Summer 2010

SUMMER I 2010

Price: 75 EEK I 5€ state & society I economy & business I design I culture & entertainment I tourism

Estonia Enters The Silk Road

EXPOsition Of Estonia

2010

Estonia – A Bridge Between Europe And Asia?

Tõnis Vint and The Wandering

CulturesLenna Kuurmaa - A Versatile Young Talent

2

Executive publisherPositive ProjectsPärnu mnt 69, 10134 Tallinn, Estoniawww.lifeinestonia.ee

EditorReet [email protected]

TranslationAmbassador Translation Agency

Language editorRichard Adang

LayoutPositive Design

Partner

COvErLenna KuurmaaPhoto: Maiken StaakMakeup: Mammu

The Estonian phenomenon. Those words are used to summarize the feelings

of surprise expressed worldwide over the fact that Estonia has managed to fulfil the strict

Euro criteria, despite the economic crisis and the difficulties experienced in the rest of

Europe!

Estonia is the only country in Europe which managed to quickly adapt to the profound

crisis situation and even come out as a winner. Anyone who comes to Estonia can see for

themselves that, with strong will-power, this is possible.

Yet behind this success story is long-term and persistent development based on the simplicity

of doing business in Estonia. In comparison with other European Union states, Estonia has

lower taxes, less bureaucracy and much lower labour costs. One key to the success of Es-

tonia has been its friendliness towards foreign investment. Any areas, including production,

agriculture, services, transport, logistics and tourism, are open to foreign investment. Estonia

boasts an innovative business culture, one proof of this being the fact that the Skype technol-

ogy was created in Estonia. Estonians have long-standing business relations with Russia and

Europe, and this experience helps companies to enter Russian and European Union markets.

One of the engines of Estonian success has been the Estonian transport- and logistics sec-

tor, which services diverse logistic chains, making use of the geographical advantages of

Estonia. Which ones? For example, in purely technical terms, Estonia is the closest European

Union state to China and, at the same time, is located in the heart of the most developed

and innovative economic region of northern Europe, between north-western Russia and the

rest of Europe. The development of this area is led by such big cities as Moscow, Stockholm

and et al, which are all tourism magnets and trading markets.

In the movement of goods, Estonia’s impressive development has benefited from the high-

est quality and safety standards and requirements, which are applied throughout Estonia.

The functioning of the Estonian logistics sector is ensured by the most efficient railway

company in Europe, the modern Tallinn Airport and several deep sea harbours. The largest

port in the Baltic Sea, the Port of Tallinn, is the busiest hub of regular passenger and ro-ro

lines, and numerous cruise ship routes are being added. The deepest ice-free ports in the

region make it possible to receive ocean-class ships carrying containers and raw materials,

which are technically easy and safe to navigate in Estonian waters. In the terminals located

at Estonian ports, which are among the most efficient in Europe, the reloading of goods

takes place at a high standard, faster than in other ports and at very competitive prices. One

advantage of Estonia is also the strategic railway transport partnership with Russia, which is

made possible by a railway network which has the same gauge of the track and functions

on the same technological basis. Travelling from Estonia to the large centres of the region by

car is also quick and safe, using the well-developed road network in Estonia free of charge.

And last but not least, Estonia is a pearl

with well-preserved medieval European ar-

chitecture and nature tourism. Therefore,

Estonia deserves a closer look whether

you’re a tourist or have business interests.

Welcome to Estonia – the positively

surprising country! And a very beauti-

ful one! Just come and check it out for

yourself!

Raivo VARE

Chairman of the Council of

the Estonian Development Foundation

and an expert on transit and logistics

SUMMER 2010 I LIFE IN ESTONIA 3

SUMMEr_20106 Where to go this season?

Life in Estonia recommends

8 News

11 Innovation

14 Lenna Kuurmaa: ‘Above all I don’t want to let myself down’

The young Estonian pop singer Lenna Kuurmaa has achieved a great deal in

her 24 years. Her biggest moment of international fame came as part of the

girl band Vanilla Ninja, which to date remains Estonia’s export article number

one. But that’s not all. Get aquainted with this multi-talented young woman,

who has performed in film, in a TV series, in theatre and in all sorts of music

projects as a singer.

20 NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Tallinn

This April, Tallinn, the Estonian capital, hosted a high-level NATO meeting.

The event brought approximately 700 politicians, policy-makers and experts

from all around the world to Tallinn. Margus Kolga, Director General of the

1st Political Department of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Head

of the Estonian Ministerial Task Force, shares with us his impressions of the

event.

24 Officially in ShanghaiAndre Lipand, Estonian diplomat, talks about the importance of the Shang-

hai consulate as the first expansion of Estonia’s representation in Asia since

the opening of embassies in Tokyo and Beijing.

26 How to make Tallinn bigger than it really is? With the help of the Chinese!The Tallinn Airport is cooperating with China in order to become a bridge

between Asia and Europe, and to make better use of Estonia’s favourable

geographical location. Tallinn is also becoming an increasingly attractive

destination for European low-cost airlines. Erik Sakkov, board member and

Marketing Director of the Tallinn Airport, shares his views on the future of

the Tallinn Airport.

32 How to create order out of chaos or Why the railways of the smallest Baltic country are the most efficient in

the region Kaido Simmermann, Chairman of Eesti Raudtee (Estonian Railways – ed.),

reveals the secret behind the most effective railway system in the Baltics and

talks about his company’s future plans.

37 Estonia strives to enter the route of the new Silk Road

In 2008, the Chinese business delegation visited the Port of Tallinn to sign an

agreement to develop a container terminal at the Muuga harbour. In 2010,

the situation in Estonia resulting from the economic recession means that

the aforementioned collaboration memorandum with the Port of Ningbo

has been put on hold. However, the delegation of transport and logistical

enterprises which visited Shanghai in June was pleased with the results of

the visit and returned filled with hope for the future.

I CONTENT

LIFE IN ESTONIA I 2010 SUMMER4

SUMMEr_2010

58 EXPO 2010: Why do they sing in the Estonian pavilion?

Every day at 6pm, there is a karaoke song festival in the Estonian pavilion at

EXPO. Familiar Estonian and Chinese melodies fill the dimly lit hall and the

words are displayed in Estonian, Chinese and English on a large screen. Why

is that and what does Estonia intend to accomplish through song? Read Tiina

Jõgeda’s impressions of Estonia’s exhibit at EXPO in Shanghai.

64 Holidays in EstoniaThere are several ways to spend a holiday in Estonia, depending on your

needs and choices. Have a quick look at different possibilities on offer.

70 Time travel begins in Tallinn city centre

Is time travel possible? Yes, because in the city centre of Tallinn one can walk

into the past through the defence tunnels of the Baroque era, or take a train

ride into the year 2219.

77 Estonia in brief

78 Practical information for visitors

43 PORTFOLIO. Tõnis Vint Get acquainted with Tõnis Vint, an Estonian artist who has remained, for

decades, determinedly independent from the established art world. Get ac-

quainted with his work and find out what he has to say about different

cultures and their mutual influence.

54 The mushroom between the sea and the forest

On the global scale, Estonia is such a tiny dot that the efforts of local small

entrepreneurs to make themselves visible in the market often end up with

them running out of stamina. Piret Port, the founder of the company Portel,

has started with something so original that people come to find her.

57 Children’s high chair Mari wins noted design award

Estonian design has received recognition again as Julia Maria Künnap has

won the Red Dot design prize with a children’s high chair created for her own

needs. The chair, made of chrome and real leather, suits every environment,

from home to public spaces.


THE SUMMER SEASON OF THE ESTONIAN NATIONAL OPERA July 9–22, 2010

Estonian National Opera

Summer is a time of holidays and great

events. No need to look far for good en-

tertainment – the summer season of the

Estonian National Opera offers plenty of

joy, fairy-tales, quality music and virtuous

interpretations. The stage director Michiel

Dijkema has staged an exciting situation

comedy – the timeless operetta Die Fle-

dermaus is a funny story, where nobody

is who he pretends to be, and everybody

plays a game with everybody. The stage

decorations are by Claudia Damm.

Dmitri Bertman’s staging of the fantastic

opera The Love for Three Oranges takes

unexpected turns and brings the good

old comedy to the audience in a new

exciting way. The stage decorations are

by Igor Nezhnyi and costumes by Tatyana

Tulubeva.

Gyula Harangozó’s ballet Snow White and

the 7 Dwarfs will take the spectators to

a fairy land, where new adventures are

waiting to be explored. The ballet that

abounds in visual effects, acrobatic stunts

and dance will appeal to everyone.

The ballet Coppélia based on Delibes’

wonderful melodies offers classically

pure choreography performed by the best

ballet dancers of the Estonian National

Ballet. The choreography of the ballet is

by Ronald Hynd, the Desginer is Roberta

Guidi di Bagno.

Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, staged by

Arne Mikk is an opera at its best – passion-

ate, intriguing and accompanied by divine

music. Decorations by Ralf Forsström.

DAVID OISTRAKH FESTIVAL Pärnu Concert Hall and Eliisabet

Church, July 5-23, 2010

The David Oistrakh Festival which has

catered for Estonia’s thirst for beautiful

and intriguing music for the last 14 sum-

mers is continuing in its best tradition

and inviting the creme de la creme of the

music world to Pärnu in July.

The audience will have the pleasure of

enjoying the beautiful sounds of the violin

performed by David Oistrakh’s grandchild

Valeri Oistrakh.

The programme of the Finnish pianist

Antti Siirala who has performed at all the

previous Oistrahh festivals is dedicated to

Frédéric Chopin’s 200th anniversary.

One of the most charismatic conductors

of our time – Kristjan Järvi – is comple-

menting the bubbling energy of the Baltic

Youth Philharmonic Orchestra which is

performing at the opening concert.

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony also has an

anniversary of its own in Pärnu, having

been performed there at the Pärnu sum-

mer music concert already forty years ago

which marked the beginning of summer

festivals in Estonia. The Beethoven pro-

gramme and two other musical evenings

are conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste.

The divine performance of the best-known

arias from Divine in new arrangements,

performed by Swedish opera primadon-

nas, confirms that opera as entertainment

is very much alive and offers an opportu-

nity to spend a special evening in style.

The main guest of the festival is a living

legend, the Polish composer and conduc-

tor Krzysztof Penderecki, whose works

are performed on many evenings and

who will conduct the final concert of the

festival.

The works of Tormis and Pärt who are

both celebrating important birthdays

this year, takes a dignified place among

the repertoire of the festival. The whole

festival this year can be summed up in

the words of the Latvian composer Artūrs

Maskatsi – music must first and foremost

be beautiful.

Kristjan Järvi


I WHERE TO GO THIS SEASON

DIE FLEDERMAUSAn operetta by Johann Strauss

in three acts

Libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard

Genée, based on the vaudeville Le Réveil-

lon by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy.

Premiere at the Estonian National Opera

on May 13, 2010.

Music Director and Conductor:

Jüri Alperten

Conductors: Mihhail Gerts and Erki Pehk

Stage Director and Designer:

Michiel Dijkema

Costume Designer: Claudia Damm

Lighting Desinger: Bas Berensen

Die Fledermaus, one of the most popular

operettas by Johann Strauss is staged by

Michiel Dijkema, a Dutch stage director

who is known for unique one of its kind

and intriguing stage productions. He

delighted Estonians with La Cenerentola

(2006), which is still in the repertoire of

the Estonian National Opera.

Die Fledermaus premiered in 1874 in

Vienna and is still popular worldwide

by virtue of its memorable melodies,

mesmerising dance routines and intrigu-

ing story.

“With sparkling irony Johann Strauss

composes a comedy of manners of a

self-indulgent society, which loses itself

unrestrained in joie de vivre and malicious

delight, and wishes nothing more than to

be somebody else, at least for the night.”

- Michiel Dijkema, Stage Director


In January, the History Museum of the University

of Tartu presented a digital map with 188 geo-

graphical objects named after 58 researchers and

explorers who have been linked to Estonia.

‘During the 19th century and in the beginning

of the 20th century, the Academy of Sciences of

St. Petersburg organised a series of expeditions

to explore the Russian polar territories and Sibe-

ria. In a number of these, the leading role was

played by researchers of Baltic German origin,’

said Terje Lõbu, head of the exhibition at the mu-

seum. ‘Many Baltic German and Russian explor-

ers and natural scientists, and later many Soviet

scientists, used the surnames of researchers who

had inspired them, or who had been the first to

explore a particular territory, to name geographi-

cal places. Many names were gradually forgotten

In June, the first automated parcel machine was

installed next to the Viru Keskus shopping cen-

tre in Tallinn, and the first packages have already

been sent through this ‘parcel box’.

The parcel machine, located next to the entrance

to the Viru Keskus bus terminal, can be used 24

hours a day. It has been equipped with security

measures to protect it from vandals and meets EU

safety requirements. It can also be easily used by

people in wheelchairs.

In the first months, the parcel machine will be

used for receiving packages. As the machine

network grows, it will also be possible to use the

machines for delivering parcels. Eesti Post has ne-

gotiated agreements with various Internet shops

to transfer their parcels to the machines.

The machine is an innovative model called FS-08,

which came on the market last spring; it was pro-

duced by the Austrian company KEBA. The first

model was installed in Germany and it was intro-

duced to the public in the global postal confer-

ence last March. KEBA has been producing and

installing parcel machines for over a decade and

is a market leader in this field.

Eesti Post plans to install parcel machines in the

biggest towns in Estonia and to broaden the serv-

ice to the other Baltic countries.

The first automated parcel machine starts operating in Eesti Post

Recent research by KPMG showed that from

2007-2009 Estonia was the most successful user

of European Union structural- and agricultural

funds in Central and Eastern Europe. Among the

ten East and Central European countries studied

in the research, Estonia was the only one that had

commitments of up to 44 per cent of EU support

funds allocated to the state; the total budget of

support given to Estonia has been nearly 80 bil-

lion. Estonia has been most effective in using the

EU funds in the field of transportation. In com-

parison to other countries, the fewest number

of agreements have been made in the field of

energy.

‘Besides being effective in applying structural

funds, Estonia has managed to adapt well to

the financial crisis during this period of support.

In the case of EU structural funds, the state fo-

cused on making the system of issuing funds sim-

pler and faster,’ explained Karin Rätsep, Business

Advice Manager of KPMG, who coordinated the

Estonian research. ‘In analysing developments

in recent years, there is a trend in Central and

Estonia is the most successful user of EU funds in Central and Eastern Europe

Researchers with an Estonian connection are put on the world map

but, nonetheless, even today there are various

places on the world map which have been named

after scientists linked to Estonia (e.g. Baer Island,

Bellingshausen Sea etc.).’

The digital solution developed collaboratively

by researchers at the University of Tartu and the

Estonian University of Life Sciences distinguishes

between scientists after whom certain places

have been named and scientists who have named

them. All objects on the map can be found on old

maps, travel journals or other notes.

You can find out more about the digital map ‘Re-

searchers linked to Estonia on the world map’ on

the web page unite.ut.ee/teadus/

The map was composed by Terje Lõbu from the

History Museum of the University of Tartu, Ve-

ronica Irmann from the Natural History Museum

of the University of Tartu and Erki Tammiksaar

from the Centre for Science Studies of the Es-

tonian University of Life Sciences. The project

was supported by the Environmental Investment

Centre.

Eastern Europe of being more successful in apply-

ing structural funds in fields which require large

investments, such as transport. Estonia has an

exceptional record in the case of agricultural and

rural life support programmes which have large

budgets, as it is complicated to find co-financing.’

