Photo Flashback: The snowstorm of 1913

Christmas peace was disrupted on Christmas Eve in 1913 when a big snowstorm hit Estonia. Tallinn and its surrounding area was affected by heavy snowfall and raging winds that threatened to sweep people off their feet. Residents reported that they had not experienced extreme weather of this nature for several decades with snow falling non-stop.and the streets piled high with snow. 

On that day, people worked tirelessly to dig adequate access to the front doors of their homes but unfortuntely there were not enough draft horses to haul all the snow away.

The streets covered with huge mounds of snow would have been quite a sight to behold.

 

Photo; Tartu Road and Liivalaia intersection. 

Internationally acclaimed Estonian composer Arvo Pärt turns 90

World-renowned Estonian composer Arvo Pärt celebrated his 90th birthday today. He gained international recognition in the 1980s for developing his groundbreaking tintinnabuli style - a meditative approach to composition that has since become one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary classical music. Pärt has earned countless accolades over the years, including more than a dozen Grammy nominations, with wins for Best Choral Performance in 2007 and 2014. Arvo Pärt currently holds the title of the world's most performed living composer. 

 

 

Born in Paide on the 11th of September 1935 Arvo Pärt studied music at the Tallinn Music School and Tallinn Conservatory before starting his career as a sound engineer. He spent a decade working in radio before becoming a freelance composer. Pärt composed many of his pieces whilst living abroad. In 1980 he moved to Vienna then spent the next thirty years living in Berlin, Germany. In 2010 Arvo Pärt returned to Estonia and settled in the coastal village of Laulasmaa. His family opened the Arvo Pärt Centre in 2018 in honour and preservation of his work.

 

The old Kreenholm textile factory

The Kreenholm Manufacturing Company was a textile factory located on the river island of Kreenholm in the city of Narva in Estonia. It was founded by German industrialist Ludwig Knoop in 1857 who was a cotton merchant from Bremen in Germany. Knoop acquired the whole island and founded his textile factory there.

At one point, Kreenholm's cotton spinning and manufacturing mills were the largest in the world and consisted of 32,000 acres of land and employed over 10,000 workers.

The factory was built using red-brick, English-style architecture and was once considered a symbol of industrial prowess.  Narva’s powerful 27-foot waterfall made it possible to use cheap water energy to power much of the factory's operations.

The first workers strike in the history of Estonia took place at the Kreenholm textile factory in August 1872. Poor working conditions led to a cholera outbreak that killed over 500 people. At that time employees were starting work at 5am and working 14 hour days in an environment where factory windows were always closed. After a series of negotiations, some small improvements were made. 

After periods of state ownership and privatisation following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the  Kreenholm textile factory eventually went bankrupt in 2010,  Today, the site is an important piece of Estonian industrial heritage, offering insights into the history of industrialisation and serving as a backdrop for cultural events. 

Where to buy Estonian school caps

Over the years, I've been asked by people living outside of Estonia, where they can buy Estonian school caps. They may have seen old family photographs of their parents as students wearing their caps and want to purchase one as a keepsake. I bought a school cap many years ago in memory of my grandfather by contacting the school. Alternatively, it is possible to contact the manufacturer directly to place an order. Velmard has a range of school caps available at 35€ each.

Children across Estonia begin the new school year

The 1st of September marks the beginning of the new school year in Estonia. More than 160,000 students will start the new academic year today with around 14,000 of those children being first graders. Children in Estonia don't wear compulsory school uniforms but they all proudly wear school caps. These 'koolimüts' foster a sense of community and school identity among students. Very often school caps are worn long after graduation and into adulthood on special occasions such as reunions and the Estonian Song Festival / Laulupidu.

This day in history

On this day thirty-one years ago, the last Russian troops left Estonian soil. It was the moment Estonia's independence was truly restored and the future looked bright, opened up to a world full of possibilities. 

After fifty years of Soviet occuapation it was goodbye and good riddance.

 

Tommy Cash's "Espresso Macchiato" a summer hit on German radio

Tommy Cash's 'Espresso Macchiato' may have come third place at this year's Eurovision final but it's a  clear winner at the top of the charts. As of August 2025, Espesso Macchiato has over twenty million views on YouTube and is the most streamed Eurovision song on Spotify for 2025.  In Germany, the radio station Bayern 3 often plays Espesso Macchiato and refers to it as 'der Sommerhit aus Estland'.