Congratulations to Niina Petrõkina who has retained her title of European Figure Skating Champion. Three montha ago Petrõkina underwent ankle surgery and stunned critics by landing seven triple jumps in a clean, personal-best free skate that scored 216.14 points. Petrõkina is the first skater to win back-to-back European women's titles since Russia's Evgenia Medvedeva in 2017.
Estonia generally has a low crime rate and is considered one of the safer countries in Europe, especially regarding violent and gun-related crimes. There has been a significant decrease in overall crime in Estonia since the 1990s with a notable drop in property crimes.
Last week, almost eighty percent of Europe was covered in snow. Widespread heavy snowfall like this has not been seen across the continent since 2012. In Estonia, the temperature dropped to a low -28C in Simuna on January 8 and up north in Lapland it was a very chilly -42C on that day. The first three months of the year tend to be the most dreary in Estonia where daylight last only six hours on average.
The Semi-Final Draw for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest has been released. 35 countries will participate in this year's competition that will be held in Vienna from 12 - 14 May 2026.
Last year The Bank of Estonia launched a competition in search of a new design for their upcoming Forest Brothers coin. Estonian architect Kaupo Kangro won the competition, winning the 3,000€ prize, he has also designed several other commemorative coins in the past.
The silver coin will be issued in 2026 as part of a series dedicated to resistance against occupying powers. The Forest Brothers were men and women who put up armed resistance to the terror of the Soviet occupation forces to keep alive the people's dream of a free Estonia.
Narva was once a beautiful city known as a "Baroque Pearl" for its stunning 17th-century architecture. Unfortunately the majority of the city was destroyed by the Soviets during World War Two.
It is an old Estonian custom to send New Year postcards to friends and family. These days however, most people send them electronically. New Year postcards are a good way to express goodwill, gratitude, and hope for the future. If 2025 wasn't the year you had hoped for, then may 2026 bring the happiness and joy we all need in our lives. Head uut aastat!