Until 2013, Estonia has the opportunity to invest

about 66 billion kroons (4.2 billion Euros) of EU

support funds. Together with national co-financ-

ing, approximately 80 billion kroons (5.1 billion

Euros) are being invested in development in dif-

ferent fields. Larger support fields include energy

economics, enterprise, governance, education,

information society, environmental protection,

regional and local development, research and

development, transport, the labour market and

agriculture, and rural life and fishing.


I NEWS

In accordance with the accession agreement with

the European Union, all the countries that joined

the EU on 1 May 2004, including Estonia, became

members of the European Monetary Union (EMU),

within the framework of which the transition to

the common European currency, the euro, takes

place. On 12 May 2010, the European Commis-

sion, the EU’s executive arm, evaluated Estonia’s

readiness to adopt the euro and proposed that

Estonia join the euro zone in 2011. The Com-

mission said Estonia’s deficit and debt were well

within the acceptable limits set by the Maastricht

Treaty, which launched the single currency. The

Commission said Estonia, which accounts for a

tiny fraction of the euro zone’s 10-trillion-euro

economy, met all the entry criteria on inflation,

interest rates, budget deficit, public debt and cur-

rency stability.

On 8 June, the European Union Economic and Fi-

nancial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) approved the de-

cision to invite Estonia to join the euro zone and to

adopt the euro as its currency on 1 January 2011.

On 17-18 June, the European Council will discuss

Estonia’s eligibility for joining the euro area. On 13

July, ECOFIN made the final decision regarding Es-

tonia’s accession to the euro area and confirmed

the exchange rate with the euro of 1:15.64664 as

of 1 January 2011.

Ever since it was put into circulation again, the

Estonian kroon has been pegged to another cur-

rency—first the Deutschmark and later the euro.

Therefore, replacing the kroon with the euro will

not bring about any major economic changes.

However, adopting the euro will reduce transac-

tion fees and risks that could threaten Estonia as

Estonia will adopt euro in 2011a country with a small fixed currency. The Estonian

kroon has had the unchanging exchange rate with

the euro of 1:15.64664 since 1999.

As of 2010, the euro is the common currency of six-

teen European Union member states: Austria, Bel-

gium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,

Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands,

Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

At the beginning of 2011, Estonia hopes

to become the 17th EU member state

to join the euro zone.


The Department of Internal Medicine of the Uni-

versity of Tartu is participating in the EU-support-

ed project NanoDiaRa, which aims to develop

nanotechnology-based methods for the diagnosis

of such joint diseases as rheumatoid arthritis and

osteoarthritis. The European Commission has al-

located nine million Euros for the funding of the

project. Over a period of three years, the project

will identify laboratory markers on the basis of

which blood and urine samples can be used to

detect the early stages of disease in joints. This

technology will help to detect the early stages of

osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis much fast-

er and more accurately than is possible today. The

role of the Department of Internal Medicine in this

project is to test the diagnostic technology in a

clinical situation, based on the new methodology.

One of the project partners, the Technology Insti-

tute of Lausanne in Switzerland, has developed a

method for covering nano-particles of iron and

gold with a special layer, which makes it possible

to bind protein particles that are important for di-

agnosing joint diseases. The substantiated selec-

tion of patients and accurate diagnosis will make it

possible to establish whether some disease-related

changes are taking place inside a joint which could

lead to serious illness in the near future.

Professor of Laboratory Medicine Agu Tamm of

the University of Tartu says that the Estonian expe-

rience with early osteoarthritis of knee joints has

aroused interest world-wide. Work in this field

began in Tartu in 2002. More than five hundred

people between the ages of 35-55 have been in-

vestigated by the working group of the Depart-

ment of Internal Medicine. ‘We only use standard-

ized methods: questionnaires,

function tests, bio-markers

known to date, or X-rays,’ ex-

plained Agu Tamm, who leads

the working group of the uni-

versity. He adds that, as only a

few centres in the world deal

with osteoarthritis cases in

such young people, the Esto-

nian database is considered

valuable. Reinvestigation of

these patients within the next

18 months will show how the

condition of their joints has

changed.

Estonian medical scientists will be working on diagnostic systems for early detection of the diseases of the joints

Alterations detected in joint tissue, together with

a description of the progression of the disease

in the database, provide a reliable basis for the

early diagnosis of a disease. ‘We have identified

promising candidates of joint tissue bio-markers

and, within the next three years, we need to se-

lect those whose identification make it possible to

obtain the most trustworthy picture of the state

of their joints. The hardest clinical task for the

project will be to recognise those few patients in

whom osteoarthritis is continuously developing’

says Prof. Tamm.

To solve these complex problems, the Department

of Internal Medicine of the University of Tartu is

working in cooperation with specialists from eight

universities and seven technology companies from

Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Holland, Austria,

France and Canada.

The US Baltic Foundation awarded the com-

poser Arvo Pärt the Baltic Image Enhance-

ment Award in its award ceremony in Wash-

ington. The philanthropy prize went to the

entrepreneur and art collector Enn Kunila.

Upon presenting Pärt the award, recognition was

given to his musical language full of nuances and

to his recent 4th Symphony ‘Los Angeles’, which

was completed after a 37-year break, and was

successful performed in Los Angeles and in other

places in California. The award was presented to

Arvo Pärt for his outstanding contribution to the

development of Estonian culture, according to

the US Baltic Foundation.

The entrepreneur and art collector Enn Kunila was

presented the Baltic Philanthropy Prize for intro-

ducing and supporting Estonian art and culture,

with praise for his charitable work in organizing

art exhibitions and events introducing arts and

culture. ‘I believe in the principle that art is the Es-

tonian business card and something which brings

nations together,’ said Kunila, in his acceptance

speech.

Former winners of the US Baltic Foundation

awards include President Toomas Hendrik Ilves,

the entrepreneur Steve Jürvetson and the super-

model Carmen Kass.

The US Baltic Foundation was founded in the ear-

ly 1990s in order to help the Baltic States, as new-

ly independent states, in the international arena.

Today, the aim of the NGO is to strengthen the

relations between the USA and the Baltic States.

Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol will host the next IASP

(International Association of Science Parks) World

Conference in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2012. About 800

managers of science parks from different countries

are expected to attend the conference.

At the 2010 IASP World Conference in Daejeon,

South Korea, the members chose the location for

the next conference. Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol

and the JSC Technology Park in Nizhni Novgorod,

Russia had applied to hold the conference.

Tehnopol won by a large margin, bringing the

notable conference to Eastern Europe for the first

time.

IASP links approximately 400 science parks from

70 countries. Nearly 200,000 innovative compa-

nies work in member parks. Tehnopol has been a

member of IASP since 2003.

At the meeting of innovative enterprises and in-

vestors which took place in Barcelona, the Esto-

nian technology company Yoga won the title of

the most innovative enterprise.

At the business forum World Innovation Sum-

mit Hit Barcelona 2010 Yoga was awarded in the

field of cleantech, which included companies fo-

cusing on environmentally clean and sustainable

technologies. Yoga’s “smart house” solution was

praised for its innovativeness and environmental

friendliness, as the technology helps house own-

ers to save energy and lower house maintenance

costs.

In total, 127 new and expanding businesses from

all over the world participated in the competition.

There were 10 finalists in the field of cleantech.

The best business solutions were selected by a

37-member jury which included many leading

venture capitalists and acclaimed experts from

technology giants such as Siemens and IBM.

Priit Vimberg, Acting Director of Yoga, said that

the company is planning to expand and therefore

the award received in Barcelona could not have

come at a better time. “We are in the process

of negotiating on many fronts in order to bring

along more capital and to sign cooperation

agreements in Europe, India and the Arab world.

The fact that such a high-level jury picked us out

from all the others is bound to impress our part-

ners and help to speed along the decision-making

process,” added Vimberg.

Yoga is an Estonian technology company which

in its ten years of existence has developed the in-

telligent building system. This unique solution in

the world enables to manage the household elec-

trical- and technological systems from one loca-

tion via a computer. The Yoga intelligent building

system makes building management significantly

easier and cheaper.

US Baltic Foundation award winners from Estonia are Arvo Pärt and Enn Kunila

Yoga commended by international investors

Tehnopol brings the IASP World Conference 2012 to Tallinn


I NEWS

Veloelektron OÜ, a company which recently pre-

sented e-roller models, or Exo-bikes, developed in

Estonia, hopes to be selling 8,000-10,000 of those

small compact electric rollers a year by 2014. As

the price range of an e-roller is between 30,000

and 39,000 kroons, the aim is to create a company

with turnover between 300-400 million kroons.

This is an ambitious goal and there are no guaran-

tees. Jarmo Tuisk, a representative for the Exo-bike,

explains the logic behind those figures. ‘There are

approximately a million e-rollers and e-bikes sold

in Europe each year. For a new company like ours,

the break-even point would be the production of

about 1,500-2,000 e-rollers annually.’ Tuisk says

that the market for electric rollers is a growing and

popular one, and it is also fragmented. There is no

single Microsoft-type company which dominates

the market and determines what kind of technol-

ogy and design are popular. This offers opportu-

nities for new companies to grab a share of the

market.

The idea for Exo-bikes was born in the summer of

2009 and it was immediately implemented. The first

investors were found in November. Two different

models were presented in April 2010. ‘The invest-

ment to date is below a million kroons,’ says Tuisk.

Just take it upstairs in the elevator This is a completely Estonian product. The soft-

ware- and electronic solutions were created by Pri-

it Aas. The designer is Gabriel Verilaskja. Each time

it’s charged, the Exo-bike can go 80 kilometres.

It weighs 35-40 kilograms and is 1.2 metres in

length. Due to its construction and small size,

the bike can even be taken in an elevator to an

apartment. The Estonian developers consider

its smallness and compactness to be its unique

selling-points – there are no other bikes quite like

this in the world. The battery can be charged

from an ordinary 220-volt outlet and it takes six

hours (if the battery is completely empty). There

is a faster charging possibility, but this requires a

special solution.

The production scheme will look something like

this: the components will be brought from Chi-

na, the metal work will be done in Estonia, and

the printing of electronic mother plates will also

take place in Estonia, as well as the assembly of

the bikes.

The next steps of the company are straightfor-

ward. Existing models need to be tested and

perfected, and problems eliminated. It needs to

receive type confirmation and be shown at trade

fairs. In autumn, international fairs for two-wheel

vehicles take place and this is where deals are

made, orders placed and sales transacted.


I INNOVATION

Estonian e-roller targets the growing European market

The Estonian start-up has devel-oped automated parcel terminals that make it possible to send and receive parcels quickly and com-fortably from shopping centres.

This company from the small town of Viljandi

started developing their system a couple of years

ago. Like many smart ideas, this one was driven

by a real-life problem: the national postal service

simply wasn’t efficient enough for the needs of

the online furniture shop managed by some of

the founders of SmartPOST. The idea of automat-

ed parcel terminals isn’t new and, at first, they

looked into adopting existing systems, but at the

end of the day developing a new system was a

better way to maximize cost-effectiveness and the

benefits of such a system.

No more lines at the post-officeATMs are probably the best parallel that one can

draw, in terms of user friendliness. SmartPOST

machines make you less dependent on post of-

fice opening hours, as they are located in shop-

ping centres with long opening hours and the

process usually takes less than a minute. This

also makes good sense because visiting the local

shopping centre is a part of most people’s daily

routines. The person sending a parcel simply puts

the package in a compartment of the terminal

and pays with a credit card. When the parcel is

delivered, the recipient gets an SMS message with

the location of the terminal and the code to open

the right compartment. The innovative service

received the Logistics Deed 2009 Award and is

on the short-list of nominees at the World Mail

Awards this year.

Rapid growth in EstoniaAfter polishing the technical features and setting

up a terminal network, it was still anybody’s guess

as to whether the new way of sending and receiv-

ing parcels would catch on. Although Estonians

consider themselves very tech-savvy, it took a rela-

tively long time for people to consider using ATMs

as naturally as they do today. But the risk paid

off and the service caught on, with hundreds of

Internet vendors and mail order firms now using

SmartPOST as their method of choice in delivering

their goods. What was even more surprising was

that the C2C service became popular very quickly,

constituting about a quarter of all parcels sent via

SmartPOST. Presently, around 85,000 customers

have used SmartPOST. This means that around

6% of the whole population of the country has

used the service. This is a remarkable number,

especially considering the fact that this was a

completely new type of service. At the moment,

SmartPOST has 37 terminals installed all over the

country.

Export is the main goalAlthough SmartPOST is popular in Estonia, the

main focus is still on export. The idea is to use

the home market as a laboratory to tweak the

different aspects of the service and technology.

This means that SmartPOST is not only selling

hardware but also a complete business model.

Basically, anyone anywhere can set up a net-

work of parcel terminals, with the technology

and know-how (everything from the terminals

themselves to a tested marketing strategy) pro-

vided by the Estonian company. A pilot project

has already been launched in Italy and a deal

was signed in April with Russia’s largest privately

owned postal company, CPCR Express, to provide

them with 100 terminals during the first year of

cooperation.

SmartPOST aims to revolutionize

the postal industry with parcel terminals


I INNOVATION

This electronic plant-growing pot, managed by a

computer programme which was developed by

an Estonian company, will be available on Ama-

zon starting next autumn. The iPot is made of

plastic and its design resembles the Apple Mac

Cube.

The Click & Grow system enables users to grow

any house plant – a cactus, rose, or some other

exotic plant - which people often find difficult to

grow because it takes too much effort. As the

Click & Grow system continuously measures all

parameters necessary for a plant to grow and the

software knows precisely what each plant needs,

Click & Grow can handle even the most compli-

cated of house plants.

For consumers, this means that it does what it

says on the label: you just place a cartridge in the

pot and the plant will start to grow by itself. The

manufacturers of the Click & Grow system say

that it takes care of all the needs of a plant, such

as watering and fertilizing by way of sensors, a

processor and special software contained in the

pot. Aside from the seeds, the plant cartridge

also contains some basic fertilizer and informa-

tion about the seed type. After the cartridge has

been placed in the pot, users need to connect the

pot to a PC via a USB cable to download the ap-

propriate growth programme to suit the plant’s

needs. The pot then constantly measures all of

the parameters affecting plant growth to ensure

the plant receives the best of tailored care. Click

and Grow Ltd. is already developing a model that

enables to grow any plant on customer’s choice

just by inserting seeds and downloading the suit-

able growth programme via USB. While basic

models include notification lights to inform grow-

ers when the water tank needs refilling, more ex-

pensive models already in development will even

free growers of this task by collecting water from

the air.

The Click & Grow system doesn’t use soil as a

growing medium. Instead it relies on aeroponics -

a growing system that grows the plants in an air

or mist environment. All you need to do is place

a plant cartridge containing some seeds into the

pot, fill the water tank and upload the proper

growth programme to the pot, and the Click &

Grow system will take care of the rest.

Such a growing system is not unique in itself,

but a complete electronic pot system is indeed

unique. Mattias Lepp, the founder of Click &

Grow Ltd., says that they don’t have any direct

competitors anywhere in the world.

This is not just a theory or a beautiful business

idea. It is a working product. Prototypes already

exist. Several leading publications of electronic

gadgets and innovation, such as Wired and Dis-

covery, ran articles on Click & Grow in earlier this

year.

The electronic pot will be primarily sold via the

Internet shop of Amazon. ‘It is a serious problem

for us that we have too many orders even before

production has started,’ he adds. Supported by

the Innovation Division of Enterprise Estonia,

Click & Grow ensures that all necessary patents

are procured for its product.

The Click & Grow pots will start at around 20

Euros, with seed cartridges selling for between

2.5 and 6 Euros, at nurseries or on the Internet.

The iPot should be on sale starting in September

2010. Production will take place in Estonia, at

least initially. According to Lepp, the company will

not be dealing with production, but will focus on

the design and brand; production will take place

through sub-contractors and partners.

