Laveerimine
라비림
From the Estonian word for 'tacking', a sailboat's zigzag navigation against the wind, laveerimine describes the pragmatic balancing policy practiced by Johannes Käbin during his 28-year rule of Soviet Estonia (1950–1978). It steered a middle course between Moscow's central demands and Estonian national interests, preserving maximal autonomy for the republic. The policy foundered in the late 1970s when Brezhnev's intensified Russification campaign clashed with it, ending with Käbin's removal in 1978.
Related people
Sources
- et.wikipedia.org Estonian Wikipedia: 'Ta ajas kogu oma valitsemisaja jooksul mõõdukat laveerimispoliitikat.' Confirms laveerimine as the defining term for Käbin's political style.
- ohtuleht.ee Õhtuleht citing Eesti entsüklopeedia (1990): 'oma võimuloleku ajal 1950-1978 ajas Käbin mõõdukat laveerimispoliitikat.' Estonian encyclopedia entry confirms the term's historiographical standing.
- sirp.ee Sirp (Estonian cultural newspaper) review of Käbin's memoirs discussing the political context and end of his laveerimine policy.