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.