Anyone interested in giving it a go can sign up

on the Click & Grow website, www.clickandgrow.

com.


Estonians invent iPotEveryone can be a gardener – just click and grow

The television show The Hunt for the Idea out of a Million has selected the best Estonian business idea of 2010. The top prize went to the iPot – an electronic plant pot managed by the computer programme invented by Click & Grow Ltd., which is perfect for absent-minded gardeners doing gardening at home.

Lenna Kuurmaa: ‘Above all I don’t want

to let myself down’ The young Estonian pop singer Lenna Kuurmaa has achieved a great deal in her 24 years. We will go back a ways, but skip the early years. We will also not talk about her time with the Esto-nian Television Children’s Choir and her participation in the talent show ‘Fizz Superstar’ in 2002, where Lenna was first spotted by music producers. But we certainly cannot skip her biggest moment of international fame until now as part of the girl band Vanilla Ninja, which to date remains Estonia’s export article number one.

Text: Janar Ala

Photos: Maiken Staak, Külli Rummel, TV3 Estonia, Tarmo Haud


I COVER STORY

Estonia’s most successful pop-rock group Vanilla Ninja came together in Au-

gust 2002, when two pairs of best friends - Katrin Siska and Piret Järvis, and

Lenna Kuurmaa and Maarja Kivi - met and decided to start making music

together. In December 2002, Vanilla Ninja sent a demo of their first English-

language song - ‘Club Kung-Fu’ - to the Estonian Eurovision Song Contest

preliminaries, and was chosen one of the ten finalists. The song received

the Public’s Favourite Award, which marked the beginning of stardom for

the Vanilla Ninja girls. Not only was the music a hot topic, but thousands of

Estonian girls started to copy their style of clothing and hair.

From 2003-2006, Lenna Kuurmaa, together with Piret Järvis, Katrin Siska,

Maarja Kivi and Triinu Kivilaan, released four studio albums under differ-

ent producers, travelled all around Europe and achieved high places on pop

charts, winning the hearts of many people. Their first international single,

‘Tough Enough’ was released in Estonia, as well as in Austria, Switzerland

and Germany, where ‘Tough Enough’ reached 13th in the official German

Single Charts. Vanilla Ninja’s second album, ‘Traces Of Sadness’, was re-

leased in June 2004, peaking at number 3 in its first week on the German

Album Charts. Besides Central Europe, the album was also released in Japan. Lenna has said: ‘In hindsight, this fame and dazzle was mind-blowing. At

times, it is incredible to think what happened to us. It was amazing and I am

truly happy that I had the chance to experience it and to accomplish some

unbelievable things with the girls. In 2005, Vanilla Ninja represented Switzer-

land at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song ‘Cool Vibes’, finishing in

eighth place. Lenna was the lead singer for Vanilla Ninja.

When the activities of Vanilla Ninja slowed down, Lenna could be found try-

ing out all sorts of different music projects, ranging from disco pop to blues,

and she didn’t shy away from mainstream pop music or underground music.

Lenna was testing herself, looking for her own style and seeing how her

musical talent could best be expressed. In the meantime, she also managed

to put herself to the test on stage, in a film and in a television series. Her roles

in the performance of ‘Pericles’ at Theatre No99, as the Satanist Maya in

Rainer Sarnet’s youth film ‘Kuhu põgenevad hinged’ (‘Where Souls Go’) and

as Angela in the Estonian TV3 daily soap ‘Kodu keset linna’ (‘Sweet Home’)

have demonstrated to the Estonian people that Lenna is also multi-talented

as an actress. Oh, and on two occasions an Estonian celebrity magazine has

selected Lenna as the sexiest woman in Estonia.

This year is special for Lenna in many ways. She participated in the largest

theatre project in Estonia to date – ‘Ühtne Eesti’ (‘United Estonia’) by No99,

which ironically simulated a convention of a fictitious political party. In front

of 6,500 people, Lenna played the role of the leader of the youth council.

Together with the television producer Artur Talvik, she won the competition

of the popular TV show ‘Laulud tähtedega’ (‘Singing with Stars’). But the

main event was the release, at the end of May, of her debut album ‘Lenna’,

which had the uncrowned king of Estonian alternative pop – Vaiko Eplik –

as song writer and producer. She has already performed at EXPO this year,

introducing her album. And the year is only half-way over.

Lenna and her band members Martin Laksberg, Reigo Ahven and Mihkel Masso


The producer of your debut album was the local pop genius Vaiko Eplik. How did you guys come to work together and why was it Vaiko who landed in the producer’s chair?

In my opinion, Vaiko is the best and the only choice in

Estonia with whom to make such music on such a level

– I mean indie pop. We’ve been working together since

the end of last summer, when we started to put the first

ideas of the album into practice. In total, we worked on the

album ‘Lenna’ for three quarters of the year. We didn’t set

any deadlines or other restrictions – we just worked calmly

in order to get the best possible result. At first, my aim was

to make an electro album but, as Vaiko told me he had no

electro tunes, the album turned out the way it did and I am

very happy with it.

All the songs on the album were written by Eplik, although you wrote the words for a couple of them. What about writing music? Do you plan to start writing your own songs in the future or have you already written

something?

No, not yet. I haven’t discovered that part of me yet, partly due to lack

of time. I write texts regularly, as there are things around me which

make my soul want to speak. But I very much hope that some time in

the future I will write my first pieces of music.

What has the reception of the new album been like? As much as I’ve read, critics have only positive things to say. What kind of feedback have you got and how have audiences reacted?

The album introduction concerts all went very well. I cannot complain. The

reception has been positive; some people definitely find the material and

the new direction surprising, but the people who have approached me with

their opinions have surprised me in a good sense. Nobody has complained.

So far, so good.

We can now link a variety of different music styles - pop, rock, folk, blues, indie, dnb etc.- to you. How do you see your next album? Have you found yourself as an indie girl, or will the next album be totally different? Are there any styles you would like to try which you haven’t tried so far?

The indie girl part comes most naturally to me and I will stick with it for

some time. But, at the moment, it is too early to talk about a new album.

I will let the first one live its life for now ... it is only starting to breathe. It

is definitely possible to see me in different roles in the coming months. It

is in my nature to be versatile and to set myself challenges. But the main

emphasis will be on my own music and on my band ‘Lenna’.

You recently performed at EXPO in Shanghai. Please tell us a little bit about what was happening there and how it all went.

We did really well in Shanghai. We were there for a week and we gave three

performances at the Estonian pavilion at EXPO. In addition, we sang in a cou-

ple of very good local jazz-blues clubs. At EXPO, we introduced our new al-

bum. The whole band (in addition to Lenna, it includes Reigo Ahven, Martin

Laksberg and Mihkel Masso – ed.) was very pleased with the performances.

The reception in China was very positive and warm. It seems that there is an

audience in China for Estonian-language music.

You looked around Shanghai. Did you have time to visit the pavilions of other countries? Did you see anything interesting? A miracle perhaps?

Of course we visited other pavilions – the Spanish, Finnish, English and Af-

rican ones. I was most impressed by the Spanish pavilion. But the Estonian

pavilion was just right for our country – small and cute.

Lenna’s concert at the Estonian pavilion at EXPO


I COVER STORY

How much do you read and take into consideration the opinions of music critics? Are you easily influenced by the opinion of others? Whose opinion means the most to you?

It is certainly the opinions of my nearest and dearest which mean the

most to me, but I will not name them here. Critics and all kinds of

opinion leaders – of course it is an honour to read well-written criti-

cism and to be praised. But music is the most important thing to

me and I want to do it the best I can. There is no artist without an

audience. I am very grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had and,

above all, I don’t want to let myself down. I feel that I haven’t done

so with my first album.

You are truly multi-talented – you have performed in a film, in a TV series, in theatre and in all sorts of music projects as a singer. Of all those things, what has been the most important for you?

My first album, which is finally ready, is the result of all of that.

All this searching and travelling has brought me to it and left me

with a good feeling. Music is the most important thing for me.

Although I also love acting and theatre and cinema, I don’t want

to be carried too far away from music. ‘I wrap my hands around

life in order to take care of what is worth caring for…’ nicely

sums up what I want to say (this is a line from one of the songs

on her album, ‘Mida sa teed’ (‘What you do’) – ed.).

You also participated in the Theatre No99 performance ‘Ühtne Eesti’ (‘United Estonia’) – there was much speculation about whether a new party would be born. What is your own relationship with politics? What kind of party would you join and does that kind of party already exist in Estonia?

I am moderately interested in politics but, at the moment,

I would not join any party in Estonia, although there have

been offers.

Some years ago you performed in the Theatre No99 production of ‘Pericles’. How important is theatre in your life? Is there a role which you would really want to play in the future, or a theatre in which you would really like to perform? At the moment, I can’t think of a particular role

which I really have to play no matter what. But I

am really looking forward to having another op-

portunity to surprise the audience with something

in theatre. Theatre is important to me. If I am not

performing myself, I go and see others act. Thea-

tre can be truly beautiful.


Theatre, films or TV series – what has offered you the most so far?

They all have their good sides; it depends on how you look at it.

For me the biggest challenges to date have been Rainer Sarnet’s film

‘Kuhu põgenevad hinged’, and ‘Pericles’ at No99. Those are the most

important roles.

This spring, you were on the music show ‘Laulud tähtedega’ (‘Singing with Stars’) on one of the Esto-nian commercial TV stations, TV3. There were eight couples participating, each including a famous singer and a celebrity from another field. The winner of each part and the whole series was decided by the vote of viewers. Your partner in the show was the film pro-ducer Artur Talvik. What experience would you bring out as enriching your world during your participation and winning this extremely popular television show?

I think the show was versatile and interesting. I could test myself on stage

in different roles and doing songs which I wouldn’t necessarily do with

my band. For example, Sting’s ‘Roxanne’. Of course, the relationship with

my stage partner was very important and in this sense it was a pleasure

to work with Artur Talvik and to watch his development as a singer. It

was equally great to know that the television audience voted for us and

cheered for us. There is no point in performing without the audience.

And it was no less important that the winning sum was donated to charity...

Yes, that was heart-warming. We donated the winning sum of 300,000

kroons to the Anni Akadeemia (Anni’s Academy) in Pärnu, which is a new

vocational school for special needs students. We hope that this money will

help them to purchase some new learning aids.

18 LIFE IN ESTONIA I 2010 SUMMER

I COVER STORY

On top of being a great singer, in the TV music show ‘Singing with Stars’, Lenna

demonstrated her ability to take on different roles as an actress, being equally believable as a

Gypsy woman as well as a genuine punk.

Artur Talvik, the film producer and Lenna’s partner in the popular TV show ‘Laulud tähtedega’:

I think Lenna is one of the best female singers in Estonia at the mo-

ment. When I worked with her, I was surprised to discover how

large her potential is – what inner capacity she has and how little of

it she has demonstrated so far. We tried to make all our perform-

ances memorable in terms of the stage show, for example the Love

Theme of ‘Godfather’ by Nino Rota. From comments later on, I

realised that this was what the audience liked: each song was like a

little performance which helped to convey the meaning of the song

to the audience. In a couple of rehearsals I just forgot myself while

listening to Lenna, my mouth wide open. I hope she finds a good

producer who can bring out her powerful traits even more.

What kind of music are you listening to yourself at the moment? Do you have a favourite album?

As I am already surrounded by music all the time, I enjoy silence and a

rest in my free moments. The sounds of nature are truly beautiful – I

listen to those.

As a member of Vanilla Ninja, you toured the world and got a taste of the international music business. Are you thinking at all about trying to become successful as a solo artist outside Estonia?

I am. It is a good thing to broaden one’s horizons and, as my first expe-

rience with my own music in China proved, there is a lot of potential.

The Estonian language is very beautiful and I don’t think that you

always need to conquer other lands with English. I need to find the

right people, people who believe in my music and in me.

You probably get asked this a lot, but is Vanilla Ninja still functioning or has it split up? Will we be hearing something from Vanilla Ninja soon? Vanilla Ninja is living a silent life; we haven’t worked together for four

years and there are no plans to do so at the moment. But we haven’t

officially split up.

Many young people say that they want to leave Estonia, that it is cold and boring here. Where do you stand on that?

You can only stay away for a while – I think that is an enriching and

developing experience - but I could never leave for good. With each

trip, I realise how good and beautiful Estonia is. The best place is

home!

19 SUMMER 2010 I LIFE IN ESTONIA

NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting inTallinnText: Margus Kolga, Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

Director General of 1st Political Department and Head

of the Estonian Ministerial Task Force

Photos: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Meeting of the foreign ministers of the ISAF nations 23 April 2010

I LAND AND PEOPLE


I STATE AND SOCIETY

In April a historic event took place in Tallinn. The Estonian capital hosted a high-level NATO meeting – to be more precise, the allied foreign ministers gathered here for their informal meeting in order to discuss and debate a vast variety of issues that form NATO’s agenda today. The event was also important because the next day those ministers were joined by their colleagues from the nations contributing to Afghanistan. All together, the event brought approximately 700 politicians, policy-makers and experts from all around the world to Tallinn. For some countries, an event of such size and importance might be fairly customary, but for Estonia it was historic. It can truly be said that what happened was the biggest international political event that has ever taken place in modern Estonia.

Estonia had planned to host the meeting in 2006, when its official request

was forwarded to Alliance Headquarters in Brussels. However, it was not un-

til 2010 that the hosting of the meeting could actually take place. This was

no reflection on Estonia – it was mainly NATO’s tight and extended agenda

and frequent summits that made the scheduling of the event very compli-

cated. In fact, the last informal foreign ministerial meeting before the Tallinn

meeting was held in spring 2007 in Oslo. Such a long pause is unusual, but

patience paid off.

It’s time to start the preparations

Urmas Paet, the Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, made me responsible

for the organisation of the meeting in late summer 2009. Of course, I felt

honoured to receive such faith and confidence but, to be honest, at the

same time I was worried. My prior experience with NATO had mainly been

official and academic: accession negotiations, political talks, or speaking at

seminars and conferences, which did not include much administrative or

organisational work, certainly nothing the size and scope of the coming

meeting. And I was not the only one who was worried. The only comparable

meetings Estonia had held before were the NATO–Ukraine high-level semi-

nar and the World Health Organization’s Regional Conference in 2008, both

supported but not directly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All in

all, I felt a great deal of uncertainty.

First, I had to put together a team of organisers and find appropriate venues

for the meetings, then submit a draft budget and create a plan. Organis-

ing this level of international political event – actually any event of this size

– is very complex and includes a number of different areas that have to

be dealt with. The host’s responsibility is to provide lodging and meals for

the delegates; to move them from the airport to the venue and then from

one place to another in accordance with the agenda of the meeting; to

prepare and decorate conference and meeting rooms and the press centre;

to arrange communications and IT applications, including classified ones; to

draw up a cultural programme, a special programme for spouses, and a pro-

gramme of academic events; to ensure that diplomatic protocol is followed;

and to find and train contact officers for the delegations and administrative

personnel to support the meeting. And, above all, security is critical, not

only at the site but also all over the city and throughout the country. So the

supervisory team became fairly large –16 people all together, each responsi-

ble for one single area.

Next, it was time to find the venue. We needed two conference rooms: one

for the NATO meeting, the other for the Afghanistan contributors’ format.

Those two formats are different in terms of the number of participating

states and organisations: the first one, comprising NATO nations and high

ranking NATO officials, involved 35 people, and the other one included ap-

proximately 55. NATO has a rule that all political meetings must take place

around a round table in order to make everybody feel equal. It was actually

the round table that set the criteria for the conference room. There are not

many rooms in Tallinn that can accommodate round tables of such size and

at the same time have other necessary conference tools at hand. We have

some big sports halls, but in order to hold a ministerial meeting in one we

would have had to build another building within the existing one. We have

some concert halls and exhibition centres, but these are usually not in good

condition or their location makes security arrangements too complicated.

