There are currently 34,000 Ukrainian war refugees living in Estonia. ETV show “AK. Nädal” went to meet some of them to find out how they have adapted to life here and whether they see their future in Estonia or Ukraine.
According to the Estonian Social Insurance Board (Sotsiaalkindlustusamet), in general, Ukrainian war refugees have settled well in Estonia. Almost 90 percent of those who have arrived have completed an adaptation program and gained knowledge about Estonian society.
“Those who have wanted to get on well in Estonia, to settle down here, have done so. But, of course, there may be some difficulties along the way and it may take some a bit longer,” said Liis Paloots, head of migration services at the Social Insurance Board.
Around 3,000 Ukrainians live in Pärnu County, and their usual meeting place is at the local Ukrainian community center called “Vabakonna Maja.”
Among them are Lira Kucherenko, Tetiana Iliashova and Polina Vitiuk. Lira, Tetiana and Polina first reached Estonia at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion and have had to get used to a new country, new language and new people. They all agree, that although it was difficult at first, they have now begun to settle into life in Estonia.
Lira worked as a family doctor in Ukraine. She came to Estonia with her son and husband. “I live here in Pärnu, my son studies at Koidula High School, I’m studying Estonian and working here,” Lira told ERR. She currently works as a yoga trainer and masseur and says that finding a job and a place to live in Estonia was not too difficult for her. “The hardest thing for me is being able to speak Estonian fluently,” she said.
Tetiana, who is a psychologist, arrived in Estonia with her son and daughter. She also lives in Pärnu, where her children attend a local kindergarten and school.
Polina, was a kindergarten teacher back home and arrived in Pärnu with her sister and niece. She now works at the local Ukrainian Center, supporting Ukrainian children and families and also studies Estonian.
Tetiana and Polina both say that learning Estonian has been the biggest challenge and that has also made finding a professional job more difficult.
“I’ve got B1 level in Estonian and in the future I want to find a good job,” said Polina. I want to work with children as a teacher,” she added.
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According to the Social Insurance Board, nearly half of the Ukrainian refugees who arrived in after the full-scale invasion have received Estonian language training at A1 level or above. Almost half of the Ukrainian adults who arrived are either already working or looking for work.
“We are still observing that there is a strong desire to get these qualifications in Estonia. If people have the will, it is generally quite possible to start working in a previous profession,” said Paloots.
However, despite the desire of most refugees to integrate into Estonian life, it is important not to forget the reason why these people left home. The situation also creates a great deal of uncertainty about what will happen and what they will do next.
“We are seeing that people do want to return home when the situation returns to normal. But unfortunately it is important to bear in mind that we do not know if and when this war will end,” said Liis Paloots of the Social Insurance Board.
Tetiana said that although she has been well received here in Estonia, she is also thinking about going back to Ukraine when the time is right. “If there’s somewhere to go and circumstances allow, we’ll go back. My relatives and parents are there, so that’s why I’ll be going,” she said.
Polina is less sure about whether she wants to stay in Estonia or return to Ukraine. “Almost three years ago I left my home and left everything behind, my job and my family. I don’t know how to answer the question of whether I want to go back, because I have nothing left there – I would have to start again from scratch,” she said.
Liis Paloots stressed that everyone has a role to play in helping refugees adapt to life in Estonia. Even though there are now far fewer arriving than in the first few months after the full-scale invasion began, more are still coming.
There are 34,000 Ukrainian refugees in Estonia
According to data from October 20, there are 34,000 Ukrainian war refugees in Estonia with temporary residence permits and under temporary protection. Nearly 11,000 are minors.
In the first year after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Estonia took in more than 41,800 Ukrainian refugees. Temporary protection status means they initially received one-year residence permits, which were quickly extended both in 2023 and this year. This shows that Ukrainians are settling and staying longer in Estonia, though naturally, some have since left.
Beneficiaries of temporary protection are required to complete an adaptation and language learning program, with nearly 28,000 people invited to A1 level Estonian courses. More than 1,000 completed the course in the first year, with 13,747 refugees now able to use basic Estonian. However, this is just over half of those who were invited to study the language.
In general, the Ukrainian refugees surveyed said they feel that they can communicate in Estonia, although this does not necessarily mean they can speak in Estonian. Around a quarter of respondents said that they understand and are able to use most everyday Estonian expressions, while half said they can use some words and phrases. Fifteen percent said they do not speak Estonian at all, while eight percent said they already understand the meaning of clear speech and can write simple texts.
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