times. “We always came back with good money.” She has been using produce from her garden in her kitchen for around ten years, offering traditional Seto cuisine in her small restaurant. One specialty, for example, is sõir, a type of cooked cheese that is served warm with various fruit chutneys. “The focus of my cuisine is on the produce from my garden and fish from the region,” says Sirje.
The restaurant's logo and name is the poppy flower, known as ‘Maagõkõnõ’ in Seto. Meelike explains that 30 years ago, when her parents bought the property, poppy flowers were growing everywhere. The idea of opening a restaurant grew over the years. Sirje regularly cooked at local festivals and presented her dishes at the annual ‘Seto Days,’ where families open their yards and offer traditional food. ‘That's when I discovered my passion for good, traditional food and the desire to offer it to guests on a regular basis – not just once a year.’ However, meals at Maagõkõnõ are only available by prior reservation. ‘That way I can plan better, prepare everything fresh and don't have any leftovers.’ She has received many awards from the king for her authentic, local cuisine.
Sirje remembers that her grandmother still wore traditional Seto clothing, which can now only be seen in museums and at folk festivals. Seto culture was not banned during the Soviet occupation. " We did little to cultivate our culture, but we preserved our language. The great rediscovery of our diverse culture only came after Estonia gained independence in 1991. And now we are proud to live in Setomaa."
