English-language Wikipedia is being edited to present Estonia’s history in a more Soviet-friendly light, Estonian journalists and Wikimedia volunteers say, and it is difficult to compete with Russia’s propaganda resources.

Digimeedia journalist Ronald Liive found the birthplaces of hundreds of Estonian figures have been edited on the online encyclopedia Wikipedia from Estonia to the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Soviet Union.

Estonia was occupied twice by the Soviet Union between 1940-1941 and 1944-1991. When the country regained independence in 1991, it restored the republic founded in 1918. Estonia’s official position is that the Republic of Estonia was illegally and de facto occupied by the Soviet Union but never ceased to exist during that time. This means anyone born during the USSR’s occupations was born in Estonia.

Robert Treufeldt, chairman of the board of Wikimedia Estonia, explained the situation on ETV’s morning program "Terevisioon" on Wednesday.

He said the public discussion on the topic began in Lithuania. As a result of votes held there, it became common to use descriptions such as "Tallinn, Estonian SSR, USSR" for people born in Tallinn.

"Unfortunately, if you look at who took part in that vote, there were no identifiable Estonian usernames. There was someone from Canada, someone from Yemen," Treufeldt said. In other words, according to him, the decision was made by users who are not familiar with the history of the Baltic states or the Soviet Union.

"Behind this rewriting of history are often users who express Russian chauvinistic views and act in alignment with Russian interests," he said, adding that this can be determined from the profiles of users who edit articles.

Robert Treufeldt Source: ERR

Local volunteers struggling

Treufeldt said these activities may be part of a broader influence campaign, where history is rewritten.

"First of all, the problem is: who can monitor the whole of Wikipedia and all of its language versions? This is volunteer work, if someone happens to notice something, that’s usually how it comes to light," he said.

Secondly, people in Estonia may not realize how different the prevailing opinion of Russia is elsewhere in the world.

"What was once called the Third World has actually been heavily influenced by the Soviet Union. So a pro-Russian information environment is still quite acceptable in much of Latin America, Africa, and Asia," Treufeldt explained.

As a result, he said, editorial wars may break out over certain articles, potentially leading to those articles being locked from further editing.

Treufeldt said Estonia faces difficulties in monitoring Wikipedia because Russia’s state-backed resources far exceed the capabilities of local volunteers.

"Who would take on the task of ensuring that the ‘Estonian version’ prevails globally? Competing with Russia in terms of resources is quite difficult," he said.

Hundreds of profiles changed

Ronald Liive. Source: ERR

Digimeedia journalist Ronald Liive has investigated the phenomenon. In a post on LinkedIn, he called the campaign "mass manipulation on an industrial scale."

"A single user has systematically altered nearly 600 profiles of prominent Estonians. From EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and WRC champion Ott Tänak to supermodel Carmen Kass," he wrote.

"Their birthplaces were forcibly changed to "Estonian SSR, Soviet Union." This is not a technical correction; it is a deliberate attempt to erase the legal continuity of the Republic of Estonia. In one instance, this user spent 21 hours and 40 minutes straight redacting Estonian history."

He said when Estonian volunteers tried to change the articles, they were banned for "pushing a nationalistic narrative." "Meanwhile, articles like Kaja Kallas’s have been locked in their distorted pro-Kremlin state, preventing further factual corrections," Liive wrote.

He noted similar issues with the Estonian War of Independence, which he said is being "redefined."

"In several key articles, "defensive campaign" has been replaced with "offensive campaign." Even more chilling, Estonia’s birth is being framed as "separatism from Russia," aligning perfectly with modern imperialist rhetoric," the journalist added.

He said digital encyclopedias have become a "battlefield for hybrid warfare" and that "we risk losing our history to those who wish to rewrite it."

"How can small nations protect their historical integrity on global platforms when the "consensus" is manufactured through sheer persistence and aggressive editing from user accounts pushing Kremlin talking points?" he asked.

–

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!

Source: Terevisioon, interview by Reimo Sildvee.