Maikal is a native of Obinitsa. He grew up in Küllätüvä village and studied in Obinitsa school. Now, he lives in Masluva a village closer to Küllätüvä .

Him and his wife actively take part various cultural events – Such as the Café day and the Seto Kingdom day – in the Setomaa region. His wife, Epp, is from Tartu, she is fond of Seto culture. She has been accepted and welcomed in the Seto community and now she is well integrated. Initially, they used their farm house as a summer home but they live all year around. Maikal and Epp run two cafes in Tartu – Caterini and Trin. Some times they serve traditional Seto food in their café Caterini, which is popular during Christmas time. Maikal and Epp are known for their home baked breads and won the competition for best bread in the region.

Maikal thinks, Seto culture thrives and is kept alive by teaching their children. Now a day, it has become somehow popular to have roots in Setomaa. So, now these people, who are returning to Setomaa, have to learn these traditions themselves and after that teach that to children. Right now, we have kindergarten classes where teachers only speak Seto dialect. Its great idea – parents and local self-government have similar purpose to keep the culture alive. There are different organizations, that promote different aspects: handicraft, traditional song culture, food etc. However, he thinks there must be more cooperation among these organization in order to promote the culture effectively.