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Jérémie Jung

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Setomaa, a Kingdom on the Edge by Jérémie Jung

Setomaa, a Kingdom on the Edge

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Clients: Le Monde, National Geographic, Photoville, Musée d'Orsay, Les Rencontres d'Arles

School: EMI CFD - photojournalism, Paris, France, Fine Arts Faculty of Strasbourg, France DUT MMI (Degree in multimedia and internet), Strasbourg, France

In Obinitsa, Estonia, a young S...rom, where I grew up."

1 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

In Obinitsa, Estonia, a young Seto girl named Liisi Lõiv pauses wearing a traditional costume in her grandparents' garden. Seto women typically have both an old costume and a new one. This is an older one—white, with long, rolled sleeves. The clothing reveals other details too. A married woman must cover her hair, while an unmarried young woman or girl like Liisi will wear only a garland or a headscarf, leaving her long braid visible. Today Setos wear their traditional clothes only on special occasions. Liisi says she embroidered this costume herself. "I'm proud of being Seto,” she says. “It is where I come from, where I grew up."

In wintertime when the landscap...mahl is extracted every spring.

2 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

In wintertime when the landscape is covered in white, Setomaa intermingle shades of gray and white until the numerous birch forests. A tree from which a fermented drink called hapöndöt köomahl is extracted every spring.

At the Estonian-Russian border,...er the USSR, Estonia or Russia.

3 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

At the Estonian-Russian border, the Värska unit border guards walk 10 km along the border with a dog trained to detect any suspicious footsteps from an illegal trespassing. Before 1991, the whole Setoma was united, either under the USSR, Estonia or Russia.

Marika Keerpalu, wearing a trad...med for her rebellious singing.

4 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

Marika Keerpalu, wearing a traditional costume at a small art gallery on the Estonian side of the border, welcomes a group of visitors from Mordovia, Russia. The visitors speak a language called Erzya that is similar to Seto. Wearing her hair fully covered signifies that Marika is married. Here, she sits below a painting of Hilana Taarka, a Seto woman from the turn of the 20th century famed for her rebellious singing.

The former trade route which wa...tonia and the Estonian Setomaa.

5 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

The former trade route which was bridging Riga (Latvia) to Pskov (Russia) runs today along the symbolic border between the rest of Estonia and the Estonian Setomaa.

This Seto family who picnics in...ansa, a local version of vodka.

6 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

This Seto family who picnics in the fields participates in a village party called kirmas. An opportunity to meet with different generations to discuss, play, dance and sing while drinking hansa, a local version of vodka.

A vice-king or queen, elected e... people proud of their culture.

7 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

A vice-king or queen, elected each year, are believed to communicate with Peko through their dreams, and must pass messages to the Setos. It's been more than two decades since the division of Setomaa by the Russian-Estonian border prompted the Setos to declare Setomaa their kingdom and Peko their king. In 2014, it was the turn of Annela Laaneots, 36, to be elected Vice-Queen of Setomaa (Ülembsootska in Seto language). For a year, she embodied the vitality of a people proud of their culture.

In each Seto house, as here in ...hed with an embroidered fabric.

8 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

In each Seto house, as here in this old farmhouse, a prayer area is represented by an icon embellished with an embroidered fabric.

Truvar, son of Evar Riitsaar (A... setomaa still have them today.

9 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

Truvar, son of Evar Riitsaar (A former Ülembsootska, vice-king in seto language) and Ülle Kauksi (a local poet) is playing video games on the main heating place of his home. Traditionally all seto house were heated by this central fire place also used as a hooven. Some houses in setomaa still have them today.

Liisi, the niece of Evar Riitsa...nians disaproved mixed couples.

10 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

Liisi, the niece of Evar Riitsaar a former UÌˆlembsootska (vice king) and her boyfriend Elari. Elari is not from a Seto origins. For a long time, the Seto were not educated and most of them illiterated. Back then, the Estonians disaproved mixed couples.

Father Jevgeni, an 85-year-old ...the Russian side of the border.

11 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

Father Jevgeni, an 85-year-old priest of the "half-believers," has been officiating at the Petseri Varvara Church—now on the Russian side of the border—for the past 40 years. But he’s been a priest for much longer. "It will be 70 years now that I officiate,” he says. “I started 40 years ago in Varvara Church because I was the only one who could do it in Estonian. Back then half of the church was Seto, and the choir sang in Estonian—the prayers were said in Estonian. But nowadays there is no point to officiate in Estonian anymore." Few Estonian speaking Setos are now found on the Russian side of the border.

Near Saatse, Estonia, the Russi...rs play a ball game and frolic.

12 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

Near Saatse, Estonia, the Russian-Estonian border runs through the middle of this lake, where bathers play a ball game and frolic.

On a warm summer day, an artist...e is the resting place of Peko.

13 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

On a warm summer day, an artist paints the Russian Orthodox Pechory monastery, which Setos believe is the resting place of Peko.

Vinski is a small Estonian vill...the village hosted 14 families.

14 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

Vinski is a small Estonian village right on the Russian-Estonian border running through the Setomaa. Today two families and an old man live in Vinski. Before 1991 the village hosted 14 families.

