Estonian men are the third tallest in the world

Estonian men have maintained their ranking of being the third tallest people in the world. According to World Health Organisation data, Men from the Netherlands and Belgium continue to dominate the top spots followed by Estonia. Factors such as genetics, nutrition, and environment can influence a population’s average height.

 

 

Estonian women also rank highly on the height scale, they too are considered the third tallest in the world.  The average height of an Estonian woman is 168.67cm (5 feet 6.40 inches) compared to the world average that is currently 162cm.

Fun fact: According to Guinness World Records, the world's tallest living woman is Rumeysa Gelgi from Turkey. She stands at a towering 215.16 cm (7ft 0.7in).  The world's tallest living man is Sultan Kösen, also from Turkey,  his height is 251 cm (8 ft 2.82 in).

Five old Estonian proverbs

Estonian wisdom passed from generation to generation through the ages.

 

     

Night of Ancient Bonfires will take place on August 26

Once a year, on the last Saturday of August, bonfires will be lit at sunset along the coastline of Estonia and neighbouring countries. The Night of Ancient Bonfires (Muinastulede öö) is a tradition that originated during the Viking Era and was revived in Estonia in 1992. The tradition of lighting bonfires along the coast pay homage to the historic seaside beacon fires of the past that guided seafarers safely ashore. On Saturday night bonfires can be seen on the coasts of Finland, Åland, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania and all over Estonia.

 More information can be found on the Muinastulede öö website. Night of Ancient Bonfires

Informative video about Estonia by Countries Explained

34th anniversary of the Baltic Way

The Baltic Way was a peaceful political protest that took place on 23 August 1989. The event was organised to draw attention to the 50th anniversary of the signing of the  Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and the illegal Soviet occupation of the three Baltic States. The Baltic Way saw approximately two million people join hands from Tallinn through Riga to Vilnius to form a human chain that span 690 kilometres. The Baltic Way was the longest human chain in history.  

 "Vabadust!", "Brīvība!", "Laisve!" sounded across the Baltic States on 23rd August 23 1989.

32nd Anniversary of Estonia's Restoration of Independence

Today, Estonians around the world celebrate 32 years since Estonia restored its independence. For fifty years Estonia was forced to endure Soviet occupation which finally ended in 1991. Estonians know the price of freedom, the pain of occupation and longing for liberty. On this day we remember the struggle that was and the jubilation felt when independence was finally restored. Elagu Eesti! Long live Estonia!

Over the past three decades, Estonia has achieved unprecedented success and progress. From the depths of oppression and tyranny, Estonia has risen to become a shining example of democracy, transparency, innovation, and resilience. Our nation's accomplishments serve as a testament to the unwavering spirit of the Estonian people, who have worked tirelessly to build a society which values freedom, equality, and human rights. There is now a whole generation of young Estonians who have no first hand experience of life under the Soviet occupation. All they've ever known is freedom. Estonia has gone to great lengths to secure its freedom for now and for future generations of Estonians.

Head Tasiseseisvumispäev!

Estonia 6th Place in the 2023 Economic Freedom Index

Estonia outranks economic heavyweights such as France, Germany, the United States, Italy and the United Kingdom. There are 195 countries in the world and Estonia ranks 6th place. This is another fantastic result for Estonia!

Tallinn's Stone Staircase

In 1865, Carl August Mayer, a wealthy businessman and mayor of Tallinn had a stone staircase built which started at the beginning of Harju Street and led to Komandant Street. To decorate the staircase, Mayer had eight decorative ceramic vases placed along  it. Unfortunately, he did not take into account the temperament of the local youth who vandalised some of the vases. They were later replaced with heavier cast iron vases which were indestructible for the local youths. The vases that can be seen along the staircase today were made in 1885 by Tallinn's Drümpelmann factory.  They have become a prominent and lasting peice of Tallinn's landscape.

Mayer's Staircase, also known as the Harju Staircase

ca. 1900

Ancient arrowhead found in Switzerland very likely from Estonia’s Kaali meteorite

A rare late Bronze Age arrowhead made from meteoric iron found in Mörigen near Lake Biel, Switzerland, is believed to have orginated from Estonia. Scientists who have extensively studied the artefact conclude that the arrowhead is most likely from the Kaali järv meteorite that crashed onto the Estonian island of Saaremaa around 1,500 BCE. The discovery of the artefact has shocked experts as it was found thousands of kilometres from where its raw material came.

