60 seconds with... Professor Mart Kuldkepp

Professor Mart Kuldkepp's Inaugural Lecture

Tell us a little about your research…

I specialise in early 20th-century political history, with a particular focus on Estonian-Scandinavian relations and the wider Baltic Sea region, including its place in great power politics. Currently, I am preparing an English-language version of my 2024 book, Nordic Estonia: Birth of a Nation State, which explores Estonia’s Nordic identity and its impact on Estonia’s journey towards independence during the final stages and immediate aftermath of World War I. My next project is a biography of the infamous Estonian émigré politician Aleksander Kesküla who introduced Lenin to the German General Staff in autumn 1914.

Why is your research important?

I have a long-standing interest in exploring the margins of political history: the ideas that failed, the plans left unfulfilled, and the individuals and organisations whose aims and activities were out of step with their times. Though often overlooked, these marginalised phenomena influenced the ideas ultimately adopted, the plans eventually realised, and the figures still remembered. Uncovering these hidden legacies enriches our understanding of the past as experienced by contemporaries, rather than just how we choose to remember it today.

What inspires you in your work?

Very often it’s archival finds; especially when I happen to finally come across a source that I’ve long suspected should exist somewhere. But I’m also inspired by the work of other researchers. I like detail-oriented scholarship that doesn’t cut corners. Of course, we never fully live up to this ideal.

What has been your most memorable career moment so far?

I don’t know. I’m research-focused, but not very career-focused. I hope all my most memorable moments are still ahead.

What passions/hobbies do you have outside of work?

I like doing things around the house and in the garden, spending time with family and friends, museums and nature walks. 

What book is currently on your bedside table?

It’s manuscript of a history book I’m reviewing for a publishing house. It’s sad but I rarely read just for fun.

Image: "The Third Congress of the Estonian Communist Party, September 1922"