Петербургский исторический журнал № 2 (2016) УДК 94(474.2) + 94(47).084.3 M.-L. Tammela Estonian communists in prisoner exchanges between the Republic of Estonia and Soviet Russia in 1921–1923 At the beginning of 1920s there was an interesting practice between the Republic of Estonia and Soviet Russia — within three years more than two hundred people were exchanged between the two countries. <...> The exchanges were based more on mutual interest than on legislation: the Estonian communists had an opportunity to emigrate to Soviet Russia and Estonian citizens in Soviet Russia’s prisons could come to Estonia. <...> The aim of the paper at hand is to provide an overview and an analysis of these prisoner exchanges concentrating firstly on the technical aspect of the topic — how this practice started in the first place and what was the wider context of the exchanges. <...> Equally important is the biographical aspect, more specifically, the stories of Estonian communists — who were these people on the exchanges lists and what happened to them in Russia? <...> The area now forming the Republic of Estonia has been throughout its history a battleground for different European powers. <...> In 1917, after the February Revolution the Bolsheviks had become very popular in Estonia just within a few months as they stressed the workers’ class solidarity (despite of opposing the aspirations of extended Estonian national autonomy). <...> It is not all that surprising given that during the war Tallinn had 1 Siilivask K. Veebruarist oktoobrini 1917. <...> Saint-Petersburg Historical Journal N 2 (2016) M.-L. Tammela 67 become the base for Russian Baltic fleet and location of several warship factories and by the beginning of 1917 provided shelter 50 000 foot soldiers and sailors in addition to approximately 30 000 industrial workers. <...> The Bolsheviks began to organise workers’ councils in towns and for the Russian troops located in different parts of Estonia. <...> After the coup d’йtat in Russia in October 1917 the Bolsheviks also seized power in Estonia for the duration of three months. <...> The next day, an Estonian Provisional Government was formed in Tallinn, only a few hours before the invading Imperial German Army units arrived in town. <...> Most Estonian Bolshevik leaders managed to flee from advancing German troops to Soviet Russia2 only to come back when Germany <...>