So we focused on the conference centres of Tallinn hotels. After running

around the city for some time, our eye fell on the Radisson Blu and the

Swissôtel, two hotels located close to one another, one with enough space

President of the Republic Toomas Hendrik Ilves and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen


to accommodate a bigger table, the other with enough space for a smaller

one. There was another hotel close by – namely the Hotel Olümpia – that

met the requirements for the press centre. The proximity of those three

venues was important in order to make transport arrangements simple but,

what was even more important, the area could be secured and protected

without too much effort.

Unexpected obstacles

It’s one thing to find the room itself, but quite another matter what you

put inside that room. I already mentioned the table, actually two tables,

which were to be round or oval in shape and able to accommodate a certain

number of people. We did not have that kind of table anywhere in Estonia,

and even worse, we did not have enough up-to-standard conference chairs

either. These had to be rented from somewhere else or made on the spot.

Soon it became clear that there was no such table available in the whole

region and we had to go for the second option. The table built for the main

conference room where the North Atlantic Council meetings took place be-

came very famous in Estonia. I wonder if there is another table in the country

that has ever received so much attention and media coverage. Maybe the

table of the Tartu Peace Treaty? It was simply amusing that the country that

had applied for the ministerial meeting had to start constructing tables and

buying conference chairs for the occasion.

However, the biggest problem concerning the meeting came from out of

the blue. It was Mother Nature herself who interfered. The volcanic eruption

in Iceland and the ash cloud that spread over European airspace put a big

question mark on the meeting. On Tuesday, only two days before the actual

beginning of the event, it was still not clear whether the delegates would be

able to fly to Tallinn. The NATO advance team that was supposed to be in Es-

tonia for preparations on Monday was sitting in the Brussels airport waiting

for clear skies. But God was on our side and on Tuesday evening, 20 April,,

the team was able to board a plane and fly to Riga. As the Tallinn airport was

still closed, we had to bring them to Estonia by bus, which arrived at 4 AM

the next day. After that successful operation, it became much more certain

that we would not have to postpone or cancel the meeting. And beginning

Wednesday evening, the delegations started to arrive.

What lessons did we learn from the event?

The meeting itself was a success. A number of important issues were dis-

cussed and decisions made. We heard from the participants that the factors

that ensured its success were the relaxed atmosphere and the punctual fol-

lowing of the agreed schedule. This even allowed Secretary of State Hil-

lary Clinton to take a walk as she returned from the Estonia Theatre to the

Swissôtel. That was fairly unusual, since for security reasons the Secretary

usually travels in a motorcade. And to be honest, while before the meeting

I thought that the actual days of the meeting would be the most tense and

nervous, the reality was completely different. Those days were calm and

peaceful, and I even had an opportunity to listen to the debates and discus-

sions. When the last delegation took off from the Tallinn airport, we had the

feeling that we could do it again easily.

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Secretary of State of the USA Hillary Clinton


I LAND AND PEOPLEI STATE AND SOCIETY

Of course there are always lessons to be learned. From this event, I have

drawn the following conclusions. First of all, success is guaranteed if you

have a professional and dedicated team. I was lucky to have one. My opinion

of the professionalism of Estonian civil servants and their ability to work

together rose considerably. And it was not only the civil service that was out-

standing but also the volunteers, mainly students, who lent a helping hand.

I was happy to acknowledge that, although Estonia is small, we can achieve

remarkable results, mainly because of the good people we have.

Secondly, it is important to make your goals and objectives clear from the

start and conduct the process without creating too much tension. From the

beginning, we considered the meeting a project impacting Estonia’s image.

Everyone who was coming to Tallinn should leave the town with good mem-

ories and positive impressions. This meant being a good and caring host, but

there is always a risk of overplaying one’s hand and becoming ridiculous.

Hopefully we avoided that.

Thirdly, the organisation of such a conference would have been easier if we

could have done it all in one place, not in such a way that the venues were

separate and the press centre separate from the main venue. Therefore, it is

worth considering the construction of a larger convention centre in Tallinn.

I know this is not a simple decision, as the centre should be useful for more

than one or two conferences per year, but we still need to give more thought

to that idea.

I do not know what the next high-level political event organised in Estonia

will be, but I am confident that, whatever it is, we will be ready for it and

ready in a way that will make us proud.

The NATO Secretary General and foreign ministers in Tallinn


Officially in Shanghai

Text: Andre Lipand, Estonian diplomat in Shanghai

The year 2010 has only reached its half-way point, but as any avid newsreader has surely noticed, it has already been a successful year for Estonian foreign policy. The papers have been full of articles about the traffic jams caused by the foreign ministers of all the NATO countries gathering in Tallinn, about how Estonia will be the first of the Bal-tic countries to begin using the euro as its currency, from the beginning of next year, and even about how Estonia fi-nally joined the OECD, sparking debates about what the OECD is and does. These achievements have been long coming and bear testament to the hard work and diligence of all the people involved. However, regardless of these successes, work in foreign affairs is a continuous process that never ends, and this, I believe, is very well illustrated by the opening of a consulate in Shanghai.

I LAND AND PEOPLE


I STATE AND SOCIETY

Although Estonia opening a second representation in China cannot be com-

pared to joining the OECD, it is extremely significant. To better understand

the significance, one must consider Estonia’s past. Having regained inde-

pendence, Estonia had very clear and concise foreign policy goals – to ensure

the independence of the young country and, over time, prove to the world

that Estonia was a fully fledged country that could, in all aspects, be con-

sidered an equal partner. The path was rather clear cut: European Council,

European Union, NATO.

But now, six years after gaining membership in NATO and the EU, the situa-

tion is different. Having slowly become accustomed to everyday life as an EU

member state, Estonia is no longer considered a newcomer – it has advanced

on the learning curve and is ready to face new challenges. Although both

NATO and the EU will forever continue to play a pivotal part in Estonian for-

eign policy, we are beginning to realize more and more that we have the op-

portunity, and in fact the obligation, to develop our endeavors outside the lo-

cal area. This, together with the growing importance of long-term planning,

can be accurately summarized by asking: “Where will Estonian foreign policy

be active in 10-20 years?” This extensive development – the transformation

of Estonian foreign policy from local to global, from reactive to proactive – is

clearly shown in Estonia going to Shanghai.

The Shanghai consulate is the first expansion of Estonia’s representation in

Asia since the opening of embassies in Tokyo and Beijing (1996 and 1997 re-

spectively). As the balance of global power and interests has changed signifi-

cantly in the last decade, tilting more and more towards the East, strength-

ening relations with China is a logical step – The People’s Republic of China

has grown to become the world’s second largest economy and is slowly but

surely amassing considerable political power. As the Western countries have

been grappling with the economic crisis, China has reaffirmed its seat at the

table next to the US, Russia and Europe. The Estonian consulate in Shanghai

somewhat illustrates this 21st century multi-polar distribution of power – this

is the third Estonian consulate after New York and St. Petersburg.

Shanghai can, in many ways, be considered to be the New York of China. It is

one of the biggest business centers in East Asia, home to 20 million inhabit-

ants from all over the world, coexisting peacefully on a piece of land the size

of Harju County. The more than 1000 skyscrapers (buildings with 30 storeys

or more) naturally help with that. One can get to Shanghai via one of its two

international airports and from there take a trip downtown at a speed of 431

km/h on the one-of-a-kind commercially-used magnetic levitation train, the

Maglev. Boasting such technological marvels – although ones that are still

unsuccessful commercially – Shanghai is a poster boy for China’s economic

growth, home to a growing middle class that will hopefully help decrease the

widening income gap between different social levels in China. It is a place

where the educated come to earn money and fulfill the dream of a car and

a home of their own.

The economic development of Shanghai and the eastern coast of China

in general, coupled with the global economic crisis, were crucial factors

in establishing the consulate in Shanghai. China’s economy has reached a

stage where its own companies are beginning to invest abroad, and the EU

market, with its massive purchasing power, is one of the more promising

destinations. In addition, hit by tough times, Estonians have begun a more

eager search for new activities and solutions to improve their lives, including

heightened interest in foreign markets and opportunities. Both of these cir-

cumstances are leading to more and more business and trade between Esto-

nia and China. Doing business from such a distance requires a fair amount of

mutual trust, reliability, local insight and knowledge, which is where officials,

consuls and ambassadors come in – hence the need for consulates, embas-

sies and good relations between countries.

Luckily for Estonian businessmen, economic relations between Estonia and

China have been improving year by year, with the exception of during the

2009 crisis. In some aspects, this permanent positive trend is characteristic

of Estonia-China relations in general: import-export is on the rise, official

visits and meetings are occurring at constantly higher levels, and the number

of tourists and students is increasing. Recent more notable events include

Estonia’s participation in the 2010 EXPO held in Shanghai, the opening of

the Confucius Institute at the University of Tallinn, and the opening of an

Estonian language class at the Beijing Foreign Studies University this autumn.

And, of course, the consulate.


How to make Tallinn bigger than it really is? With the help of the Chinese! Text: Toivo Tänavsuu, Eesti Ekspress, TigerPrises.com

Photos: Tallinn Airport


I ECONOMY AND BUSINESS

Another flight arrives at the brand new terminal

building of the Tallinn Airport. The blue-black-

white Estonian Air aircraft manoeuvres to the

arrival gate, the roar of its engines deafening.

Nearby, the old terminal building, with its typical

Stalinist architecture, today houses the airport

administration. Together with his colleagues,

Erik Sakkov, board member and Marketing Di-

rector of the Tallinn Airport, has been working

on ever more ambitious visions of how to make

Tallinn bigger than it really is. In other words,

how to increase the number of flight passengers

travelling through the airport of the capital of Es-

tonia, which has 400,000 inhabitants, from the

current 1.5 million to 3 or even 5 million a year.

What do people generally expect from an air-

port? They want comfortable direct flights,

many of them, and they want to feel good in-

side the terminal building. Airlines want favour-

able prices (some even want free services) and

many passengers. And the owner—the Tallinn

Airport once again belongs to the state of Esto-

nia—would be happy to see a decent profit and

investments. All these interests need to be taken

into account in considering future scenarios.

From time to time, we hear criticism that Tallinn

as a flight destination has become marginalised:

there are few direct flights and there is only one

flight per day to direct destinations. So it may

happen that you fly out on a business trip from

Tallinn to London in the morning, but you can-

not return on the same evening. The airlines

which do fly to Tallinn are mainly interested in

taking passengers to large centres or hubs (such

as Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Munich and Helsinki)

so that they can be transferred to connecting

flights. Businessmen and cultural leaders have

also complained that Tallinn is on the periphery

of European air traffic and that the lack of direct

flights hinders economic development.

The Tallinn Airport is cooperating with China in order to become a bridge between Asia and Europe, and to make better use of Estonia’s favourable geographical location. Tallinn is also becoming an increas-ingly attractive destination for European low-cost airlines.

The new terminal of the Tallinn Airport Completed in 2008, the Tallinn Airport’s new terminal re-

ceived the Concrete Building of the Year 2009 Award.

Designed by the French company Sofreavia, together with

the Estonian company EA Reng AS, architect Jean Marie

Bonnard. Built by Skanska EMV. Cost 650 million kroons.

In March 2009, on the 80th anniversary of the birth of the

late President Lennart Meri, the Tallinn Airport was renamed

the Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport.


Erik Sakkov explains that, currently, there are di-

rect flights from Tallinn to 34 destinations, two of

which are in Estonia. ‘It is the best situation ever

at our airport. Never before have there been so

many direct flights from Tallinn!’ he says. Tallinn

has the best connections with Scandinavia (Hel-

sinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen). The big-

gest air centres in Central and Southern Europe

are also covered. The connections with Eastern

Europe and the former CIS states are somewhat

worse. It comes as a surprise to many that in the

summer season one can board an airplane in

Tallinn and land in Forli in Italy!

To a large extent, the national air company Es-

tonian Air influences what goes on in the Tallinn

Airport, as the company controls about half of the

market share. Whenever the subject of too few

direct flights from Tallinn comes up, everybody

turns their attention to Estonian Air, with good

reason. As the mother company of Estonian Air –

SAS – has for years been financially under stress,

Estonian Air has been neglected. For years, the

company has been forced to work without a clear

strategy and with limited financial means, and it

is only recently that it has started to follow the

example of its Latvian competitor airBaltic, which

has been very actively expanding. For some time,

SAS has been in negotiations to sell its share of

the company to the Estonian state.

Estonian Air flies to 20 destinations from Tallinn.

In addition, it flies from Vilnius in Lithuania to Am-

sterdam, from Tallinn to Kuressaare on Saaremaa

Island, and from the spa town Pärnu and the uni-

versity town Tartu to Stockholm. Of the strategi-

cally important destinations (Top30 destinations),

Estonian Air flies to six, departing twice a day or

with one connecting flight, with a maximum of

an hour and a half waiting time. By the end of the

year, the company aims to increase the number of

those destinations to 14.

‘Indeed, flight frequencies are a problem for us,’

Sakkov agrees. ‘Airlines would fly to Tallinn seven

times a day if there were enough customers. But

Estonia is so small and no air company is willing

to fly with a half-empty aircraft. The opportunities

of the airport to influence flight frequencies and

departure times are almost non-existent. Instead

of demanding them, we can get better results for

Estonian passengers if we ask nicely.’

But how can we make other airlines fly to Tallinn

or increase the number of flights? With increased

numbers.

Sakkov says that airlines are only interested in po-

tential passenger numbers. Numbers are in many

ways speculative. ‘I can say whatever I want to

some company about Tallinn, but at the end of

the day they always ask for a prognosis of pas-

senger numbers. Then it is clear that Estonia, with

its 1.4 million inhabitants, is small whichever way

you look at it,’ he explains. ‘Therefore, we have to

expand the services of our airport through transit

passengers!’

Sakkov sees two ways of increasing passenger

numbers.

Those businessmen who transport their goods

through the Port of Tallinn know very well

what Estonia’s favourable geographical position

means. It means a decrease in time and money,

an ice-free sea in the winter, and a crossroads

of trade routes. Sakkov believes that such Esto-

nian advantages could also apply in the field of

aviation.



Erik Sakkov introducing Estonia as a transit country to Chinese entrepreneurs at

the logistics seminar which took place in Shanghai.

He grabs a globe from his windowsill and puts his

thumb on Beijing. Then he draws a line to Europe

and surprise, surprise....

‘As we know, airplanes fly in straight lines,’ he

says. ‘When we look at this line we see that Tallinn

is closer to China than any other capital in the Eu-

ropean Union. Only Helsinki is approximately the

same distance away. In other words, they have

the same geographical advantage when it comes

to China as we do. And Finnair already has a really

well-functioning route to Asia!’

Now we come to the new vision of the Tallinn Air-

port – to bring Asian tourists to Europe via Tallinn.

And whereas most of them will fly straight on

from Tallinn, some may stay and do an excursion

in Tallinn. There are, after all, very few cities in

Europe where an international airport is a five-

minute car ride from the city centre!

The Tallinn Airport has begun lobbying in Asia.

The focus is on passenger transit, not just from

China, but also from Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore,

Hong Kong and Delhi. With the help of Asian

passengers, the airport could ‘fix’ its numbers,

and perhaps find an easier way onto the world

map with the help of larger and more influential

air carriers.

