Stefan Budian

1. Aim and Framework

The voices of Narva are not interviews but fictional condensations of real conversations, attitudes, and tensions. They were created on the basis of publicly available sources about the history, society, and present of Estonia – especially concerning the tensions between the Estonian- and Russian-speaking populations.

The goal is to make empathy and polyphony perceptible – without claiming documentary precision.

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2. Research and Source Material

A. Types of Sources

• News outlets (ERR News, Euractiv, NZZ, France24) → current political and social developments
• Academic publications (University of Tartu, OSCE, ResearchGate, FPRI) → analyses of language, identity, integration
• Eyewitness accounts & online forums → linguistic nuances and lived everyday realities

B. Time Frame Material from 2022–2025, focusing on:

• The language reform in the Estonian education system
• Labor migration of young adults
• The relationship between Narva and Tallinn, and experiences of the border
• Perceptions of the border with Russia

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3. The Process of Condensation

1. Extraction: Relevant quotes, terms, and situations were taken from multiple sources.

2. Combination: Similar statements by different people or media were merged into a fictional composite figure,

 representing typical attitudes rather than individuals.

3. Linguistic Shaping: Vocabulary and rhythm were adjusted to sound authentic but not documentary.

4. Context Check: Each scene was – as far as possible – reviewed in dialogue with factual information and voices from Narva/Estonia,

 to achieve a balanced depiction.

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4. The Backgrounds as a Second Layer

Beneath each dialogue lies an optional layer: the background. It links brief contextual notes (data, tendencies, terminology) with interpretive reflection and forms the transition between research and artistic condensation. This allows readers to trace where the tone of a voice originates without breaking the flow of reading. Each section also includes a list of publicly accessible sources from the resonance field of the respective voice.

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5. Ethics and Responsibility

The dialogues respect the dignity of real persons and communities. They avoid labeling, irony, or accusations. The fiction serves understanding, not judgment – seeking resonance between factual and felt truth.

No sentence in the dialogues is a literal quote – but perhaps each one could have been said like this, in a certain situation.

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6. Disclaimer

“These texts are artistic interpretations of real-world themes. They are based on publicly available research but do not constitute journalistic or scientific statements. Persons and situations are fictionalized – inspired by reality, yet not identical with it.”

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