Estonia continues its strong support for Ukrainian war refugees

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, over six million Ukrainians have fled their country seeking shelter elsewhere. Bordering countries were the first to assist those fleeing the warzone and many more opened their hearts and homes to help those in need.

 

 

Estonia has taken in the second-most amount of war refugees per capita, that's 47,746 as of today. Citizens have flooded the Estonian Red Cross with donations and charity events regularly take place across Estonia to help raise funds for the refugees.

 

 

I am so very proud of Estonia's continual support of Ukraine. We must do all we can. 

A Glimpse of Life in a Displaced Persons Camp in 1945

Millions of people found themselves displaced after World War Two. Many sought shelter in Displaced Persons (DP) camps that were primarily in Germany, before repatriation or resettlement could begin. This video recorded at "The Winkelhaus" barracks in Osnabrück, Germany, provides an insight into what people experienced in DP camps in the early days after the war.

Estonia's tech firm Skeleton to build world’s largest supercapacitor factory in Germany

Estonian energy storage company Skeleton Technologies will invest 220 million Euros to build a new factory in Markranstädt, Germany, in partnership with Siemens. The new factory will be the company's second manufacturing plant and it will be the largest and most modern supercapacitor factory in the world.

So what are supercapacitors? Like batteries, supercapacitors are used to store and release energy, but at smaller quantities and faster speeds. Skeleton Technologies uses aluminium and a carbon-based material it produces in Estonia to make its supercapacitors, recouping energy produced naturally.

Skeleton’s supercapacitors are used in transport, grid, industrial and automotive applications and, according to the company, “offer the highest power and energy density on the market, almost instant charging and discharging and allow to reduce CO2 emissions and save energy”. “Supercapacitors are a key element in dramatically reducing emissions in the power generation, transportation and industrial sectors,” Taavi Madiberk, the CEO and co-founder of Skeleton Technologies, said in a statement.

Skeleton Technologies was created in Estonia in 2009, by Estonian entrepreneurs Taavi Madiberk and Oliver Ahlberg who studied at the University of Tartu. In 2017 the company received a €15 million investment from the European Investment Bank. 

By 2025 the ultracapacitor market is estimated to be worth €7.5 billion. More information can be found on the Skeleton Technologies website.

Kadriorg to celebrate its 304th birthday

Every year, on the 22nd of July, Tallinn's Kadriorg Palace and Park celebrates its birthday. It was on this day in 1718, Russian Tsar Peter the Great and Italian architect Nicola Michetti arrived here and agreed on the location and general planning of the future castle and park. This year marks 304 years since the construction of Kadriorg and to celebrate, entertainment will take place including activities and workshops for children, as well as tours of both museums and the park. The celebrations will conclude with the 'Music for Peace' charity concert featuring performances by singers and musicians from Ukraine.

More information can be found on the Kadriorg Palace website

Looking for a new Estonian film to watch? "Soo" is now available on DVD

Based on the novel by Oskar Luts, Soo is love story set in the year 1917 when the First World War was raging in Europe and a revolution broke out behind Estonia's eastern border. The young artist Toomas Haava returns from Paris to his aunt's swamp farm and inadvertently gets involved in a conflict with the fearsome and violent Madjaku, who harasses the local girl Hilda. The pretentious Toomas suddenly finds himself in the middle of a terrifying struggle for love, where nothing more and nothing less than his own life is at stake.

Soo can be purchased online at Apollo.

Tallinn: A photo comparison

Lightyear - the new Estonian stock trading app

British billionaire Richard Branson has reportedly invested in the new Estonian trading app called Lightyear. Today Lightyear launched its app in 19 more European countries including Germany, France and Italy. The company is planning to expand into non-euro countries like Sweden and Norway in the near future.

So what is Lightyear?

Founded in London last year by Estonian entrepreneurs Martin Sokk and Mihkel Aamer, Lightyear offers commission-free trading in over 3,000 global stocks and multi-currency accounts. Lightyear is an easy to use platform enabling the general public to invest their money in some of the world’s biggest companies, from Apple and Alibaba, to Spotify and Tesla. Sokk and Aamer previously worked for the successful Estonian money transfer company Wise. 

More information can be found on the Lightyear website.

Estonia issues new two-euro coin in support of Ukraine

Last Friday the Estonian Central Bank released a special two-euro coin dedicated to Ukraine and freedom. The coin was designed by Daria Titova, a young Ukrainian refugee from Kharkiv who is currently studying at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Income from the coin sales will go to the Ukrainian Central Bank. 

The coincard can be purchased online here.

The Estonian Australian population has increased 21% since the last census

According to the latest 2021 census, 11,598 Australians identified as having Estonian heritage. This is a 21% increase compared to the previous census taken five years ago in 2016. 

More information can be found here.

Today is World Chocolate Day!

What began as a delicious drink first enjoyed by the Olmecs and Atzecs, chocolate eventually reached Europe centuries later via Spain and is now enjoyed by people all around the world. Today we celebrate the wonderful creation that is chocolate, consumed nowadays in so many forms!

There is chocolate Museum in Tallinn located at Suur-Karja 20. It's open everyday from 11am-7pm and its free! It's part of the award winning Chocolala company.

Here are a few quotes I found at the Chocolate Museum. 

5 Things to See, Do and Eat in Tallinn's Old Town

Now that summer is in full swing, no doubt everyone is thinking about getting away for a few weeks and considering different holiday destinations. Estonia is my favourite place (of course!) and Tallinn in particular is always surprising and has something of interest for everyone. You won't be disappointed!

Listen to the sound of the Proto-Uralic language

Spoken 7,000-2,000 BCE in a small area east of the Ural Mountains, the proto-Uralic language branched out and evolved over the centuries. It is interesting that many modern Estonians, Finns, Latvians and Hungarians can understand a lot of the words in this video. It was the language of our ancestors!