The competitive advantages of Estonia’s air transport

• TallinnAirportistheclosestEuropeanUnionairporttoBeijing

• TheshortestflighttimebetweenChinaandEuropeanUnion

is the flight between Beijing and Tallinn: 7.5 hours

• TallinnAirportissituatedinthecitycentre

• TallinnAirportisthemostmodernandup-to-dateinEurope,

as acknowledged by the Concrete Building of the Year 2009 Award

• TallinnAirportoffersmajordiscountsforflightoperatorsthatareinterestedin

establishing air routes between China and the European Union through Tallinn Airport

PASSENGER GROWTH RETURNING

After more than a year and a half of recession, passenger traffic at Tallinn Airport is taking off.

Tallinn Airport served 124,705 passengers in May, which is 8% more than during the same period last

year. An average of 100 aircraft movements (landings and take-offs) were handled daily. Two new

routes to Warsaw and Oulu were inaugurated, while Estonian Air launched seasonal flights to Berlin,

Hamburg and Nice. Lufthansa flights between Munich and Tallinn, which were launched just a few

months ago, have already proved to be very popular among travellers.


Airfield data:• TallinnAirporthasonerunway,which

is 3070 metres long and 45 metres wide

• Thelengthoftheparalleltaxiwayis2550

metres

• TheTallinnAirportcategoryis4E;navaidsCATI

• Thefirecategoryis7

• Thenumberofaircraftparkingpositions:

4 E-class aircraft

2 D-class aircraft

23 C-class aircraft

4 B-class aircraft

12-15 A-class aircraft

Passenger terminal Tallinn Airport has one passenger terminal with:

• 27check-indesks

• 8self-servicecheck-inkiosks

• 4preflightsecuritycontrolunits

• 12gates,nineofwhichhaveboardingbridges

• 2businesslounges

• VIPcentre

• 3baggagebeltsinthearrivalsarea

• Children’splayareaandaprayerroom

• Thepassengerterminalhasthreelevels,withall

departures on the main level. The second level

has a gallery for non-Schengen passenger arriv-

als, as well as a restaurant in the public area. On

the ground level, there are car rental offices, as

well as direct access to the car park.

• Fornon-Schengenflights,therearefourdedi-

cated gates, boarding lounges, a tax-free shop

and a snack bar

Cargo terminals • TallinnAirporthasfourcargoterminals,with

total warehouse space of ca 5000 m2

• Thecargoterminalsareoperatedbyseveral

freight forwarders, and courier and cargo han-

dling companies

In the last few years, Juhan Parts, the Estonian

Minister of Economic Affairs and Communica-

tions, has visited the Republic of China with

a high level business delegation and received

important guests from China in Tallinn. Several

collaboration memoranda have been signed.

On the surface, it may seem to be an insig-

nificant friendship between an elephant and a

fly, but Sakkov reassures us that the relations

with the Chinese are serious. They have a clear

interest in having a say in European aviation,

and Tallinn, with its excellent location, offers a

tempting opportunity. Our task is to find part-

ners in Asia with whom to proceed.

‘I dream of the day when there will be five

large Boeing 747s arriving in Tallinn, full of pas-

sengers who will be taken all over Europe on

smaller aircraft. Some passengers may easily

spend a day or two, or even just four or five

hours in Tallinn, as the airport is very close to

the city centre,’ says Sakkov.

Last autumn, The Economist ran a news item

which claimed that the Chinese want to take

control of the Estonian national carrier Estonian

Air. Although Minister Juhan Parts called this

speculation and the state is continuing talks

on the sale of Estonian Air, many people see

excellent opportunities for the Tallinn Airport

should the Chinese enter the game.

In addition to the transit of Asian passengers,

the airport has another plan for increasing pas-

senger numbers. This is mass tourism brought

about by low-cost carriers.

Easyjet flies from Tallinn to London and used

to fly to Berlin and Milan. Norwegian Airlines

flies people to Oslo and Wind Jet to Italy. But

that’s all, at the moment. Ryanair is demanding

special treatment, promising to bring masses

of tourists to Estonia if Tallinn does not charge

airport taxes. However, considering the pain-

ful lessons learned by Riga, the capital of our

neighbour Latvia, it is not possible for an air-

port to prefer one air company over others and

to collect taxes from only certain companies.

Let's be honest – an airport which does not

charge taxes is unable to invest in its terminal.

In 2007, the Tallinn Airport invested over 650

million kroons in the new terminal building and

it is still making a profit, which cannot be said

of Riga. Despite this, it may be possible that,

in cooperation with the state, the airport will

find a way to radically lower airport taxes. In

this way, Estonian passengers will gain new



Business travellers predominate in the Tallinn Airport

Of the passengers flying from the Tallinn Airport, 70% are

business travellers and 30% tourists. Estonians have started

to fly more, as the strong entry of low-cost airlines has

reduced prices.

But the large share of business travellers also shows the po-

tential for tourism in Estonia. Only 13% of tourists coming

to Estonia arrive here by air and, if we take into account

all the one-day visitors, it is only 7%. The average figure in

Europe is 49%!

It is true that millions of tourists arrive in Estonia through

the Port of Tallinn, travelling from Finland, but it is also true

that Estonia as a destination remains undiscovered by many.

destinations, and the citizens and the state will make a profit

from servicing tourists arriving on new low-cost airlines.

The pace of business activity in the terminal will pick up

when taxes are reduced. According to Sakkov, there could

easily be casinos or an amusement park inside the terminal

building. Spas in larger European airports are already quite

commonplace.

‘We have received some quite interesting news about new

flight options. I would love to talk about those options here,

but air companies prohibit that strictly due to competition,’

he says excitedly.


Text: Rein Sikk, Eesti Päevaleht Photos: Scanpix, Enterprise Estonia

How to create order out of chaos or Why the railways of the smallestBaltic country are the most efficient in the regionLIFE IN ESTONIA I 2010 SUMMER32


‘Where the railway tracks begin, order ends,’ Kaido Simmermann, Chairman of Eesti Raudtee (Estonian Railways – ed.),

recalls a well-known proverb from his childhood. His actions today prove the opposite.


From his office located directly below the hill of Toompea, which boasts one

of the prettiest views in Tallinn, Kaido Simmermann can see the harbour

and the railway tracks, as well as the owner of the railways, the Estonian

government building in its Old Town setting. Hence, all three key elements

of success are in his direct line of vision on a daily basis.

Simmermann likes to watch and show his visitors how ships enter the port

and how trains leave the station. It provides a feeling of security, the certainty

that everything works. The constant warning sound of the train whistles

makes it impossible to forget whose office it is and the fact that if Eesti

Raudtee does not fight for enlarging its freight capacity today, someone else

will do it instead. And competition on the transit market is fierce.

Colleagues regard Simmermann as a person with a phenomenal visual mem-

ory, someone who knows the 1,229 kilometres of Estonian railways like the

back of his own hand. He knows them better than local track specialists,

whose job it is to spend their days on the railway tracks.

For years, Simmermann was responsible for the whole infrastructure of Eesti

Raudtee – the tracks, to put it simply. In order to do the job, he had to travel

the whole length of the railways at least four times a year. Sometimes Sim-

mermann made twice as many trips as necessary.

In 1992, the situation with the railway company, which had just been na-

tionalised, was dire. Back then, Simmermann, who has dedicated his whole

working life to the railway system, was a university student and did not even

dream of his current vocation.

What is your first memory linked to the railways?I remember that one of my distant relatives was a railway electrician who

used to take the train between Tallinn and Minsk. I regularly travelled from

Tallinn to Riisipere, where my granny lived. When we moved to Tallinn, we

lived in the vicinity of the railway tracks. But all of that has nothing to do with

choosing my occupation.

When did you make the choice to work for the railway system?I studied road construction and, in the Tallinn University of Technology, they

also introduced us to the railway system and to the opportunities of working

there. Everyone used to tell scary stories about how all order and ability to

think came to an end where the railways began, and how everything there

functioned only in Russian. Yet, at the same time, for me as an Estonian it

was a new and interesting field. And, in September 1994, one fellow student

invited me to work for the railways. But that was a matter of coincidence

rather than a certain choice I made.

Please describe what you see as an ideal railway system, something that you, as the Chairman of Eesti Raudtee, strive for.When I joined the company, Estonian railways were just the terminus of the

Soviet Union railway system, with no big traffic and, in addition, everything

was decaying. Today we are about to reach the point where the speed of trains

everywhere is 120 kilometres per hour. From that point onwards, it is up to the

state of Estonia, as the owner, to decide whether to increase this speed to 160

kilometres per hour and whether we have the funds for such an investment.

Kaido Simmermann

Graduated from the Tallinn Polytechnic in radio engineering and

from the Tallinn University of Technology in road technology. In

1999, he received a Masters degree from the Tallinn University of

Technology in railway construction.

Since 1994, he has been employed by Eesti Raudtee. He started out

as Adviser to the Chief Director and, from 1995, worked as Direc-

tor of Infrastructure. Chairman of the Board since 2007.



We also hope that the flow of goods continues to increase. We don’t just

hope, of course; we are continuously working on it to find more goods to

transfer via the railways and to decrease the waiting times of vehicles bring-

ing and taking goods to and away from the trains.

And we are fortunate to have our big neighbour Russia, whose goods need

to be transported.

Eesti Raudtee is the most effective railway system in the Baltic States. What does that mean?

For example, we employ two to three times fewer personnel than our neigh-

bours. We had an equal volume of goods freight on the railway as Latvia,

when we had 2,500 staff and Latvia 11,000.

However, the story goes back to 1992, when the state of Estonia became

the owner of the railways and we had no funds whatsoever. The state had

no money and the railways had no money. The finances from Moscow were

cut off.

The volume of goods was significantly lower than it is today and we didn’t

even have the funds to pay out salaries, not to mention maintaining the rail

infrastructure. Hence, we had to change things very fast. We had to give up

everything which wasn’t profitable right then and there.

For example, after we introduced American locomotives, we kept only fifty

people working on repairs, whereas earlier there were three hundred and

fifty of them. That is a significant difference. Today, we have reached the

point where when trains come from Russia, some of which are going to the

Ust Luuga Port by the Russian harbour, while others are coming to Estonia,

then it is the Estonian trains which are unloaded faster, even though their

journey is 240 kilometres longer. That is also a sign of our effectiveness.

Today, the whole Estonian railway economy employs approximately 2,800

workers, but in 1992 there were 15,000 and, when I started in this job,

there were 9,000. Our neighbours have 16,000-17,000 employees. Again,

a significant difference.

The competitive advantages of Estonia’s railway transport

• EstonianRailwaysisthemostefficientrailoperatorin

Europe

• EstoniaandRussiaarestrategicrailwaytransportpartners,

connected by the same track-width (1,520 mm) railway

network.

• Estonianshavelong-termsuccessfulcooperationwiththe

Russian railway transport organisations, which guarantees

that goods reach the right destination safely and on time.

• Theregion’sonlyregularcontainertrainisoperatedbe-

tween Estonia and Moscow

• IncomparisonwithotherEuropeanUnioncountries,

Estonia has low taxes, less bureaucracy and labour costs

which are lower by a third.

• EstonianRailwaysemployselectronicexchangeofdata

that would allow for pre-arrival customs processing

• EstoniaandChinaarebothmembersofthesameinterna-

tional railway organisations:

> International Union of Railways (UIC)

> Organisation for Cooperation Railway Lines (OSJD)

> Coordinating Council on Transsiberian Transportation


So today you can claim that where the railways begin, so does order?

Indeed. If we consider just regular cleanliness, then we can see that

the surrounding areas of Eesti Raudtee are very tidy. And we have

great discipline, in the military sense, as with rapidly moving heavy

trains we cannot allow for any outbreaks of creativity.

Can you tell me more about one of the symbols of Eesti Raudtee and transit – the container shuttle ‘Moscow Express’?

Since summer 2007, we have had a regular container train travelling

to and from Russia, on average one and a half times per week, but

also more frequently if necessary. The Finns, Latvians and Lithuanians

have not succeeded in putting such a train in operation. Now we are

about to open another container line to Moscow.

Eesti Raudtee in figures2009

• Profitfromsales:1516.7millionkroons

• Netprofit:120.4millionkroons

• Investments:609.6millionkroons

• Capital:2174.6millionkroons

• Totallengthofrailways:1,229km

• Numberofstations:63

• Locomotives:79

• Carriages:2,982

• 25.38milliontonsofgoodsweretransferredonEestiRaudtee.Transit

provided 80.2% of the goods volume for the year: 20.33 million tons.

Goods traffic was up by 7.9% in comparison with 2008.

• Containertrain‘MoscowExpress’cantake123averagesizecontainers

to Moscow at once.

• ThemaintransitgoodstravellingthroughEstoniaareoilproducts,ferti-

lizers and coal.

• Thebiggest partnersof Eesti Raudtee are Estonianports: the Port of

Tallinn, the Port of Sillamäe and the Port of Paldiski.

Hundred and fifty years of trains

The first railway in Estonia was opened in 1870 between Paldiski-Tallinn-

Narva-Gatshina, which in the same year was connected to the St Petersburg-

Warsaw railway.

Thanks to the birth of the Baltic railways, the practically ice-free harbour of

Tallinn started to develop and a large grain elevator was built there.

In 1877, the Tapa-Tartu connection was opened and, in 1887, it was length-

ened to reach Valga, where it was connected to the Pskov-Riga railway.

The independent company Eesti Raudtee (EVR) was founded in 1918.

The national enterprise Eesti Raudtee was created on 1 January 1992.

Juhan Parts, Estonian Minister of Economics, says that in a year we can open

a fast connection between Tallinn and Warsaw, with trains going at a speed

of 120 kilometres per hour, which would reach the destination in 17 hours,

and it is possible to reduce this time to 12 hours. The greatest cost, in terms

of time, is the changing of carriage wheels, as the railways of Estonia and

Poland have different widths. The cost of the project for Estonia is a billion

kroons.



And thanks to the container train you get rid of the tiresome reloading of goods?

Yes, precisely. Ships arrive at the ports with full containers and the containers

are loaded directly onto the train with the help of our new cranes. We have

special trestles for loading, which greatly speeds up the task.

However, the biggest destination of our containers today is not Moscow but

Afghanistan. NATO has chosen Estonia to be the starting point for its con-

tainer traffic. Our containers also travel regularly to Central Asia and Odessa

in the Crimea.

This summer everybody who works in the Estonian transit and logistics sector is talking about the EXPO in Shanghai, China. What are the interests of Eesti Raudtee there?

We foresee, and we hope, that the well-developed seaside areas of China

will be able to send their goods by ocean-class ships straight to the Port of

Tallinn and from there onwards to Russia in containers.

And there is another direction: China is already moving its production units

toward central China and from there goods could be taken through Kaza-

khstan and Russia directly to northern Europe. We are already working in

this direction.

EXPO has representatives of the whole Estonian transit sector this year – the

ports, railways and car carriers.

So you go as a unified team?

This is our strategy. We will not speak separately for ourselves but we will all

speak for Estonia. And if we manage to put Estonia on the map in China, we

will have plenty of time to sort out in Estonia who gets what type of goods

and how the transport will take place. I am happy about this collaboration.

Please point out the reasons why companies might want to cooperate with Eesti Raudtee?

Eesti Raudtee is free to make its purchases and shape its prices – we do not

need to ask for anybody’s permission to make decisions.

Our collaboration with ports and terminals is fast and effective.

The goods are loaded quickly, no goods go missing and they always end up

at the right destination. Eesti Raudtee has no corruption, nothing where you

have to pay more in order to move faster. Those two points – no theft and

no corruption – are extremely important to owners.

In addition, Eesti Raudtee offers a set freight price for a long period of time.

Our contracts do not include any unplanned extra costs.


Estonia strives to enter the route of the new Silk Road

Text: Lauri Linnamäe, ERR

Photos: Scanpix, Enterprise Estonia

The motto of the Port of Tallinn is ‘The port that ships love’.

