Summary

The Constitution of the Republic of Estonia sets forth preservation of the Estonian nation and culture as one of the many objectives for the state. The interpretation of such an objective is unique from a constitutional law perspective in that it encompasses many concepts – such as nationality and culture – that have not been dealt with in depth thus far. The article addresses this by articulating the concepts of Estonian nationality and culture. To elaborate on the content of the concepts, the author compares various ways of understanding nationality and culture, including approaches taken in modern studies of cultures and nationality. Overall, this analysis of particular understandings in the context of the purpose behind the preamble, relevant court cases, and the Constitution itself, alongside other constitutional law material, indicates that Estonian culture ought to be understood from an anthropological point of view and Estonian nationality from a cultural nationalist perspective. Therefore, one can conclude that the preamble to the Constitution does not establish the preservation of Estonian nationality and culture as a specific task related only to ethnic Estonians and their heritage and arts. Rather, it expresses a general objective of preserving people who would practise and continue practising Estonian culture as part of their day-to-day life.

Keywords: constitutions, constitutional law, nationality, cultural policy, culture