A Kayak Voyage Around Estonia: A 1920 Expedition by Sea and River

A forgotten true adventure from the edge of Europe.

In 1920, just after war and revolution had reshaped Northern Europe, Johannes Maide launched a fragile canvas kayak and set out to circle Estonia alone.

He paddled 1,046 kilometres through stormy seas, wild rivers, military border zones, and isolated coastal villages. He was shot at by border guards, fought against gales on the Baltic Sea, dragged his kayak across dams and marshes, and achieved what was then regarded as a world distance record in kayaking.

But this is more than just an endurance feat. Maide’s journey captures Estonia at a unique historical moment: newly independent, scarred by war, and still inhabited by coastal Swedes, Old Believers, Baltic Germans, fishermen, foresters, and soldiers.

Part expedition diary, part travel narrative, part historical testimony — this remarkable account opens a vivid window into a vanished world.