The video "The linguistic diversity of the lake Peipsi land“ has been completed

The video introducing the different dialects of Peipsimaa "The linguistic diversity of the lake Peipsi land“ has been completed

The PeipsiRing project produced the video "The linguistic diversity of the lake Peipsi land", which introduces the different dialects of lake Peipsi land. Lake Peipsi land has functioned as a kind of ecosystem, where Estonians, Russians, Old Believers, Setos and Vadja peole, as well as some other ethnic groups, have had their influence on the development of the cultural history of the lakeside region.

Estonia is a very dialect-rich country, where there has been a distinctive dialect in every small corner. On the one hand, the development of dialects was influenced by natural borders and connecting roads. Water bodies like lake Peipsi rather connected, while forests and swamps separated. Different peoples lived on the shores of lake Peipsi, whose daily interactions were not greatly affected by the different language and cultural background, but it has in a way had an impact on the development of regional dialects. Peips County has functioned as a kind of ecosystem, by the beginning of the 20th century the region had become a coastal area with full of life. Various regional languages are still spoken in the coastal areas of lake Peipsi. In addition to the Võru and Seto languages, speakers of Kodavere and Torma dialects can be found on the west coast. The language of the Old Believers has also preserved its archaic features.

Linguistic richness has begun to be valued more seriously only in the last decades, when the dialects of different places are disappearing faster and faster. Some dialects have disappeared, such as the language of the Poluverniks. Others are more or less vibrant, varying from a few single speakers to several thousand. In the case of several dialects, a written language has been developed, which, on the one hand, helps to preserve the vitality of the dialect, while at the same time, it tends to level out the peculiarities. In the video "The linguistic diversity of the lake Peipsi land" you can get an overview of the different dialects of Peips County and you can also hear with your own ears how one or the other sounds. The video can be found on YouTube at the link https://youtu.be/LB1TKhULgec

The Peipsi Ring project focuses on the creation of a cooperation network of Peipsi County museums and heritage culture associations, as well as training and information activities. Project activities support the readiness of border communities for active cooperation in the preservation and promotion of the cultural and historical heritage of the region.

More information: https://ctc.ee/activities-and-projects/running/peipsiring

Project ER164 Chudskoye / Peipsi Museums Ring is implemented under the European
Neighbourhood Instrument and co-financed by the European Union.

The Programme website is www.estoniarussia.eu.