ABSTRACT
Atheism and Freethought in Estonia are examined in this article against the backdrop of different political regimes in the territory of modern day Estonia, studying the meaning and social position of secularity in particular periods, the individuals who were involved and, finally, how the ideas within secular traditions changed and developed over time. Throughout the studied period, secular ideas have closely followed trends that were prevalent in Europe and Russia (later the Soviet Union), being subordinate most of the time to daily politics. The connection between Estonian national identity and anti-Christian attitudes seems to be peculiar and original. During these periods, atheism moved from the outskirts of “culture” and a negative label to a normativity, with religion having very little visibility as early as the 1960s. Estonia is currently considered one of the most secularized countries, yet what this actually means is debatable.
