Thatcher Hullerman Cook
12/22/2004

Tallinn's old city prepares for the holidays. Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, where one third of the people are a Russian-speaking minority who have been forced to migrate there from other Soviet republics. These people are still considered "aliens with undetermined citizenship" and today number about 160,000. It is difficult for these people to get jobs, obtain an Estonian passport, and travel abroad. They cannot vote in national elections and are unable to seek political asylum even when they are persecuted because no country can attest to their citizenship or accept them as citizens.

One man who grew up in the northeastern section of Estonia, where some 96 percent of the population is Russian-speaking, moved to Tallinn for better job opportunities. It was a difficult move, but he eventually made headway in his career. This year, when Estonia became a member of the European Union, he is now attempting the difficult process of becoming an Estonian citizen.