ABSTRACT
The primary purpose of nationality legislation in the period was to counteract the growing Russification of the Estonian society which had taken place throughout the post-war period. The relevant legislation includes a Law on Language making Estonian the official language in the Soviet Republic of Estonia, and a Law on Immigration which immediately stopped the immigration of Russians from other parts of the Soviet Union. An individual would furthermore be guaranteed the right to use the Russian language in relation to the same state organs, institutions etc. The Russians had as individuals the right to use their own language in relation to state and government organs, enterprises, institutions, and organizations. Thus the Law on immigration gave statute form to the intentions mentioned in the IME-programme about stopping the so-called ‘pump of immigration’, that is, the endless immigration of the Russian and other non-Estonian workforce.