Endowed with a strong sense of ... are output for a grand parade.

15 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

Endowed with a strong sense of self-deprecation, the Setos organize a zany military parade in the wake of the election of their Ülembsootska (vice king or queen in Seto language). Operetta uniforms and dummy arsenal - which this missile made of old barrels - are output for a grand parade.

At the Pechory Monastery, the i...rs will attend the celebration.

16 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

At the Pechory Monastery, the in Russian side of the Setomaa, volunteers are preparing a carpet of flower over which the miracle-working icon of the dormition will be carried out from the Dormition Church. A group that includes Setos from both sides of the border as well as Russian Orthodox believers will attend the celebration.

An icon is carried around the P... as Russian Orthodox believers.

17 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

An icon is carried around the Pechory Monastery on the day of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Both civilians and members of the Russian Army gather to help protect the icon as it’s viewed by the faithful—a group that includes Setos from both sides of the border as well as Russian Orthodox believers.

The Lämmijärv...he Estonian side of the border.

18 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

The Lämmijärv lake, a natural border between Estonia and Russia. The border runs through the middle of this lake, where this biker plays on the Estonian side of the border.

The Lämmijärv...der between Estonia and Russia.

19 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

The Lämmijärv lake, a natural border between Estonia and Russia.

The statue of the Seto &nbs...Ode, and Irö Matrrina.

20 of 21 © 2024 Jérémie Jung

The statue of the Seto lauluima, or Seto singing mother, was created by the sculptor Elmar Rebane and erected in Obinitsa in 1995. A lauluima is a lead singer of a Seto leelo choir, which performs traditional polyphonic songs considered an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. This statue is said to represent all the singing mothers, but specifically honors three famous Seto singers: Hilana Taarka, Miko Ode, and Irö Matrrina.

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Thumbnail of In Obinitsa, Estonia, a young Se_from, where I grew up."

Thumbnail of In wintertime when the landscape_omahl is extracted every spring.

Thumbnail of At the Estonian-Russian border, _der the USSR, Estonia or Russia.

Thumbnail of Marika Keerpalu, wearing a tradi_amed for her rebellious singing.

Thumbnail of The former trade route which was_stonia and the Estonian Setomaa.

Thumbnail of This Seto family who picnics in _hansa, a local version of vodka.

Thumbnail of A vice-king or queen, elected ea_a people proud of their culture.

Thumbnail of In each Seto house, as here in t_shed with an embroidered fabric.

Thumbnail of Truvar, son of Evar Riitsaar (A _n setomaa still have them today.

Thumbnail of Liisi, the niece of Evar Riitsaa_onians disaproved mixed couples.

Thumbnail of Father Jevgeni, an 85-year-old p_ the Russian side of the border.

Thumbnail of Near Saatse, Estonia, the Russia_ers play a ball game and frolic.

Thumbnail of On a warm summer day, an artist _ve is the resting place of Peko.

Thumbnail of Vinski is a small Estonian villa_ the village hosted 14 families.

Thumbnail of Endowed with a strong sense of s_- are output for a grand parade.

Thumbnail of At the Pechory Monastery, the in_ers will attend the celebration.

Thumbnail of An icon is carried around the Pe_l as Russian Orthodox believers.

Thumbnail of The Lämmijärv _the Estonian side of the border.

Thumbnail of The Lämmijärv _rder between Estonia and Russia.

Thumbnail of The statue of the Seto &nbsp_ Ode, and Irö Matrrina.

Public Project

Setomaa, a Kingdom on the Edge

Copyright Jérémie Jung 2024

Date of Work Aug 2014 - Sep 2015

Updated Oct 2019

Location Estonia, Setomaa

Topics Borders, Community, Conservation, culture, Documentary, Editorial, Essays, estonia, Photography, Photojournalism, russia

At the edge of worlds, straddling the European Union and the Russian Federation, orthodoxy and paganism, death and life, secular traditions and modernism, stands the young kingdom of Setomaa. Proclaimed in 1994 by the Seto, a Finno-Ugric group, it was established to revitalize and affirm their identity after the restoration of Estonian independence in 1991.

The Setomaa culture has been weakened over time by nearly half a century of Soviet control and the newly established (1991), not yet ratified (2019), Estonia-Russia border, which severs the region.

Today, the Seto King, also the god of fertility named Peko, rests for eternity under the orthodox monastery of Petchory on the Russian side of Setomaa. He communicates with his people through the dreams of his vice King or Queen, the Ülembsootska, who is elected each year in August on the Estonian side of Setomaa.

The Seto culture is recognized through the Leelo, a polyphonic style of folk singing, which was added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage in 2009.

-
story lead between 2014 and 2015
exhibited at Les Rencontres d'Arles festival within the "Walls of Power" exhibition, 2019
exhibited at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, 2018
printed in the Chinese monthly Civilization, 2018
printed as a book entitled "Au large du temps", Imogène editions, 2018 get your copy here
printed in the French monthly GEO, 2018
awarded the ANI Pixtrakk prize at Visa pour l'Image festival, Perpignan, France, 2017
published online in National Geographic, 2016

16,518

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