Ain Kaljurand, Chairman of the Board of the Port of Tallinn is happy as two reputable delegations from China visited the port - in March, the delegation of Lianyungang Port Group Ltd and Shipping China with the objective of establishing an alternative rail freight forwarding route for cargo containers between China and Europe (so-called Land Bridge), and in May, a delegation led by Jianmin Hua, Vice Chairman of the 11th Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China. At the meeting held at the Port Headquarters the distinguished visitor learnt about the operations and future plans of the Port of Tallinn.



The year is 2008. There are Chinese visitors at the Port of Tallinn signing an

agreement to develop a container terminal at the Muuga harbour. On the

leaflet which has been specially printed for the occasion, the sea route from

China to Estonia is almost a direct line – Africa has completely disappeared

from the map and even Europe has shrunk in size to make way.

Let’s be honest; everyone who has ever seen a proper map of the world

will have some questions when confronted with the idea of the Chinese-

Estonian shipping route. Of course, the ever more powerful China must find

a way to take its goods to the European market, but it isn’t enough to sail

around half of Asia, now there is a need to sail around Europe as well to

reach Muuga!

Fortunately, the logic of the transport business is not just about simple

measurements of distances on a map. Shipping products to the markets of

north-western Russia, Scandinavia and the eastern part of the EU from the

eastern coast of China, the most powerful industrial area of the country, by

sea is many times cheaper than sending them by train transport. And there

is no doubt that Chinese companies want to reach this region with their

goods: it is, after all, a wealthy market and, in addition, the next decades

are predicted to bring a rapid increase in living standards and consumerism

in north-western Russia.

In 2010, the situation in Estonia due to the economic depression means that

the aforementioned collaboration memorandum with the Port of Ningbo

has been put on hold. However, the delegation of transport and logistical

enterprises which visited Shanghai in June was pleased with the results of

the visit and returned filled with hope for the future.

The global economic crisis which exploded in 2008 has not altered the vision

that trade is rapidly growing in the globalising world, and it is also clear that

each year more and more goods travel in containers. All of the states on the

shores of the Baltic Sea have invested in container terminals. In 2010, there

are numerous container terminals on the Baltic Sea. However, there is no

hub where goods can be taken on really big container ships and from where

smaller ships can transport them all around the Baltic region. The closest

establishment to such a hub is the Port of Gdansk in Poland.

It would be naive to think that the European Union countries around the

Baltic Sea have lined up and are waiting for a windfall, like candidates in a

beauty contest. A powerful regionally important container terminal is a great

advantage, considering future trade flows, and for that no effort is too great.

The train and flight connections between China and the Baltic region can

also only grow. Although it is obvious that from the point of view of China

Estonia seems a small, distant and cold place, local entrepreneurs and the

state are convinced that they have good arguments for Chinese companies

to consider doing big business in Estonia.

During the Shanghai visit of the business delegation organised by Enterprise

Estonia and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, which

Ain Kaljurand, Chairman of the Board of the Port of Tallinn is happy as two reputable delegations from China visited the port - in March, the delegation of Lianyungang Port

Group Ltd and Shipping China with the objective of establishing an alternative rail freight forwarding route for cargo containers between China and Europe (so-called Land

Bridge), and in May, a delegation led by Jianmin Hua, Vice Chairman of the 11th Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China.

At the meeting held at the Port Headquarters the distinguished visitor learnt about the operations and future plans of the Port of Tallinn.


was led by Minister Juhan Parts, there were meetings with approximately

120 Chinese entrepreneurs, leading to concrete interest in Estonia among

most of them.

‘Large companies became interested in Estonia’s ice-free harbours and in

railway projects. Hence, in the next few months, we are expecting Chinese

logistics companies to visit Estonia, where they will get better acquainted

with the opportunities on offer here,’ commented Rene Varek, the coordina-

tor of the Shanghai business mission.

One of the important aspects of the visit of the business delegation to Esto-

nia was that the presence of our minister helped to provide access to the top

leaders of Chinese logistics companies.

Estonia has quite a lot to offer to Chinese logistics companies, even if we

consider that the distance by sea from China to Muuga is a really long one.

We should mention the ice-free harbours, which are undoubtedly among the

most efficient and modern in the region, but also Estonia’s financially stable

society and transparent tax system, which is a critical issue in the biggest

ports of the Gulf of Finland.

Whereas the ‘backyard’ of Poland is the eastern side of the European Union,

a big ‘selling point’ for Estonia is the vicinity of the European and north-west

Russian markets. Or, in words which the owners and shippers want to hear,

Estonia is a central location in Northern Europe, where products reach 300

million solvent consumers in 48 hours. After all, a branch of the historical Silk

Road also passed through Estonia.

The potential of trading with China becomes obvious when we consider that

today China ranks 16th in our list of trading partners. It shouldn’t remain so,

according to our Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications, Juhan

Parts, in Shanghai. ‘Estonia is interested in taking on the role it had during

the Hanseatic League days. Our own market is small, but we can add value

in transport and logistics considering the large market which surrounds us,’

the minister said. ‘If we consider the share of all trade, it is truly small... but it

will grow quickly. We are also working to make Estonian businesses look into

what’s on offer in China, so that we will, first of all, overcome the psychologi-

cal barrier of China being too far, too different culturally and all sorts of other

risks. There are many opportunities hidden here for Estonian companies.’

In addition to the transport of goods, the transport of people is an area with

an even bigger potential for development. In 2009, 4,000 Chinese citizens

stayed overnight in Estonia. The growing Chinese middle class will be one

of the most powerfully growing tourism groups in the next few years. This

year, the Chinese will make 50 million foreign trips, but the Chinese Tourism

Board is predicting that, in ten years, 100 million Chinese people will travel

abroad each year. The delegation of tourism companies which visited Shang-

hai before the logistics companies organised tourism days at the Estonian

pavilion at EXPO. Their goal was an ambitious one – to increase the number

of Chinese tourists staying in Estonia by 50% in two years.

The competitive advantages of Estonian maritime transportation and

harbours:

• ThelargestportontheBalticSea,inrespecttobothgoods

and passenger traffic, is located in Estonia

'• ThedeepestBalticSeaharboursareinEstonia,andtheyare

able to receive large ocean-going vessels

• Estonianharboursareicefreeandeasilynavigableallyear

round

• ThesealevelinEstoniaremainsconstant;therearenosignifi-

cant tides

• Europe’seasternmostharbourisinEstonia,locatedonly25km

from the border between the European Union and Russia

• Estonianwatersareeasilynavigable

• VesselshaveeasyandsafeaccesstoEstonianharbours

• Europe’smostefficientterminalsaresituatedatEstonianhar-

bours, so the reloading of goods is performed faster than in

other European harbours

• EstonianportsfollowEuropeanUnionsafetyrulesand

regulations

• EstonianharboursareuniqueinEurope,inthesensethat

there is still plenty of land available for the construction of

new terminals

• Estonianharbourshavethemostmoderninfrastructureand

technology in Europe

• InEstonia,freeeconomiczonesarelocateddirectlyatthe

harbours


Estonian logistics sector successfully back from China The leaders of the Estonian logistics sector met Chinese entrepreneurs at

the Shanghai Logistics and Transport Fair and the EXPO World Exhibition in

China. Participants included top level representatives of the Tallinn Airport,

Estonian Railways, Port of Tallinn, Port of Sillamäe and other organisations.

The delegation was led by Juhan Parts, the Estonian Minister of Economic

Affairs and Communications.

Urmas Kõiv,chief organiser of the Shanghai business mission:A logistics seminar, with many participants, and several business meetings

were organised as part of the international business mission of the Estonian

logistics sector initiated by Enterprise Estonia and the Estonian Ministry of

Economic Affairs and Communications. At those meetings, we introduced

the logistically good location of Estonia, which is a direct route to solvent con-

sumers in the EU, as well as promoting the speed of services and the effective

cooperation of our ports and railways. Thanks to the participation of Minister

Juhan Parts, we were able to meet with the top leaders of the most important

logistics companies, which will definitely facilitate the fast development of

relationships essential in China. We managed to generate specific interest

among Chinese businessmen, and already the first agreements have been

made for the visits of several companies to Estonia. The mission to China was

one part of the larger international marketing project of the Estonian logistics

sector, which has the aim of increasing the awareness of Estonian products

and services in important target markets in Asia, Russia and Europe.

Rene Varek,moderator of the Shanghai business mission:We met with 120 Chinese entrepreneurs. Large companies became interested

in Estonia’s ice-free harbours, as well as in railway projects. Hence, in the next

few months, we are expecting Chinese logistics companies to visit Estonia,

where they will get better acquainted with the opportunities on offer here.

Maria Alajõe,board member of Enterprise Estonia: We explained to potential business partners what the competitive advantag-

es of the Estonian logistical location and the logistics sector are. The Chinese

entrepreneurs were clearly interested. Considering the concrete outcomes

of those meetings, we can say that the logistics sector mission exceeded our

expectations. The process of getting your foot in the door in the Chinese

market is a very slow one; the most important thing here is consistency and

making contacts.

Juhan Parts,Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications:It is clear that the export of Chinese goods is showing a growing trend and

the Chinese are seeking routes to Europe. It is equally clear that nothing will

happen overnight. In today’s situation, it was extremely important to show

ourselves as being at the highest level in China and to provide opportuni-

ties for the leaders of Estonian and Chinese companies to interact face to

face. And the fact that the entire Estonian logistics sector went to China

together gave a clear signal that we have a joint interest in transporting

Chinese goods.

We are centrally

located in Northern

Europe, surrounded

by big cities

which are home

to hundreds of

millions of solvent

consumers.



The competitive advantages of Estonia’s logistical location and the logistics sector:

• EstoniaisthegeographicalmidpointofnorthernEuropeandthere-

fore the best place for Chinese enterprises to set up their distribu-

tion centres and to generate added value for their goods

• ThehistoricalSilkRoadreachesEstonia–amostefficienttraderoute

from China to north-west Russia and northern Europe

• Europe’smosteffectiverailoperator,Europe’smostmodernandup-

to-date airport and the largest port on the Baltic Sea are all located

in Estonia

• Estonianshavelong-termexperienceintradingwithRussia,which

ensures that goods dispatched reach the correct destination safely

and in a timely manner

• WhengoodsareforwardedthroughEstonia,alltheapplicableEuro-

pean Union safety standards and requirements are enforced

The advantages of investments to Estonia:

• Estoniantransport,logistics,manufacturing,aviation,tourismandothersectorsareopen

to foreign investments from China

• ThePeople’sRepublicofChinaandtheRepublicofEstoniahavesignedtheAgreement

on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments

• EstoniaisstrategicallysituatedatthemidpointofnorthernEurope,surroundedbysuch

major cities as Moscow, St Petersburg, Helsinki, Kotka, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo,

Warsaw, Riga and Minsk

• ThegoodsdispatchedfromEstoniareach50millionsolventconsumerswithin24hours

and 300 million in 48 hours

• EstoniaisthemidpointofnorthernEuropeandthereforethebestpossiblelocationfor

Chinese enterprises looking to do business both in the European Union and in Russia

• Estonianshave long-termexperience indoingbusinesswithbothRussiaandEurope.

Taking advantage of relevant Estonian know-how provides an easy entry point to Russian

and European Union markets

• EstoniaisthegeographicalmidpointofnorthernEuropeandthereforethebestplacefor

Chinese enterprises to set up their distribution centres and to generate added value for

their goods

• EstonianharboursareuniqueinEurope,inthesensethatthereisstillplentyoflandavail-

able for the construction of new terminals

• ItiseasytodobusinessinEstonia.ComparedtootherEuropeanUnioncountries,Estonia

has lower tax rates and less bureaucracy, and the labour costs are lower by one-third

• Estonianbusinesscultureisinnovationdriven;forexampleSKYPEwww.skype.com was

developed in Estonia

INTERVIEW

SUN YAN SHENG International Director of Shipping China

The transport and logistics business delegation to Shanghai is happy with the outcome of their visit: they feel they have sparked significant inter-est in major Chinese entrepreneurs. The interest from Estonian businesses is clear, but how would you describe Chinese interest in Estonia? After all, there are roughly a thousand Chinese for every Estonian.

Our interest has nothing to do with the size of the

population of Estonia. I personally visited it at the

beginning of the year, and it is a very beautiful place

for a vacation. And, from the business perspective, it

is a place with great potential. Not in terms of con-

sumption, but it’s a perfect place for a transit hub.

First of all, because of the location, it’s a great place

to connect to Russia and the CIS countries, and also

the Scandinavian region. The second reason is the

availability of land resources, which Estonia is very rich

in. And the government has a very favourable policy

in terms of renting land to overseas companies. By

combining these two advantages, I believe Estonia can

develop very advanced warehousing facilities and be-

come a distribution centre for the Scandinavian region,

the CIS and Russia, because people in those countries

don’t want to wait too long after they have paid for

something. And Estonia has a clear IT advantage,

which is fundamental for future business. The third ad-

vantage is labour. Estonian employees are well trained,

and the average labour cost is relatively lower than in

Scandinavia. These three advantages, I believe, should

be very interesting for Chinese business.

Do you see trade ties between China and Estonia being much closer in ten years than they are now?

I don’t think it will take ten years. The fact that a min-

ister led the business delegation to China showed that

the Estonian government strongly supports the coop-

eration. It’s a very good signal to Chinese companies.

So I think it will happen much faster.



At sea, it’s size that countsMore than 80% of trade transport takes place via sea, and container trans-

port is undoubtedly the fastest growing part of it. Although the econom-

ic crisis has led to a decrease in trade volume, it is once again showing a

growth trend and there is no reason to predict a change in that trend in

the near future. For shipping companies, this means that the pressure is on

to build ever bigger container ships, which in turn compels ports to receive

ever bigger ships.

Just a few years ago, when consumer demand in the world was growing,

shipping companies had no time to order new and bigger container ships

– in order to keep up with the demand, it made more sense to cut existing

ships in half and to weld big pieces of ships in between.

This is exactly what the Lloyds ship factory did three years ago with its two

ships Stena Hollandica and Stena Britannica, and both ships left the factory

a third longer. In a month and a half, the company gained 2,300 metres of

container space on the two boats.

The trend with new ships is also the same – ever larger. Whereas once the

width and depth of the Panama Canal set the limit for the size of container

ships, today there are boats which are twice as big and the measurements

are set by the Suez Canal.

The triumph of containers

TEU (short for twenty-foot equivalent unit) is the measurement for container

loads, which stands for a 20-foot long inter-modal standard container that is

eight feet in height and width and 20 feet in length. In our terms, this means

a container with a capacity of 38.5 cubic metres.

The first generation container ships (from the 1950s and 60s) were mostly

re-built tankers which could load up to 1,000 TEU. Back then, goods freight

in standardized containers was an experimental form of transport and re-

building ships was the cheapest way for ship owners to participate.

The building of real container ships began in the 1970s, when container traf-

fic had proved itself and started to spread. As a rule, the capacity of the

second generation container ships was 1,000-2,500 TEU, with 4,000 TEU as

a maximum.

The third generation were the ‘Panamax’ ships. These were the largest ves-

sels which could fit through the Panama Canal. The limit was approximately

4,500 TEU.

The fourth generation of container ships, which were built at the beginning

of this century, was the ‘post-Panamax’ class. Those ships, which are longer

than 300 metres, can take between 4,500-10,000 containers. Most of the

container ships on the seas and oceans today belong to this class; a ship with

a capacity of 8,000 TEU is considered a very large one even in 2010. Such

ships make it possible to save significantly on the transport of goods, but

only a few ports are able to receive them. In addition to the ability of a port

to accommodate such large ships, servicing such a ship requires expensive

infrastructure at the harbour.