The impact of the Kaali järv meterorite left behind nine craters. The largest is 110 metres in diametre. Meteoritic iron is very rare and was used to forge pre-Iron Age items such as tools and weapons. Scientists believe that the arrowhead discovered in a collection two years ago was made from fragments of the Kaali meterorite, based on three independent studies that match time, size and geographic location. Organic matter from the base of the Kaali järv lake also strongly backs the claim.

Bank of Estonia Plans to Remove 1 and 2 Cent Coins from Circulation

Estonia's Central Bank recently revealed its intention to cease the issuance of one and two euro cent coins, citing environmental benefits and minimal impact on inflation. To implement this change, the central bank is preparing new rounding rules that will facilitate the removal of these small denomination coins from circulation. The change is expected to take place during the next 1- 1/2 years.

Every year 6.7 million one-cent coins and six million two-cent coins enter circulation in Estonia. They make up over 48 percent of all coins issued by the Bank of Estonia. It has been found that these high volume, small value coins are mostly used by stores and vendors to give as change but generally do not return into circulation. At the same time, their production and handling costs as well as the environmental impact are disproportionately large compared to their role in the cash cycle. The central bank has for this reason proposed introducing rounding up, or down, as a rule so cash payments would see the final total price rounded up or down to the nearest five cents.

Five countries in the eurozone, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, and Italy have already switched to rounding off one and two cent coins.

Interesting monetary facts

The central bank issued 9.2 million banknotes into circulation with a total value of €306 million during the last quarter.

The €50 banknote is the most widely used of all euro banknote denominations.

There are currently 668 ATMs in Estonia, of which 255 accept cash deposits.

There is still an estimated €43.8 million worth of Kroons out there in the community. They can still be exchanged at the Bank of Estonia for euros during business hours.

In the last quarter there were 175 Kroon for euro cash exchange transactions totalling €29,700.

The Estonian Forensic Science Institute registered 62 counterfeit euro bills, mostly the 10 and 50-euro denominations.

Mushroom season has begun in Estonia

The mushroom season is off to a good start this year. Despite the drought earlier this year which affected many vegetable and cereal crops, mushrooms appear to be plentiful in Estonian forests.  But beware, there have been five reports of mushroom poisoning so far this season so people are advised to stick to the rule of only picking the mushrooms they unambiguously know. If in doubt, don't pick it and definitely don't eat it.

The three most deadly mushrooms found in the Estonian forest are the death cap (Amanita phalloides), destroying angel (Amanita virosa) and funeral bell (Galerina marginata) as they contain amatoxins. These liver-toxic mushrooms will cause an agonising death due to liver failure if medical treatment is not administered immediately after consumption.

                                                      The Death Cap Mushroom

This is a death cap mushroom that I found in the forest in Hiiumaa a few years ago. It has a slight green tinge on top of the cap and an egg shaped bulb at the base, out of which the mushroom sprouts. Avoid at all costs. It is the most deadly fungus in the world.

Chanterelles are inarguably the most sought after mushroom in Estonia. These yellow mushrooms have a very distinctive appearance and are used to make delcious creamy sauces and soups. But beware! Know the difference between the true Chanterelle and the false Chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) which is poisonous!

Mushroom picking is an Estonian national passtime. The season begins in July and ends in October.

How to make Estonian garlic bread (Küüslauguleivad)

One of my favourite Estonian snacks is küüslauguleivad - Estonian garlic bread. I eat it every single time I visit Estonia and recently started making it myself at home. Küüslauguleivad is extremely flavoursome and so easy to make.

Ingredients:
8 slices of dark rye bread
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
1/ 2 cup oil

Method 

Cut the bread into strips and mix in a bowl with the crushed garlic and salt then leave to season for 10 minutes. Add the oil and combine well. Spread the mix on a lined baking tray and cook for 12-14 minutes at 220 degrees until crisp. Stir a few times during baking to ensure the bread will bake evenly. Place the cooked bread on kitchen paper to cool and remove excess oil. 

Küüslauguleivad is often accompanied with a garlic mayonnaise dip. To make, simply mix half a cup of mayonnaise with 3 Tbsp of milk, 1 clove of crushed garlic,  2 Tbsp of finely chopped dill and a pinch of black pepper.

Estonian flag rockets into space

For the first time in history, the Estonian flag was launched into space onboard the SpaceX CRS-25 Falcon 9/Dragon spacecraft. The flag left Earth on July 15 last year and returned home safely on April 15 2023.  The Estonian flag spent 275 days in space and orbited Earth 4400 times and travelled 112, 200,000 nautical miles. Estonian American entrepreneur Steve Jurvetson, a former board member of SpaceX, included the Estonian blue, black and white flag onboard the rocket as the Estonian flag is very dear to him.