New app encourages Estonians to read poetry each Thursday

A free new Estonian app called Lullu has been launched by the Estonian non-profit organisation Eesti Jutt. The app aims to bring literature, particularly poetry, to a wider audience by sending users one Estonian poem every Thursday morning at 10am. Founder Armin Kõomägi said the project sprang from an effort to connect readers more directly with literature. The phone is the perfect medium for the project as it's easy to access and the poems selected are not too long or heavy in nature. The Lullu app is available for Android and iOS. It can be downloaded for free here. 

New coin release in honour of the 'Finnish Boys'

Eesti Pank will issue a new silver collector coin on 30 October dedicated to the 'Finnish Boys'. The Finnish Boys were Estonians who volunteered to fight for Finland and fought in the Winter War and the Continuation War to resist the attempted occupation by the Soviet Union. This coin is the first in a new series of collector coins from Eesti Pank dedicated to resistance. 

Volunteers from Estonia fought in Finland during the Second World War for the freedom of Finland and the honour of Estonia. After they returned home they became widely known as the Soomepoisid, or 'Finnish Boys'. This name still lives on for them today even though the last Finnish Boy living in Estonia passed away in 2024. A total of over 3500 Estonians fought for Finland. Some of the Finnish Boys also fought against the Soviet Union in Estonia in 1944, giving hope that Estonia would regain its independence.

The design on the coin merges the Finnish and Estonian flags to symbolise the joint fight of the Estonian volunteers and the Finnish soldiers. It shows a rocky and snowy landscape with brave men marching to the aid of their ethnic kin. Above them is a motif from the Estonian Cross of Liberty that also appears on the Finnish Cross of Liberty. This was a symbol of Estonian military valour under which the soldiers went into battle. The obverse side shows the great coat of arms of the Republic of Estonia and the motto of the Finnish Boys, which translates as ‘For Estonia's honour and to secure the future!’.

4000 of the collector coins will be minted. Each coin will cost 62 euros and have a nominal value of 15 euros. The coin will go on sale at 9am on 30 October in the Omniva online shop and at 12.00 in the Eesti Pank museum shop.

Espresso Macchiato performed by Grupo Talía

This arrangement of Tommy Cash's song "Espresso Macchiato," was composed by Alejandro Vivas Puig and performed by the Madrid Metropolitan Orchestra and the Talía Choir at the National Auditorium in Madrid. The performance was conducted by Silvia Sanz Torre.

 

Tommy Cash is the true unofficial winner of Eurovision 2025. No other song in the competition has had quite the impact. Espresso Macchiato is clearly the people's favourite hit song.

 

Estonia once again ranks first place in the OECD's Tax Competitiveness Index

For the 12th consecutive year, Estonia has the most competitive tax system among OECD countries. Estonia's top result is driven by its 0% tax on reinvested corporate profits and a flat 20% individual income tax. With a perfect score, Estonia officially has the best tax system in the world. The system is simple and fair and is designed to promote reinvestment and company growth.

Got an interesting online dating story? Tallinn's Cellar Theatre would like to hear from you!

Estonia's first thriller-based theatre dedicated exclusively to thrillers, mysteries and crime stories, is currently looking for true life stories about people's experiences in the world of online dating. The stories will be used in a new play scheduled to open next spring. Both men and women are welcome to share their experiences.

 

Tallinn's Kellerteater 

Theatre director Kristina Paškevicius has confirmed that all contributors are guaranteed 100 percent anonymity, with names and facts changed to protect privacy. Writer Andra Teede is currently gathering the material and has said so far, most of the stories sent in have been rather sad. The production will be a horror story however it will contain elements of humour too.

More dating stories are needed and submisssions will be accepted until November 2. They can be sent directly to the writer at andra@kellerteater.ee or via the theatre's website.

Volume III of A.H.Tammsaare's 'Truth & Justice' now available in English

The long wait is finally over! Lovers of Estonian literature will be pleased to know that the third volume of Anton Hansen Tammsaare's 'Truth and Justice' pentalogy is now available in English. Published by Vagabond Voices under the title When the Storm Fell Silent, the Estonian classic was translated into English by Matthew Hyde. Originally published in Estonia in 1930, the third volume has been translated into several European languages over the decades but only now into English.

 

 

When the Storm Fell Silent is an ironic, tragic and contradictory work which reflects the author’s ambivalent attitude to the 1905 Revolution in Tsarist Russia, which Estonia was then a part of. He sympathised with the policies but disagreed with the random violence. This however does not do justice to the complexity of this great work which comprehends the difficult truth that the majority’s altruism, humanity and desire to improve other people’s lives can end in so much suffering without any durable gains. What appears simple becomes entangled in a web of mendacity, double-speak and false promises.

Indrek, the central character, clearly represents Tammsaare’s own convictions, but not exactly. The author can approach any subject and stun the reader with his novel interpretations, and also gives the reader the opportunity to read his words and infer varied understandings and appreciations. Every actor in a revolution is represented here: from left to right and back again, every striking worker, every shopkeeper, every landowner, every policeman, every spy, every worker’s wife, every outsider and every starry-eyed teenager. Few people are who they first seem to be, and the shifting trends of the crowd are followed and carefully examined – a force of nature that ultimately is spent. 

When the Storm Fell Silent can be purchased directly from the publisher and other quality bookstores. The final two book in the series will be released next year.