Wherever the infrastructure of the ports allows, there is a new generation

called the Suezmax emerging. As the name indicates, the limits to this gener-

ation are set by the physical size of the Suez Canal. The limits are not entirely

fixed, but theoretically this means a ship with approximately 14,000 TEU.

Mythological graphics. Z26. I 1984-96


PORTFOLIO_TÕNIS vINT

Mythological graphics. Z5.I 1986-96


Moses Strikes the Rock and Water Comes Out of It. 1998 I 120x95 I Oil on canvas







The GM and GS series. I 1989-90


Night visions 4 and 2. I 1980


Light houses 16 and 14.I 1998


Tõnis Vint is an artist who was and has remained,

throughout the decades, determinedly independ-

ent from the established art world. He played an

enormous role in teaching and supporting young

artists. In the beginning of the 1970’s, Vint’s

home became a place where people gathered to

discuss about art. Vint’s followers formed the art-

ists’ group called Studio22.

In Tõnis Vint’s words: Studio22 is a creative group

of artists as well as a studio where every year new

members are trained. One of the main educational

goals is to make known views on cultural heritage

that differ from the traditional ones. To do this,

we compare historical image systems, in which

we seek inspiration for our creative work. And we

make an effort to unite our personal experiences

with these existing ones. Indeed, it is as if we re-

move ourselves from this world to commune with

a timeless remoteness. Our new objectivity does

not seek, however, to represent a visual reality, but

rather to reveal a system hidden behind that reality.

Studio22 found its inspiration in the ancient cul-

tures and aesthetics of the Far East. This ancient

art was highly mystical, and as in the European

cultural tradition of geomancy - a practice of divi-

nation using random geometrical patterns - its

purose was both to create and expose a myste-

rious message within the structures and forms.

Ancient wise men could read the signs of nature,

and they in turn retained their knowledge in a

language of signs. One part of Studio22’s educa-

tional process is to create a language of images

specific to each individual. Each artist’s specific

language is revealed in a stream of conciousness

exercise in which he draws hundreds of simple

images within a sircle or square. These images,

hidden deep in the subconscience, appear spon-

taneously and serve to disclose each artist’s un-

known language of symbols.

Tõnis VintBorn 22.04.1942 in Tallinn, Estonia

Graduated Estonian Academy of Arts in 1967.

Member of artists’ group ANK’64.

Theoretical leader of artists’ group Studio22 since 1972.

Estonian Cultural Prize 1991.

SElEcTEd Solo ExhIBITIoNS

Tallinn Art Hall Gallery 1968, 1974

Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn 1984

Draakon Gallery, Tallinn 1986

Heinola, Finland 1987

Leeuwarden, The Netherlands 1990

Deco Gallery, Tallinn 1993, 1997

Haus Gallery, Tallinn 2005

Gallery G, Tallinn 2007

SElEcTEd gRoUP ExhIBITIoNS

Exhibitions of ANK’64 1964-1995

Exhibitions of Studio22 1989-2002

Cracow Print Biennial 1970 (prize), 1972

Biella Print Biennial 1971

Lyubliana Print Biennial 1971, 1973, 1975, 1983, 1987

Venice Biennial 1972

Lodzh Museum 1972

Warsaw Poster Biennial 1972, 1974, 1984

Rijeka Biennial 1972, 1974 (prize), 1976

Joan Miro Biennial in Barcelona 1973

Vienna Biennial 1973, 1975

Tokyo Biennial 1976

Heidelberg Biennial 1988

Karlsruhe 1992

Grinnell 2001

Art Museum of Estonia 2003

Tõnis Vint



Wandering culturesWe live in a world where centuries are no longer needed for differ-

ent cultures to influence each other. Distances separating peoples and

cultures are no longer an obstacle and an impact can take place in

just a few moments. Modern technology makes that possible. Creative

ideas can find more fertile soil for development in new and different

surroundings.

Maybe our concept of history has been too limited? Why were changes

only seen after whole nations moved from one place to another? We

do not take into account smaller groups of people that travelled for

thousands of kilometres and spread their knowledge centuries ago.

Such thousands of kilometres separate the Far East and northern Eu-

rope. But in southern Siberia, where the tributary called the Oja flows

into the Jenissei, archaeologists have found hundreds of small ritual

mirrors of ancient China, some of which have texts written in Scandi-

navian runes. And some of the earliest Celtic stone crosses in Ireland

bear the Chinese character SHOU, meaning ‘longevity’, in the centre.

Text: Tõnis Vint


Similarly surprising finds exist in Estonia. In the former Livonian territory

(southern Estonia and northern Latvia) the holy belts of our forefathers,

which bear hundreds of geometric signs, have been found. The belts are

several metres in length. The signs on the belts are amazingly similar to those

depicted in the oldest Chinese seals. Each image which forms an ornamental

whole on the belts is an independent process. It has its own energy and

duration. The same applies to the Chinese Book of Changes, I CHING, where

each hexagram forms an independent time in the larger chain of linear time.

Geometric ornamental structures also have psychological activity. Thousands

of years ago they were used as protective talismans and their structures

formed the basic scheme of art works.

Ancient tales and myths also travelled together with signs and symbols. It is

much more difficult to find parallels here. Rulers and beliefs changed, and

grains of truth disappeared with those changes. Due to the spread of Chris-

tianity, there was a strong reorientation in northern Europe to Mediterranean

culture. It wasn’t until the 19th century romanticists that the ancient magical

world-view became honoured again. In art, this became the foundation for

the creation of individual mythology, while literary context formed only a dis-

tant basis. The individual emotional translation of events began to dominate.

This made it possible to exit the frames of ordinary storytelling and open the

level of the collective subconscious. Such a creative process, however, tied

the creator much more closely to the forgotten world of his forefathers and

showed surprising links with distant cultures.

Seene (mushroom – ed.) Farm is located about a 45-minute drive from the

Estonian capital of Tallinn. The locals themselves call it Seene Koda (Mush-

room Chamber). But goats are not raised nor turnips grown here – instead

it is a farm of ideas.

Both hosts of the farm are interior designers by profession. They got the

desire to work from home from the practical desire to not commute to the

city every day. What, after all, can you bring home from the city? They just

moved away from the mass produce and kitsch which was all around. When-

ever you chance upon something you truly like in a shop, it is either unbe-

lievably expensive or of limited quantity. This as a rule means that the cost

is even higher.

Old felt bootsIt all began when Piret Port, the founder of the company Portel, found a pair

of old felt boots from the early 20th century in her childhood home. They

had been collecting dust in the attic her entire lifetime. Just waiting for the

right moment. Once again, it was confirmed that the new is the forgotten

old.

The mushroom between the sea and the forest

On the global scale, Estonia is such a tiny dot that the efforts of local small entrepreneurs to make themselves visible in the market often end up with them running out of stamina. Hence, sometimes an upside down truth applies: do something which is so original that people come to find you.

Text: Villu Kangur / Photos: Portel


I DESIGN

As Piret’s partner, Aavo Ermel was a dedicated user of Apple products, and

he had long been looking for appropriate sleeves for his MacBook and iPod.

As he couldn’t find any, he decided to make them himself. At the same time,

Piret was looking for an appropriate genuine leather handbag. Help came

from none other than.... Steve Jobs.

It is no secret that Estonia is an innovative country. Skype was developed

here. Here we use mobile parking, and make payments and vote electroni-

cally. Many people have no need to leave their houses, as most things can be

done on computers. But those computers and mobile phones nonetheless

need protective covers, especially when your home is somewhere between

the forest and the sea, and you may be doing your daily job just sitting on

the beach or on a tree trunk.

At the same time that Jobs was planning to present the first iPad in the

USA, the folks at Seene Koda were looking for a way to link the useful and

the pleasant. As soon as the measurements of the iPad were made public,

the first Portel product was created. Of course, it was made out of felt and

genuine leather. This was shortly followed by a whole series of i-sleeves. So

the first iPad sleeves made by Portel were sold online, even before the iPad

itself made it onto the market. So much for felt boots.

The creator’s signatureiPad went on sale in the States much earlier than it did in Europe. Therefore,

the first customers of Portel came from the other side of the world. Imme-

diately, positive feedback followed. At the beginning of April, the website

www.geekosystem.com claimed their iPad sleeve to be the best of its

kind. The presentation of the product was also praised. What is strangest

however is that the compiler of the Top list mentioned that the product by

Portel, with its retro-modern aesthetics, reminded him of the shoes that he

had been looking for and could never find. Had the old felt boots dreamed

of that! Other praiseworthy comments followed in various analogous Inter-

net portals.

The feedback from the Etsy store is also all high praise. They commend the

fast shipping and quality of the products. Piret Port mentions that it couldn’t

be otherwise. Each product is a unique handicraft which has been made with

joy and love. ‘Our goal is to design things which we ourselves would like to

have. All of them bear our signature.’ Indeed, none of the products made

by Portel bear any sign of characterless mass production. No two products

are alike.

The reason for Portel’s success is that they use materials that are 100% natu-

ral. This is no typical success story however. Portel could be doing better if

the company put their money into rubber, latex, nylon and other industrial

materials, and geared its production to mass consumption, people who are

looking for a ridiculously low price and not quality. When it comes to Portel’s

price policy, it seems that the price and quality ratio are not in balance: the

quality is clearly under-priced.

‘No matter in which direction we develop, nothing will go out of this house

which we ourselves would not buy or desire,’ say Piret and Aavo.



I DESIGN

Of course, this may mean that the price of new products will be slightly high-

er, but they are also investing more time in them. The first products made of

real leather are ready. Most importantly, if you personally get in touch with

Portel, you can order a completely unique product which has been made

to your taste specifically. Of course, your taste should not be below what

the designer considers to be good taste. However, Portel does not see such

customers for its product group.

Wolves and bears in folk costumesAlthough other countries generally view Estonia as an Eastern European

country, Estonians themselves consider it to be a Nordic country. Scandina-

vian design has a high reputation everywhere. The Baltic countries are usu-

ally lumped together but Estonians have a totally unique taste and sense of

what is beautiful. Fortunately! This is not a criticism of our neighbours, just

the realisation that Estonians prefer to live poorly as long as something does

not hurt the eye. And when they cannot find something suitable for their

demanding taste, they prefer to make it themselves. The main thing is that

it also be practical. The fifty years of Soviet occupation turned many things

upside down here, but a positive aspect is that our handicraft tradition was

not forgotten, but kept developing. A song by one Estonian comedian talks

about how a man built a washing machine out of a beetroot. Not surprising

at all! The main thing is that it works.

Another famous actor has admitted that because of the illustrations in one

children’s book, he had the idea as a young boy that wolves and bears in

our forests wore folk costumes and carried folk instruments. People still ask

Estonians whether it is true that in our forests those animals roam around

freely. Of course they do! But the chance of meeting one of them is much

smaller than the chance of you accidentally buying some useless items from

the store.

The whole world is full of animal furs which have been sprayed with pes-

ticides and produced on mass production lines, and no-one can compete

with the prices of those products. In Estonia, there are animal rights activists

who sometimes move around and beat their drums in front of large shop-

ping centres. Instead, they should fight against animal raising becoming a

big industry. Most of the materials and accessories which Portel uses in its

products come from local producers. This eliminates the threat of you buy-

ing yet another multicultural gadget which has no sun in it, and is full of

chemicals. There is only a little sun in Estonia. Sometimes we talk of summer

here as three or four nice days a year, but that’s all the more reason to take

this light in. And it is a good thing when it comes back to others through

our own handicrafts.

Fortunately, Portel is today also supported by Enterprise Estonia. ‘We are

indeed hoping to purchase a basic installation for our workshop, but we will

never become a big industrial producer,’ says Piret. ‘At the moment, we are

even skiving by hand in our leather business. We will remain a small enter-

prise in the best handicraft sense of the word.’

Portel can still keep up with its demand for production. At least they work

without looking at the watch or what day of the week it is. The sales pre-

dominantly take place online. But when they have some spare time in the

autumn, they will go mushroom picking. Estonians usually tell people to ‘go

pick mushrooms’ when they want to send them to hell. In the hope that

they will not return. In real life, everything is upside down. Seene Farm itself

originally had another name but the new owners renamed it. Estonia just

happens to be one of the few countries in Europe where most citizens get

their winter reserves directly from nature. Why? This does not come from

greed, but from the fact that we have unspoilt nature. In the eyes of the

world, we are in the middle of nowhere. However, there are things to be

found here which, unfortunately, cannot be found anywhere else. Why not

share them with others?

For a closer look, visit www.portel.ee

Julia Maria Künnap has won the Red Dot design prize with a children’s high chair created for her own needs

Julia Maria Künnap, better known as a jewellery

designer and the only Estonian representative at

the Red Dot design competition this year, created

her child chair because she could not find one for

sale which she wanted to have in her household.

‘Most children’s high chairs available in shops and

on the Internet were ugly, heavy and clumsy,’ she

says. ‘Some were uncomfortable for the child and

others had all sorts of extra stuff – supports and

pillows – which clearly inhibit the child’s physical

development.’

The children’s high chair, called Mari, has been

tested on several children in the last year. The de-

signer had a unique opportunity to work without

days off – to watch the child’s behaviour in the

chair three times a day, and to evaluate the chair’s

resilience and safety. The chair is compact, and

needs no assembly or regular adjustment accord-

ing to the child’s growth. It has a simple form: an

upholstered bottom and a soft ring for holding

and for supporting the child’s back. It suits every

environment, from home to public spaces. The

Mari chair weighs under 2.5 kilograms and it can

be easily lifted with one hand. The chair is made

of real leather and chrome steel.

There are plans to start producing the children’s

high chair in Estonia. Preparations for production

are currently under way, and presumably the chair

will also be on sale online at marimari.ee.

A total of 57 countries took part in the Red Dot

competition and, in addition to Estonia, only

Puerto Rico can boast a hundred per cent success

rate. Altogether 4,252 works were submitted

to the competition and, of those, only 45 were

selected in 17 product categories, which is only

slightly over one per cent.

The prizes will be awarded in July 2010 at the

Aalto Theater in Essen, Germany. The Red Dot

award, which goes back to 1955, has been given

to two entries from Estonia before. Martin Pärn

received it in 1998 for his foldable table and the

agency Loovvool in 2008 for the visual identity of

the Kaerajaan Restaurant in Tallinn.

Children’s high chair wins noted design award


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Text: Tiina Jõgeda, Eesti Ekspress

Photos: Tiina Jõgeda, Tarmo Haud

EXPO 2010: Why do they sing in the Estonian pavilion?

SUMMER 2010 I LIFE IN ESTONIA 59 59

Every day at 6pm, there is a choir karaoke in the Estonian pavilion. Familiar Estonian and Chinese melodies fill the dimly lit hall and the words are displayed in Estonian, Chinese and English on a large screen.


I TOURISM

For half an hour, the pavilion guides in their strawberry patterned uniforms

turn into choir singers or even rock stars. In an instant, the pavilion guests

are turned into singers: some sing boldly into the microphone, others hum

more modestly or just tap their feet in time to the tunes.

The song festivals which take place in Tallinn every five years (this tradition,

which began in 1869, is approximately the same age as EXPO) form an im-

portant part of the Estonian identity. Individualists by nature, at the Song

Festival Grounds tens of thousands of Estonians join forces. More and more

tourists plan their visits to Estonia to coincide with this famous festival, as the

colourful folk costumes and the energy of traditional songs and dances are

something to be experienced – more so because this event is not targeted at

tourists but is the real embodiment of national feeling. We may be small in

numbers but we can be loud – this is the message also taken to China by the

mini song festivals in the Shanghai EXPO 2010 pavilion.

Chinese people, whose culture includes rice cultivation, which is not possible

on your own, should really grasp the idea of such joint singing.

