News from Estonia

The Estonian American National Council (EANC) – Eesti Rahvuskomitee Ühendriikides (ERKÜ) is pleased to announce that it will provide travel stipends (up to $1,250 each) for two Estonian American upper secondary and university students who have been accepted to participate in the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory’s (EIHM – Eesti...

Scientists have identified Europe's tallest common aspen (Populus tremula) in Estonia's Nigula Nature Reserve, located in Pärnu County. The record-breaking tree stands at 45.5 meters, surpassing the previous European record by more than four meters. In addition to this record-holder, two other exceptionally tall aspens were found in the forests...

Easter marks the start of spring, the triumph of life and renewal and is a time of festivities and tradition in Estonia. Easter is known by many names in Estonia, including lihavõtted (a direct reference to the return of meat on menus after Lent), munadepüha (egg holiday) and kiigepüha (swing holiday, pointing to the tradition...

Mõnikord pead lahkuma, et aru saada, kuhu sa tegelikult kuulud. My path back to Eesti wasn't direct. After a disappointing 2011 praktika in Tallinn – no real work, no pay, living over an hour from other noored – I disengaged from eestlus for the first time in my life. It...

“The Trei Family in New York City” is part of Vabamu’s new exhibition “Ilmaküla eestlased” or “Estonia Worldwide,” which tells the story of Estonian diaspora communities from the mid-19th century to the present. “The Trei Family” installation, designed as a digital photo album, highlights the lives of my grandparents, Alice...

On November 18, 2025, Airi Uuna, Dr. Karsten Brüggemann, and Dr. Kristo Nurmis (pictured with the author), all of Tallinn University, presented their project “The Soviet West Revisited” during a guest lecture at The Ohio State University. The project, funded by the Estonian Research Council, focuses on the everyday experiences...

Director Taavi Arus' new feature-length documentary about Estonian Eurovision stars Puuluup will be screened as the opening film at the 2026 DocPoint Tallinn film festival on February 3. "Puuluup – kaablid autos veel" ("Puuluup – Cables Still in the Car") tells the story of unlikely duo Ramo Teder and Marko...

The Christmas market on Tallinn’s Town Hall Square opened on November 21. It is like a winter fairytale land – the square is decorated with a sparkling Christmas tree and surrounded by small wooden huts. These offer everything from Christmas goods and gifts to food and drinks. Strolling through the...

“On 28 May 2025, in the gracious setting of the British Ambassador’s residence in Tallinn, we celebrated the launch of Silverwhite — the first-ever English translation of Lennart Meri’s iconic book Hõbevalge”, writes Alexander Tskihilov on his Facebook page. This project was born a few years ago during a conference...

James Rice is the Legislative Director for U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa. His work includes foreign policy and keeping up with the Baltic's well-being. But even more fascinating is that James Rice is a big fan of Estonia. He even bought a house in Saaremaa. “Why not? It’s a...