Free Estonian Word

The Estonian community in Los Angeles is built upon the work of the generations that came before us, those whose work was dedicated to preserving our language and culture in this place far from our homeland. On September 2, we lost Boris Auksmann, whose hand was in practically everything Estonians...

Joonas Tarm & Terttu Uibopuu   On August 5, Undercurrent launched “10001,” a collaborative virtual project that continues through September 12.   This project is co-organized by the European Union National Institutes of Culture’s New York Cluster. Borrowing the zip code from both the Empire State Building and New York...

Estonia has been given permission by the European Commission to compensate labor costs affecting shipping companies which provide international passenger transport by sea.   The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications has sent the proposed reimbursement scheme to companies in that sector. Estonia acquired the permit from the European Commission,...

Starting September 1st, arrivals from COVID-19 high-risk countries to Estonia at both the Tallinn Airport and Tallinn ferry ports can take an optional coronavirus test.   If the test, which is free to Estonian residents, comes back negative, this means the 14-day quarantine period is eased, and fully lifted if...

Helga Merits   What do you write someone when there is no chance you are going to see each other within a short span of time?   What are you going to write when borders are closed and the person you would like to contact is out of reach?  ...

Helga Merits     I’m sorry I never took a picture of my grandmother’s kitchen.   It was small, a cupboard on one side, showing her decorated cups and plates, and a small tin of sweets.   The sink was of granite.   My grandmother used a soap beater for...

More photos here.   Estonian Americans in several communities came out to show their support for the ongoing fight for democracy in Belarus. Socially-distanced, COVID-aware rallies have been held across the U.S. in recent weeks as outrage over disputed elections and demand for change continue in Minsk and beyond.  ...

Indrek Lepson   It was a week, or so, before Christmas, 1979, when we departed from Suva, heading for the Solomon Islands, and dropped anchor at a little island on the outer fringe of Kadavu.   The island is so small that it's not even shown on the map of...

Helga Merits     I miss the long letters that I received when starting my research into the Estonian refugee community.   The elderly people were willing to write or to phone, but as they lived far away and long distance calls were still expensive, writing was the best way...

The foreign ministers of eight Baltic and Nordic countries have issued a joint statement condemning the violent suppression of protests after long-time president Alexander Lukashenko secured his sixth term as president of Belarus on Sunday. As stated in a release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "The Foreign Ministers of...