US President Barack Obama will visit Estonia in September; according to the White House, the visit is designed to “further enhance the strong relations between the two countries and to affirm America’s commitment” to the Baltic states. In Tallinn, Obama will meet with Estonia’s President Toomas Hendrik Ilves as well …
How many non-Estonians – especially the ones coming from a global language background – do you know who can speak fluent, or even conversational Estonian? It probably isn’t too easy to come up with even one. Well, let Estonian World fix this and introduce to you Adam Cullen, a 28-year-old …
Adam Cullen – the American who fell in love with Estonia and its literature Read More »
The Estonian-American film producer and director, Bill Rebane, has certainly had an interesting life. Born in Latvia, schooled in Germany and worked in the United States, he’s one of the few people of Estonian heritage who have made a difference in the arts of motion pictures. And yet, after a …
Bill Rebane – the maker of horror films who’s “never been a fan of horror” Read More »
The time is “present day”. Russia’s president is a former KGB officer who uses phrases like “The fall of the Soviet Union was one of the greatest tragedies of the last century”. The modern reincarnation of the KGB – the FSB – is all-powerful in Russia. Businesses are “nationalised” – …
Book review: When Russia invaded Estonia – and Jack Ryan saved it Read More »
Over four years ago, in March 2009, then an author-to-be Helen Eelrand decided to make a major life change. After having worked a lifetime in the Estonian media, she took her husband and two daughters (her adult son decided to remain in Estonia) and moved to Spain. Let’s be honest, …
Andalusian-Estonian author Helen Eelrand: Living in Spain has opened me up Read More »
Having lived most of his life abroad, Viido Polikarpus returned to Estonia, the land of his ancestors, when he was 49 years old. He had been an officer in the US Special Forces and, as he says, “one of the first trained suicide bombers without knowing it”, but true happiness …
Viido Polikarpus – The Estonian-American “Rambo”, painter and solar power advocate Read More »
“This is my last election … After my election I have more flexibility.” “I will transmit this information to Vladimir.” I This exchange happened between US President Barack Obama and Russian then-President Dmitri Medvedev in March 2012. Between then and now, Medvedev became Prime Minister (and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin …
Sten Hankewitz: Can your enemy’s friend be your friend? Read More »
“Despite the fact that I love it in Israel, I’ve always had this sense of my Estonian roots. I think it’s great, because there was a lot of good (in Estonia). And it’s also good because the bad things that happened in Estonia, also taught me a great deal,” says …
Shmuel Lazikin – an Israeli who blogs in Estonian, for Estonians Read More »