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The Treaty of Tartu is written in Estonian and Russian, registered with the League of Nations and published with a French and English translation in Volume XI of the League of Nations Treaty Series in 1922.
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The treaty comprises 20 articles and in addition to ending the state of war it also includs articles on the recognition of the Estonian state, covering border, security, economic, social and traffic policies.
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According to the treaty, Russia recognised Estonian independence de jure, renouncing voluntarily “for ever all rights of sovereignty formerly held by Russia over the Esthonian people and territory”. The Treaty of Tartu was also the first international act recognising the Soviet government.Diplomatic relations were established between the two states.
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The border between Estonia and Russia was established, and both the municipalities beyond Narva as well as Petseri County became part of Estonian territory. This border stood until 1944.
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Estonia was freed from all obligations towards Russia, while Russia was obligated to return the property that had been evacuated from Estonia; Estonia was also granted 15 million gold roubles from the Russian gold fund.
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According to the treaty, every Estonian living in Russia had the right to move to Estonia. Based on the treaty, 38 000 Estonians opted for Estonian nationality (at the end of the War of Independence, there were about 320 Estonian settlements or centres and around 190 000 Estonians in Russia).
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On the Estonian side, the treaty was signed by members of the Constituent Assembly Jaan Poska, Ants Piip, Julius Seljamaa, Mait Püüman and MajorGeneral Jaan Soots. The gnatories on the Russian side were Adolph Joffe, member of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet of Workmen, Peasants, Soldiers of the Red Army and Cossacks, and Isidore Gukovsky, member of the College of the Popular Commissariat of State Control.
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Estonia’s peace treaty with Russia was the first international act that mentioned the right of peoples to decide their own destiny. Therefore, both the Treaty of Tartu as well as other treaties between Russia and its western neighbours that were modelled on it constituted an important step towards enshrining the nations’ right to self-determination in international law.
ARTICLE II of the Treaty
In consequence of the right of all peoples to self-determination, to the point of seceding completely from the State of which they form part, a right proclaimed by the Socialist and Federal Russian Republic of the Soviets, Russia unreservedly recognises the independence and sovereignty of the State of Estonia, and renounces voluntarily and forever all sovereign rights possessed by Russia over the Estonian people and territory whether these rights be based on the juridical position that formerly existed in public law, or in the international treaties which, in the sense here indicated, lose their validity in future.
From the fact that Estonia has belonged to Russia, no obligation whatsoever will fall on the Estonian people and land to Russia.
The importance of the historic treaty for the Estonian state is best summed up in the words of Jaan Poska: “Today is the most important day of the past 700 years for Estonia, because today, for the first time, Estonia alone will determine the future fate of its people.”
At the time, the Treaty of Tartu was, above all, a peace treaty, ending the carnage that began with the First World War.
The memoirs of William Tomingas, the secretary of the Estonian delegation, describe the solemn reception the delegation of the Treaty of Tartu received in Tallinn. Many people who had come to the streets to greet them took off their hats despite the bitter cold.
The head of the Estonian delegation Jaan Poska later remembered that for him, the greatest recognition for his work came from a woman standing on a street; she crossed herself and told him, “You saved our sons”…
Last updated: 02.02.2024