Tallinn of yesteryears: Restored and colourised video from 1939

Estonians will soon need an ETA to enter the UK

Starting on 2 April 2025, Estonians and other EU citizens will be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before entering the United Kingdom. An ETA gives you permission to travel to the UK for a period up to six months. The document itseld is valid for two years. The ETA application takes approximately three days to process and costs £10.

The British govenment has introduced the new ETA purportedly to unburden the Britsh taxpayer from funding the British border service "UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)".

 Travellers can apply for an ETA online or via the app. More information can be found here.

New documentary: Lahkumine Tallinnast 1941 / Leaving Tallinn 1941

In the last days of August 1941, one of the greatest maritime disasters in history took place off the north coast of Estonia. Fleeing the invading Germans, the Soviet occupation administration hastily and clumsily carried out the evacuation of Tallinn. The remnants of Red Army units as well as mobilised Estonians and civilians were placed on more than 200 ships, both voluntarily and forcibly. The line of ships, carrying more than 30,000 people, was headed for Kronstadt but ran into a trap near the Juminda Peninsula. 60 ships sank as a result of mine explosions, torpedoes and air bombs. It is estimated that 15,000 people died, including thousands of Estonians.

This terrible catastrophe claimed more lives than the world-famous Pearl Harbour attack or Battle of Dunkirk, but has remained a largely unknown story both to Estonians and the rest of the world. Documentary filmmakers Kiur Aarma and Jaak Kilmi have constructed the story of Juminda as a chronological historical thriller, giving a voice to those caught up in the event. These voices come from all sorts of places: the engine rooms of the ships, the bombers flying above them, the border guard posts, the lifeboats, a galley, a ship’s cabin, or caught between the black waves of the Gulf of Finland. The memoirs of Germans, Russians, Estonians and Finns provide their own perspective. The film also reveals how the terrible catastrophe of Juminda has been depicted, silenced, or minimised in later historical accounts. The film is currently screening at Cinema Sõprus in Tallinn.

Farewell Skype: The end of an era

After nearly 22 years of being in service, Skype will permanently cease operations on May 5 this year. Microsoft, who bought the company in 2011, made the announcement last week stating they plan to replace Skype with Microsoft Teams, a much more business-oriented social app.

Skype is an internet based peer-to-peer telecommunication service that was founded by Scandinavian entrepreneurs Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis in Tallinn in 2003. The software was created by Estonian developers Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, Jaan Tallinn and Toivo Annus. During the mid-2000s Skype was the dominant market leader in video calls. 

In recent years Skype has lost daily active users, going from 40 million users in March 2020 to 36 million in 2023. In comparison, Microsoft Teams has grown to 320 million users by April 2024.  

Retiring Skype on May 5th will be a sad day for Skype users.  It will be the end of an era. 

Estonia Infographic Chart

                 

How people in Europe say the word 'I'

Europe is home to many beautiful sounding languages and it is always a joy to learn new words when travelling. Very often when we travel we compare these new words with ones from our own native language. This chart shows the various ways Europeans say the word 'I'. In Estonia, people use the word 'mina' but it's common to also use the shorter version of 'ma'.

Happy Independence Day Estonia! Ilusat vabariigi aastapäeva Eesti!

Today we celebrate the 107th anniversary of Estonian independence. It’s a day to remind ourselves that despite all odds, freedom can prevail if it is fought for. Happy Birthday Estonia! Palju õnne 107. sünnipäevaks, armas Eesti!