Kaljulaid Invites Presidents of Three Finno-Ugric Peoples to World Congress
President Kersti Kaljulaid has invited Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Hungarian President János Áder and Russian President Vladimir Putin to the 8th World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples taking place at the Estonian National Museum in Tartu on June 17-19, 2020. In addition to the issues of preserving and passing on language, the congress will also address the impact of climate change on nations, as well as the topic of cultural innovation.
Leelo Tungal Awarded Baltic Assembly Literature Prize
The Baltic Assembly Prize 2019 in the literary category will be presented to Estonian writer Leelo Tungal for the autobiographical trilogy “Seltsimees laps”, “The Comrade Child” (film title “The Little Comrade”). In particular, the jury highlighted the third book of Tungal’s trilogy published in 2018, entitled “Naisekäe puudutus ehk Seltsimees laps ja isa”, (“A Woman’s Touch aka The Comrade Child and her Father”), in which the author looks back to the period of Stalin’s reign through the eyes of a child. Since 1993, the Baltic Assembly gives out an award annually for achievements in literature, the arts, and science. This year’s prizes will be presented at a ceremony on November 28 in Riga.
Estonia Wins Two Silver Medals at World Athletics Championships
The 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships wrapped up in Doha, Qatar with Estonian decathlete Maicel Uibo (based in the U.S.) winning a silver medal and Magnus Kirt also winning silver in javelin.
Swedish Navy Returns to Underground Cold War Base
Sweden’s navy headquarters is returning to a vast cold war naval base designed to withstand a nuclear attack, in what has been seen as a defensive move against a resurgent Russia. The top secret navel facility was completed in 1969 beneath billions of tonnes of granite on the island of Muskö in the the Stockholm archipelago.
