Setomaa (0)

Setomaa
The extreme south - eastern corner of Estonia - this is the location of SETOMAA, a peculiar historical and ethnical province in Estonia. Setomaa is bounded in the north - east by Lake Pihkva , in the east and south-east by Russia , in the south by Latvia and in the west by Võru County. The greatest extent from north to south is 65 km and from east to west 40 km. Today Setomaa is divided between three administrative units: Võru and Põlva counties of Estonia and Pechorsky district of Russia. On the territory of Estonia, Setomaa comprises four municipalities: Misso , Meremäe, Värska and Mikitamäe municipalities.
According to the latest archaeological finds the area of Setomaa has been inhabited for as long as 8 400 years .The ancestors of the people speaking the Võro- Seto dialect belonged to the Balto -Finnic eastern tribes . In old chronicles they have been mentioned probably under the name of the Chudes. Seto people are their lineal descendants.
In 1920, the Treaty of Tartu between the Republic of Estonia and the Russian Federation was concluded. According to the Treaty, Setomaa was linked with Estonia. The folk have divided Setomaa into twelve parts, or communities (nulk). Names for the communities have been derived either from the central village or settlement: e.g. Irboska nulk or from the peculiarity of location. Names were also based on other features: e.g. Kohopiimänulk - implying at the local tradition of making cottage cheese ( kohopiim is a sort of cottage cheese). In the autumn of 1921 Seto people were for the first time ever given surnames. Since 1944,the
western part of Setomaa belongs to the Republic of Estonia and the eastern part to the Russian Federation. This kind of division is the source of the Setos’ burning problems: the split -up congregations, location of properties and relatives on the other side of the state border.
The Setos have preserved their original dialect, skills of cooking their traditional food, their beautiful and peculiar folk costumes . The most attractive decoration to go with the folk costume is the set of silver jewellery: numerous necklaces and a conic brooch worn by married women . The handicraft of Seto women is fine and colourful. Seto people are known for their original runic verse folk song - leelo . A Leelo choir consists of a chanter and the choir. The chanter is a good improviser. The verses recited by the chanter are repeated by the choir. One of the singers in the choir sings the kille - the highest pitch. The most outstanding chanters came to be called lauluimä (the mother of songs ). The best chanters were able to recite 10 000 - 20 000 verses. The Seto folk dance is called kargus. Men and women dance separately, not in pairs . At earlier times in each village there was at least one good musician who was able to play the accordion or zither.
Sightseeing places : Holy Slavic Springs in Izborsk. According to an ancient legend, when Dooms-day arrives and water disappears from everywhere, the springs will remain as the only waterbodies in the environs of Izborsk. There are four churches in Izborsk. Two of them are still in use as churches, the other two bleong to the Izborsk State Museum .
The Mõla church is located in the Village of Mõla. Mõla church was established about 600 years ago. The present stone church is 500 years old. From under the church flows out a creek that is said to have magic power . Around the church is a cemetery. In the near vicinity you will find the campanile and ruins of the monastery established by Saint Onulfri. The monastery was destroyed in 1581 during the military campaign of Stefan Batory, the King of Poland. A little aside from the church is Lake Mõla the water of which is very clear and deep .
Sigova Seto Farm Museum, the subsidiary of the Izborsk Museum is located in the village of Radaja, Pechory district, in a pristine farmstead that once belonged to the Külaots family. The display provides an insight to the life-style of a Seto family of the early 20th century . Many of the objects exhibited still bear the warmth of the hands of their previous owners.Visitors can acquaint themselves with different domestic crafts like spinning or weaving, also with various farm tools, probably the most intriquing of which is a device for handling flax.
Through centuries Border Hill has served as a natural border for many states. Today we can see the Piiripettäi, a pine tree on the slope of the hill marking the border of Setomaa. Earlier borders were marked with watch- towers , boundary stones marked with a cross, or plain stones. Along the Vastseliina -Pechory-Pskov trade route that crossed Piirimägi Hill for five hundred years, historic persons like Russian tsar Peter I and probably also the Swedish king Gustav II Adolph have travelled.