Did you know that Skype comes from Estonia?
Ok, smartypants. But did you know Skype loves the Soviet Union?
Well, maybe not loves exactly, but at least gives credit where credit is due.
For some reason, Baltic people are not exactly what you’d call nostalgic for their former Slav overlords. So I was surprised to hear some of the most modern and forward looking Estonians say the following:
“If there is anything positive about the Soviet occupation, it was the high level of the real sciences,” says Mr. Tamkivi, sitting in Skype’s canteen, which overlooks what was once a Soviet military research station looking into cybernetics.
“It was a huge investment at the time, to get the equipment in and get the people trained. That has flowed through the generations. It is cool to be a maths geek here in Estonia,” he says.