Today is Estonian Literature Day!

On January 30 we celebrate Estonian Literature Day as a national holiday. Anton Hansen Tammsaare is one of Estonia's most beloved writers and his birthday has been selected symbolically to celebrate  Estonian literature and draws attention to the role of writers in Estonian culture and society. Tammsaare’s birthplace is now a museum showcasing 19th-century farm life in Järva County. It's a very interesting place to visit.

Estonia has many great writers including Jaan Kross, Lydia Koidula, Jaan Kaplinski, Oskar Luts, Eduard Vilde and more recently Andrus Kivirähk and Indrek Hargla. They have all produced excellent works of Estonian literature that have been translated into English and other languages.

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is a definite 'must see'

Yesterday I finally attended a screening of Anna Hints' award-winning documentary 'Smoke Sauna Sisterhood'. I have wanted to see this film for quite a while and was pleased when I found a convenient session time that didn't require too much travelling to reach the venue. While I was sitting in the auditorium waiting for the film to begin, I was hoping to hear some Estonian spoken among the audience, unfortunately I didn't. Afterwards however, my ears did prick up when I heard some Estonian coming from the back of the cinema - it was the couple who arrived late after the film had started.  I thought that was very un-Estonian of them to arrive late!

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is well deserving of all its awards. One thing I must stress however, if you don't have a good command of the Estonian language, you must watch the film with subtitles otherwise you won't understand it. The film is very dialogue driven, with lots of stories shared by the women in the sauna. Some of the stories are very funny and make you laugh out loud, whilst others are very dark and harrowing in nature. It is good that the Estonian filmmakers didn't shy away from the dark subject matter that the film covers. 

The documentary depicts the Estonian smoke sauna tradition through the year's four seasons. The bond between the women is shown in the way they take care of each, laugh with each other and empathise with each other during sauna sessions. Estonians love to sing and this is also present in the film. The women chant as a means to heal and feel stronger. Belly tapping often accompanies the chanting and makes a great substitute for a drum! All in all, it was great to see this ancient pagan tradition is still important today as it was centuries ago.

Film: Highlights of 1937 in Tallinn and Nõmme

 

 

Fact: Nõmme used to be a city in its own right. It was founded by Nikolai von Glehn in 1873 but was later merged with Tallinn at the beginning if the Soviet occupation in 1940.

Tartu 2024 grand opening on Emajõgi River speaks of unity

Tartu's Emajõgi River and its banks have been dramatically transformed for the first week of the European Capital of Culture year. The opening event "All is One!" is about the connections between people, places and eras. At the centre of the story is Tartu: the real and the idealistic, dreaming of the future and remembering the past.

 

 

A spectacular live show took place on the banks of the Emajõgi River last night, followed by a parade to the Estonian National Museum for an after party that lasted well into the morning. ERR News covered the celebration last night. You can watch highlights of the night here.

Ott Sepa and Märt Avand short film "Tartu 24"

Last week a short film was released in honour of Tartu 2024: European Capital of Culture. The three part short film features Estonian comedians Ott Sepa and Märt Avandi and depicts Estonians and Estonian culture through humour. The films starts with a man (Sepa) who is comfortably alone in the forest until a newcomer arrives.

The film can be watched in three parts on Youtube (seperately) or it can be viewed continuous on the ERR News website here.

Tartu 2024: The European Capital of Culture

Tartu is the 2024 European Capital of Culture and hundreds of exciting events will take place in Tartu and around southern Estonia throughout the year. There is something on offer for everyone including innovative workshops, art exhibitions, concerts, lectures, and theater performances. The opening ceremony will take place on January 26 and celebrations will go well into the night.

The opening performance of European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 “All is One!” is about the interrelationships between people, places, and eras. At the centre of the story is Tartu: the real and idealistic, dreaming of the future and remembering the past, full of energy, a space where there is room for everyone and life is full of joy. This one-of-a-kind production is played only once at the premiere.

Full program information can be found on the Tartu 2024 website.

Nightview of Tallinn in Winter

During this time of year Tallinn is very cold yet beautiful. This is a view of St. Olaf's church. My family were members of St. Olaf's congregation until World War Two. Many happy and sad occasions took place inside this church.