Estonia second place in global press freedom rankings

Estonia has achieved second place in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, its best-ever result and the highest ranking among EU countries. This milestone underscores Estonia's longstanding commitment to press freedom and its consistent upward trajectory.

Estonia has steadily climbed the index: 12th place in 2018, 8th in 2023, and 6th in 2024. This progression reflects Estonia's robust legal protections for journalists, a media landscape characterised by minimal political interference and strong public trust in media institutions.

Estonia is a beacon of independent journalism amid global challenges. Only Norway, which has topped the index for nine consecutive years, ranks higher. 

Freedom of the Press Worldwide 2025. The top 15.

 

Photo flashback: Võru 1941

Eesti Pank launches new competition to design new coin dedicated to the Forest Brothers

Eesti Pank has announced an exciting new competition to design a collector coin in honour of the Estonian Forest Brothers. The silver collector coin will enter circulation in 2026 and Eesti Pank will accept designs for the competition until noon on 3 November 2025.

Eesti Pank will be issuing a silver coin to commemorate the Forest Brothers as part of the series of coins dedicated to resistance. The Forest Brothers were brave men and women who chose to resist Soviet occupation forces and keep alive the people’s dream of a free Estonia. 

Thousands of fighters operated in the Estonian forests during the 1940s and 1950s, and their determination and commitment inspired whole generations. Their story reminds us that freedom should not be taken for granted but must be nurtured and defended. The Forest Brothers were not always soldiers who had fought at the front, but were mostly ordinary Estonian people defending freedom. The coin dedicated to the Forest Brothers is a tribute to those who would not accept occupation but continued to resist in the hope that Estonia would become free again. 

Entry rules to the competition can be found here. Designs should be submitted by the deadline to: Mündikonkurss (Metsavendlus), Eesti Pank, Estonia pst 13, 15095 Tallinn. 

New European Travel System Comes into Effect

From the 12th October 2025, non-EU nationals who enter the Schengen Zone, consisting of 29 countries, will have to register as part of a new digital border management system. According to the EU, the new Entry/Exit System (EES) will make travelling in the Schengen Zone more efficient, as it will replace passport stamps with a modern digital system recording the entry and exit of travellers. The new system will also prevent irregular migration and use biometric data to stop those with fake identities or who are overstaying in the Schengen Zone.

 

The EES will also give border and law enforcement agencies more access to traveller information, which they claim will help find security risks in the fight against terrorism and other crime.

Every country in the Schengen Zone will utilise the new EES system.
EU Member States in the Schengen Area are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Romania. Non-EU Countries in the Schengen Area: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

British Ambassador to Estonia pens new book

Ross Allen is a career diplomat who has been the United Kingdom's Ambassador to Estonia since June 2021. Currently based in Tallinn, Allen is fluent in the Estonian language and has a deep appreciation for the Estonian way of life.  In his new book Ross Allen explores how Estonia has come to excel in so many fields, and what the rest of the world could learn from it. He offers insights from his diplomatic work, but also shares his embrace of local culture, from song festivals to smoke saunas. Having travelled across Estonia’s towns, villages, islands and bogs, his understanding of and enthusiasm for this relatively obscure country shine through.

Estonian Lessons: What the World Can Learn from a Brilliant Baltic State will be released by Hurst Publishers in May 2026. Pre-order is now available here.

Rare Estonian painting found at American auction

A portrait of Estonian writer and researcher Friedrich Robert Faehlmann (1798 – 1850) was recently discovered at an auction in the United States. The painting was listed simply as 'an unknown man with blue eyes' with few realising its cultural significance. Art historian Kristiina Tiideberg recognised Faehlmann as an important Estonian historical figure and managed to secure the painting for $2000.  The painting is now on display at the Niguliste Museum.

The portrait is a very important work for Estonian cultural history. Faehlmann was one of the founders of the Learned Estonian Society and a protagonist of the National Awakening. He studied medicine and earned his living as a doctor until the end of his life. Faehlmann is a very important figure in Estonian cultural history. In the second half of his life he became one of the most important local estophiles to contribute to the appreciation of Estonian national culture through his academic research and the creation of his original fiction. The Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg written later by F.R. Kreutzwald was largely based on Faehlmann’s preliminary work and drafts. 

This painting is one of the earliest portraits of Faehlmann and the only known oil painting of him in existence. The first mention of this painting appeared in the Estonian press in 1935. Faehlmann was one of the first educated Estonians to be portrayed in a dignified way through the medium of oil painting.

International Bread Day: October 16

International Bread Day will take place on October 16 this year. The day was established by the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners (UIBC) in 2005 to honour bread's significance as a staple food, a cultural symbol, and a source of livelihoods worldwide.

In Estonia, dark rye bread (must leib), is exceptionally important in Estonian culture, serving as a dietary staple, a symbol of identity, and a central element of traditional meals. Its deep historical roots in Estonian agriculture and a long tradition of hard work to produce it have fostered significant respect for bread. It's considered sacred and in old tradition, if you accidentally drop a piece of bread on the floor, you are supposed to pick it up and kiss it!

In September the Estonian Open Air Museum celebrated its own Estonian Bread Day as part of their Autumn Fair. During the festival visitors were able to learn the art of making bread by attending workshops.

Bread appears in many Estonian proverbs including "Jätku leiba!" (may there always be enough bread!).