Opinion stories from and about Estonians.
An Estonian town – either Tartu or Narva – will be named the European Capital of Culture 2024; with the announcement to be made on 28 August, the Tartu-based writer, Berk Vaher, makes a case for his hometown. Estonia is wondering, who are we in the future of Europe and …
Berk Vaher: Tartu shares arts of survival with Europe for 2024 Read More »
Finland-based Estonian expat Maris Vaher shares her thoughts on the challenges of keeping her children’s ties with the Estonian identity, culture and language. How do you preserve Estonian culture and the national identity when living and working abroad? How can you set important things straight for yourself and your children …
Maris Vaher: Living abroad we forget to keep our children’s ties with Estonia Read More »
Kristina Lupp, a Tallinn-based Estonian-Canadian food and travel writer, lists some of her favourite places where to eat out in the Estonian capital. A few people have asked, where to eat in Tallinn this summer. Here is a list of my favourite restaurants and cafés, in no particular order. Salt …
Kristina Lupp: My favourite restaurants and cafés where to eat out in Tallinn Read More »
The moment a Song Celebration conductor kisses their baton means a tribute to the soul of a nation; the Tallinn-based Italian expat, Milena Spigaglia shares her impressions of the Estonian Song Celebration 2019. I am currently reading a book about the nation state. The book was published last year in …
A national identity performed: the Estonian Song Celebration Read More »
The Estonian president, Kersti Kaljulaid, opened the country’s cherished Song Celebration with a speech in which she emphasised that singing had historically brought Estonians joy and courage and made people feel free; Estonian World publishes Kaljulaid’s speech in full. Dear people of Estonia, Our first Song Festival took place 150 …
For the small Estonian Jewish community, times have been peaceful – but recent anti-Semitic acts are a reason for concern. Over the weekend of 22-23 June, several headstones at the 110-year old Rahumäe Jewish cemetery in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, were knocked over. On 23 June, swastikas were spray-painted on …
Editorial: Estonia needs to tackle anti-Semitism before it’s too late Read More »
Following March’s general elections, which produced an unexpected governing coalition, the Estonian society still reels between confusion, disappointment and disagreement. This article was originally published in the International Centre for Defence and Security’s blog. There is a desire to interpret the European Parliament election as a referendum on the government, which the low …
Piret Kuusik: What does the 2019 European Parliament election in Estonia tell us? Read More »
Dmitri Fefilov, a journalist at the Estonian Russian-language business newspaper, Delovõje Vedomosti, says the life of Estonians and Russians in the country used to be a game of national belonging, and he doesn’t want to be pulled into it again. People play different games in this world. Through games, one …
Dmitri Fefilov: Don’t pull us into the game of national belonging again Read More »
On Europe Day, 21 European heads of state made a joint call, encouraging everybody to vote in the European Parliament election, saying it’s the European citizens who decide which path the bloc will follow. Europe is the best idea we have ever had European integration has helped realise a centuries-old …
European heads of state: European citizens decide which path the EU shall follow Read More »
Marcus Kolga, an Estonian-Canadian filmmaker and journalist, writes that in the light of the far-right Estonian Conservative People’s Party’s inclusion into the governing coalition, the world is watching and wondering – what happened to Estonia? Last week, newspapers around the world were filled with headlines that negatively reflected a growing …