Lilly Silberg: The Estonian beauty who conquered Paris

The first Miss Estonia beauty pageant took place in 1923 and was arranged by Estonia Film who were looking for a new actress. The first competition was won by Sinaida Tamm.  In 1931 Lilly Silberg became Miss Estonia and went on to represent Estonia at the Miss Europe competition. Lilly was born in Tallinn in 1906, her father Jaan Silberg was a distiller from Männiku Manor and her mother was born in Kurna Manor, Jüri parish. 

 

Lilly Silberg 1906 - 1969

Lilly Silberg was called the brightest pre-war Miss Europe contestant, who knew not only how to enjoy her beauty, but also how to benefit from it. Even though Lilly was 25 years old at the time of the Miss Europe competition, she knew how to act like a real lady and thanks to that she was successful on the international arena. 

In 1931 the Miss Europe contest took place in Paris and Lilly Silberg was awarded second place. After the competition Silberg decided to remain in Paris and worked for Jean Patou's fashion house. A year later her sister Ellen Silberg joined her in Paris and they both modelled for Jean Patou. Patou was considered a pinoeer of women's fashion, a revolutionary who liberated the female figure.

In 1938 Lilly Silberg married chemical engineer Dick Brizzard and quit her job at the fashion house. The couple didn't have any children. During World War Two, Dick Brizzard was a fighter pilot and his plane was shot down by the Germans. Brizzard survived, but his spine was injured and he spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Lilly took care of him until his death in 1963. After losing her husband Lilly went to live with her sister in Marseilles. She had a villa there where she loved to spend her summers. Lilly Silberg-Brizzard died on the 14th of October 1969 in Marseilles.

Estonia takes home silver at the World Curling Championships

Estonian curling pair Marie Kaldvee and Harri Lill have won silver at the World Curling Championship that took place yesterday in Östersund, Sweden. They were defeated by Swedish siblings Rasmus and Isabella Wrana. This is the first time Estonia has won a World Mixed Doubles medal title in the adult competition. Another great result for Estonia!

Honouring our veterans - Estonian Veterans Day

Happy DNA Day!

The 25th of April is International DNA Day. Genealogy is very popular in Estonia and many Estonians have taken DNA tests to explore their ancestral roots and to connect with relatives. I took my autosomal DNA test in 2016 and have since made some fascinating discoveries. I have also tested my father's DNA for his maternal (mtDNA) and paternal (Y-DNA) lines. I've spend hours researching, trying to find the connection between the DNA matches. It's a very time consuming yet rewarding passtime. I thoroughly recommend it. Happy DNA Day!

Springtime in Estonia

With the arrival of spring I tend to think of flowers and increased periods of sunshine. Unfortunately spring is off to a bad start this year with snowfall not only taking place across Estonia but in other parts of Europe too. This photograph was taken last Friday in Simuna, Lääne-Viru County in northeastern Estonia.

Photo flashback: Tallinn's Härjapea River

Few people would remember it now but the narrow Härjapea River used to flow through the city of Tallinn. During the Middle Ages it was one of the most exploited rivers in Estonia. Eight watermills were built along the river and as industries grew, the river became increasingly polluted.

 

Härjapea jõgi

By the 19th century the Härjapea River was partially covered with planks to deal with the pollution issue. Then in 1930 the river was sealed completely. Today, only underground sewer pipes remain.

Estonia's emerging drone industry

The drone sector is rapidly developing in the European Union. Ten years from now the drone industry is estimated to make up 10% of the entire aviation market and by 2050 it will create over 150,000 new jobs. In Estonia there are currently 21 drone manufacturers including Milrem Robotics, Hepta, Clevon, Threod Systems, and Skycorp. It has been predicted that Estonia will become a market leader in the drone sector with the country on track to becoming one of the most prominent development and operating hubs in Europe.

Estonian-made drones have been dubbed by some as 'the new Estonian Nokia'.  The Estonian drone sector has every possibility to grow exponentially and greatly increase exports. Estonian-made drones have already made significant contributions to troops in Ukraine on various missions, including demining, route clearance, and re-supply.  

In February 2024 the Estonian Defense Force announced that a new drone training centre will be set up close to Nurmsi Airfield in Järva County. It is expected to be operational by the end of the year. The facility will be the only drone training centre of its kind in Estonia. The drone training centre will be available to the Estonian Defence Forces, the Estonian Defense League (Kaitseliit) and NATO allies and will include accommodation and lecture rooms as well as other facilities needed to support drone training.

The drone market will grow to 50 billion euros by 2026 and presents a fantastic opportunity for Estonia as a whole.

Estonian clown Julia Masli

If you enjoy a bit of comedy then you might be interested in the work of Julia Masli. Born in Tallinn in 1995 Masli is an award winning clown now based in London. Last year Masli won several awards at the Edinburgh Finge Festival and Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Julia Masli is currently in Australia performing her 'Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha' show.

 

 

It is interesting to note that Masli's boyfriend is Norwegian comedian Viggo Venn, winner of last year's  Britain's Got Talent. Masli and Venn have collaborated on several projects together that can be watched on YouTube.

 

April 14 is 'künnipäev' ploughing day in Estonia

According to the old Estonian folk calendar, April 14 is considered künnipäev / ploughing day. Traditionally on this day farmers wake up early as possible and start checking that all the farming equipment is in working order and ready for use. Then they would take a load of manure to the field and tend to the soil in hope of a good harvest.

Every year in Estonia there is an annual ploughing championship. The next one is scheduled to take place in September. There is also a World Ploughing Championship and this year it will be held in Tartu to mark the 150th anniversary of Estonia's first ploughing competition. More information about the event can be found here.

 

Estonian culture is awesome!

Estonia's famous heart-shape lake

Spring is a great time to head outdoors and enjoy some of Estonia's beautiful nature trails.  In Viljandi the trail at Lake Parika Väikejärv is famous for its heart-shaped bog lake. The trail runs through the forest and rises to the brink of the bog, where you can stop for a relaxing picnic or go for a rejuvenating swim in the bog lake. The circular trail goes around the lake, passing bog pools and places that are rich in berries. What a lovely way to spend the day!

The Black River Tavern Haaberst Manor

The oldest building in Mustjõgi was probably the tavern building, which was located along the Paldiski road dating back to the Middle Ages. The tavern site and farm was already called Swartle Bäck in 1585. The same name was found on a 1696 map. This work from 1836 provides a nice artist's impression of the tavern.

 

Paldiski maantee. Mustjõe kõrts. Haabersti mõis. Tallinn 1836.

Photo Flashback: Tallinn Old Town

In the 17th century this small modest stone house in Tallinn was built near the Church of the Holy Spirit for commercial purposes. The building consisted of a storeroom on the first floor and an attic warehouse. Over the years the building belonged to the wealthy mayors of Tallinn, the town pharmacist Johann Burchart and the guild of goldsmiths. Today it houses a quaint giftshop just off from the Town Square.

                                               Then and now. 1920s vs 1925 vs 2022.

Estonia among the top freest nations in the world

Estonia ranks fifth in the world in the Human Freedom Index 2023. Switzerland took the top spot followed by New Zealand, Denmark and Ireland. Estonia once again performed well in the rankings, maintaining its position in the top five.

The Human Freedom Index Report ranks 165 countries/territories, representing 98.8% of the world’s population, across a broad range of indicators (86 distinct indicators in 2023).

    Rule of law
    Security and safety
    Movement
    Religion
    Association, assembly, and civil society
    Expression and information
    Relationships
    Size of government
    Legal system and property rights
    Sound money
    Freedom to trade internationally
    Regulation