The bank of good ideas

The sounds flowing into the fair street attract more and more people to the

small but colourful pavilion. ‘What country is this?’ they ask. Tourists who

collect stamps and put them into their special EXPO passports are in such a

hurry that they have no time to look at the bright words ‘savecity.org’ and

‘Estonia’ on the pavilion wall. Many are aware that it is the piggy house!

The 33 giant colourful piggy banks, which are a metre high, have made the

Estonian pavilion famous. The piggy banks were created to collect good and

positively surprising ideas which can be used to change life in future cities

for the better. Each piggy bank also has a message to deliver. We speak of

innovation, of saving, and of recycling in the context of global urbanisation.

This is Estonia’s message.

Another message of the Estonian pavilion is that you don’t have to sing in

order to be heard – you can also do it silently, by voting and giving your vote

to an idea which could change life in today’s cities for the better, including

sustainable housing, recycling of materials, availability of domestically grown

healthy food, pedestrian-friendly roads, access to the seaside and green ar-

eas in the city.

Of course, it is just as fun to lean on the green or golden piggy and ask your

friend to take a photo. Especially if you already have a photo with the sheep

from the Dutch pavilion, the garden gnome of the German pavilion or the

Little Mermaid of the Danish pavilion. The pigs offer a fun break, which

nonetheless makes people think without having to say anything about Esto-

nia as a country in the 21st century.

Introducing Estonia in the restricted area of the pavilion - from Skype to Carmen Kass

Traditionally, the idea behind EXPO has been to demonstrate the industrial

products of the participating countries and to promote their technology. In

the 160 years of EXPO history, introductions have included such miraculous

things as the telephone, diesel engine, electric bulb, Eiffel Tower, sewing ma-

chine, waffle cone and many other things without which we couldn’t really

imagine our daily life in the 21st century. Today the focus is on industrialisa-

tion, cultural exchange and brands which introduce your country. ‘Did you

know that Skype was developed in Estonia?’ the Estonian student guides of

the pavilion ask the visitors in Chinese. ‘Did you know that supermodel Car-

men Kass is Estonian?’

Ambassador Toomas Tiivel, Comissioner General of Estonia for World EXPO 2010,

addressing the participants of the tourism seminar this May.


The second major goal of the Estonian exhibit, which has a budget of 60

million kroons, is, through participation at forums and seminars, to demon-

strate the national will to cooperate with the Chinese government and to

develop relations between the two countries.

‘About twenty thousand visitors come to the Estonian pavilion every day,’

says the Commissioner General of Estonia for World Expo 2010, Ambassa-

dor Toomas Tiivel. ‘That is just about the capacity of the pavilion. To visitors,

we introduce Estonia in the most general terms. But should someone be

more interested in Estonian economic system, study opportunities, business

environment or culture, they will find another room showing documentary

films in another part of the pavilion, which enables them to concentrate in a

calm environment.’ Things get even more serious in the restricted area of the

pavilion, where seminars, meetings and introductory evenings for specialists

take place. In the conference room of the pavilion, companies and universi-

ties can work together with their partners and customers.

‘Should just two per cent of the Chinese people visiting our pavilion (it is esti-

mated that 95% of EXPO visitors are Chinese) discover something memora-

ble about Estonia and start to think about travelling there, we have fulfilled

our goal,’ says Tiivel. ‘But one significant visitor whose word is valuable could

turn out to be more important than twenty thousand ordinary tourists.’

The Chinese tourist in Estonia

For companies working in tourism, China is an attractive market. Europe

opened its doors to Chinese tourists relatively recently, in 2004, when the

contract ‘Approved Destination Status (ADS)’ was signed. Chinese tour-

ists travelling out of the country is an explosively developing branch of the

economy. According to estimates by the World Tourism Organisation, China

is one of the largest and fastest growing tourism countries in the world.

Whereas, according to the statistics of the Chinese tourism board, Chinese

people made 48.6 million foreign trips in 2009, this figure is set to rise to

100 million Chinese visits in 2020. Only 4,000 Chinese tourists come to

Estonia annually. It is evident that Aishanja (as Estonia is called in Chinese)

is an unknown country for the Chinese. The Estonian tourism companies

dream of increasing this number by 50%. It is not an easy task. Coming from

a country which is twice as large as the entire European Union, a Chinese

tourist will want to see as many Old World countries as possible during a

two-week holiday. Usually they pack eight countries into a 12-day trip.

‘Those tourists who come to Estonia from China today visit Estonia together

with other European countries. A Chinese tourist will not come to Europe

exclusively because of Estonia. This is something we still need to work on,’

says Tarmo Mutso, the Director of the Tourism Development Centre in En-

terprise Estonia.

It is the task of the developers of Estonian tourism to bring out what is

unique to Estonia. This was done during the tourism seminar which took

place in Shanghai from 26-28 May.

‘We may be competitors in the national market but we have to work to-

gether in order to bring tourists to Estonia,’ says the Director of the Nordic

Hotels Forum, Felix Mägus.

Estonian pavilion is known to many Chinese visitors as the piggy house.

WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE TO GO?

Exhibitions

23 June - Event dedicated to the anniversary of

the Estonian monetary reform in 1992.

23 June - 6 July: Exhibition of the Estonian Bank

“Estonian Paper Money and Estonian Coins”

8-26 July: Exhibition of the Estonian Fashion Designers’

Association “To Be Estonian”

28 July-20 August: Exhibition of Helje Eelma’s computer graphics

23 August-7 October 7: Estonian jewellery art exhibition “Spatial Castle”

8-16 October: Exhibition of Estonian architects and designers

“Astonishing Estonia”

17-31 October: Exhibition of Estonian nature photographs

Concerts at European Square:

4 June-9 July European Square: Estonian folk dance group “Päkad Paidest”

21 July Group Level Square 5: Turba Children’s Choir & ETV Toddler’s Choir

22 July European Square: Mixed Choir of the Capital of Culture 2011

6 and 9 July European Square: Concert of “Estonian Strings”

17 October Concert of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

18 October EXPO Centre Atrium: Estonian National Day concert

18 October Presentation of the anthology of Estonian Fairy Tales in Chinese

For further information see

www.savecity.org

The Estonian tourism developers’ delegation at EXPO included (from left)

Aivar Siim (Elujõud OÜ), Feliks Mägus (OÜ Nordic Hotels), Killu Maidla (Reval Hotel

Management OÜ), Külli Karing (Via Hansa Eesti AS), Tarmo Mutso (Tourism Development

Centre of EE), Rauno Stüff (Olympic Casino Eesti AS) and Egon Elstein (Strand Spaa- ja

Konverentsihotell).


I TOURISM

An NGO called Expoturism was created especially for Shanghai and it is com-

prised of thirteen of the most trustworthy tourism companies in Estonia.

They include the tourism service companies Baltic Tours, Estonian Holidays,

Estravel, Kaleva Travel, Via Hansa and Wris, the accommodation companies

the Nordic Forum Hotel, the Reval Hotels, the Hotell Saaremaa, the Spa and

Konverentsihotell Strand, and the tourism management companies Enter-

prise Estonia Tourism Development Centre, and the Tallinn Enterprise Board,

as well as the Estonian Hotel and Tourism School (EHTE).

The series of workshops, lasting over three days, was a serious undertaking.

The introduction of Estonia had to go back to the basics – what Estonia is,

location, climate, neighbours, and history – everything was of interest to the

Chinese.

The number of tourists who travel outside China seeking special experiences

is growing every day. Such opportunities were showcased to Chinese tour-

ism developers by the tourism farm Elujõud, based in Viljandi County, and

Olympic Casino, which represents the other end of relaxation opportunities

available.

One hundred and ten Chinese tourism entrepreneurs and media representa-

tives participated in the seminar.

There were presentations on the historical sights in Estonia and the climate,

slide shows about the country, DVDs and booklets. Also, typical Kalev choco-

late and Vana Tallinn liquor were offered to visitors.

Those were the first careful steps. The modest Chinese people did not rush

to sign any contracts. For the Chinese, time is the foundation on which trust

is built. The time invested in long-term relations is undoubtedly worth it.

‘Our work needs to be consistent,’ says Tarmo Mutso. At the end of the year,

our tourism representatives will make another trip to China to organise a

similar event in Bejing. ‘The Estonian entrepreneurs believe in the Chinese

market,’ confirms Tarmo Mutso. The first specific requests have already ar-

rived. Enterprise Estonia has already contracted for the development of a

Chinese language full version of the tourism website visitestonia.com.

‘Talinn’ – city of spires

What kind of positive surprises are promised to tourists with this Estonian

advertising slogan? What would make a Chinese tourist spend more than

just a couple of hours off a cruise ship in Estonia? The tourism entrepreneurs

were carefully studying the reactions and questions of the Chinese guests.

Head Chef: Tony Sal-al-Saller


Yes, we do have a liberal economic environment. e-Estonia makes it possible

to have fast and flexible relations with public bodies. Our composers Arvo

Pärt and Erkki-Sven Tüür belong to the elite of contemporary music, and the

location of Estonia as a transit country is promising. Those are important

background facts for businessmen, but for an ordinary tourist it is completely

second-rate information. Our tourism specialists had to answer questions

about whether it is possible to play golf or to go sailing in Estonia, and

people were pleasantly surprised to find out that we have spa-hotels where

one can step directly into the sea from one’s hotel room. Of course, the Old

Town of Tallinn is the number one attraction, with its medieval Hanseatic cul-

ture, the bastions-museums and underground passages always having been

a magnet. As an interesting coincidence, the Chinese name for our capital

– ‘Talin’ - means the city of spires. We have used the same slogan ourselves

in introducing our city for decades, if not for centuries, because the city wall

which was built in the 16th century to defend Tallinn from enemies, and

which was the greatest defence structure in Northern Europe, used to have

46 spires, of which 26 remain.

The Chinese change of the year - spring holidays - is celebrated in many

European capitals. In Tallinn, too, in recent years much attention has been

paid to the change of the Chinese astrological calendar. There are quite a

few Chinese people working and studying in Tallinn, and the magnificent

celebrations of spring that take place in Kadriorg Park and in the Rotermann

Quarter help to alleviate their homesickness. When people know that Chi-

nese customs and traditions are not totally alien here, they have an easier

time in making the decision to travel to Estonia.

‘The Dragon Song’ and ‘My Chinese Heart’ are being sung in unison on the

other side of the wall. But tourism companies need more in-depth explana-

tions. We have medieval defence fortresses, unspoilt nature and everyone

can go pick blueberries in the woods in August – the latter fact truly amazed

the Chinese students studying in Estonia. Blueberries – a delicacy in China

– are readily available here in the forest; just take a wicker basket and walk

through the silence of the forest to pick your berries!

Student exchange is a special branch of tourism. Young studious Chinese

people can be found in each university in Tallinn; more and more Estonian

students also make it to Chinese universities each year.

The old Estonian saying about overcomplicated things – ‘it is Chinese to me’

– has outlived its time. Everyday Chinese language is quite easy to learn –

this is confirmed by the language skills of the Estonian pavilion guides. More

and more young people understand that learning Chinese is an investment

in the future and there are more Estonian students going to China every day.

The competition for the Shanghai pavilion guides was five people per place.

More and more interpreters, logistics personnel and trade representatives

are needed. The contact-making seminars proved clearly that the work of

interpreters is irreplaceable.

Young Chinese people are no less interested in the Estonian language and cul-

ture. Every day there was some young Chinese person who visited the pavilion

to enquire about studying opportunities in Estonia. The EXPO pavilion video

room, where films about this topic were screened, was always packed with

people. Those were people who did not just come here out of the desire to

get a stamp in their passports, but also out of genuine interest in our country.

Tourism businesses also had their secret weapon with them – the young

and rising pop star Lenna Kuurmaa, with her band. Everyone knows her in

Estonia, but to perform in front of an audience that knows absolutely noth-

ing about you is a different challenge. Lenna won the hearts of the locals at

once. For three days, our superstar performed for a full pavilion of Chinese

people at the end of each seminar day. The rock concert and the karaoke

blended together into one festive and very Estonian song festival.

Holidays in EstoniaThere are several ways to spend a holiday in Estonia depending on your needs and choices. Have a look on different possibilities on offer.


I TOURISM

HOW TO GET TO ESTONIA

Fastest way to reach Estonia is via helsinki or Stockholm

Flights between china and Europe:

• Finnair Beijing/Shanghai/Hong Kong – Helsinki

• SAS Beijing – Copenhagen

• Aeroflot Beijng/Shanghai/Hong Kong – Moscow

• lufthansa Beijing/Shanghai/Nanjing/Guangzhou – Berlin

• Air china Beijing-Stockholm/Frankfurt/ Moscow /Paris/

Munich/London, Shanghai-London/ Frankfurt/Munich/

Moscow/Paris

• KlM Royal dutch Airlines Beijing- Amsterdam/ Brus-

sels, Chengdu-Amsterdam

Estonian Air: Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, London,

Berlin, Barcelona, Milano, Moscow, Paris etc

www.estonian-air.com

Transportation via Scandinavia

By sea:

• Tallink-Silja www.tallink.com

Helsinki-Tallinn, 7 times a day, 2 hours

Stockholm-Tallinn, daily overnight connection

• Viking line www.vikingline.ee

Helsinki-Tallinn, 2 times a day, 2.5 hours

• Eckerö line www.eckeroline.ee

Helsinki-Tallinn, 2 times a day, 3 hours

• linda line www.lindaline.fi

from April to October

Helsinki-Tallinn, 7-8 times a day, 1.5 hours

In summer, there is an added bonus, the white nights. Estonia’s long summer

days mean you can enjoy the outdoors late into the night while the rest of

Europe is in darkness.


Others prefer the coastal attractions; it’s easy to see why: forest-edged de-

serted beaches, clear night skies, limestone cliffs, waterfalls and the sandy-

bottomed Baltic Sea.

Yet, perhaps it will be the meteor craters, juniper bushes and seals on one of

Estonia’s 1500+ islands that grab your attention.

Wherever you go, you are likely to encounter rich flora and fauna, and if you

are really lucky you may spot lynx, flying squirrels, bears, wolves or the many

species of rare orchids growing wild – not to mention the hundreds of spe-

cies of birds that stop over in Estonia on their yearly migrations.

Nature holiday in EstoniaEstonian landscapes are surprisingly diverse. Empty

beaches, deep forests, crystal clear lakes and rivers,

enchanting swamps and rich flora and fauna are just

some of the treasures awaiting your visit.

Estonia is almost fifty per cent forest, mostly pine,

and many people choose to take advantage of the

free state-run camp-sites, hiking trails, enchanting

swamps, crystal clear lakes and rivers that populate

our national parks and nature reserves.

Many couples fly over to Estonia for a romantic break in a luxury spa.

Try it yourself.

Taking a spa break is also fun for families with children: aqua parks or swim-

ming pools are present in most spas and some have playgrounds and child

daycare facilities too. There are special fun procedures available for kids:

special pearl bubble baths, fun massages, more adventurous salt and cold

chambers, and more. Ask when you book.

Wellness spa holidays in EstoniaEstonia has been a popular spa and wellness holiday

destination since 1820, when the therapeutic ben-

efits of mud from different Estonian Spa regions were

discovered.

Seaside resorts and inland spas offer a wide range of

relaxation, recreation and medical procedures, such as

mud wraps, chocolate massages and salt treatments.

The most popular spa and wellness resorts are located

in Pärnu, Haapsalu, Kuressaare, Narva-Jõesuu, Tallinn

and Värska, a town known for its mineral rich water.

All offer accommodation, catering, health care procedures, saunas, exercise,

various water activities and, naturally, luxury spa treatments. Dentists, der-

matologists and rehabilitation specialists are employed at many of the spas.

Spa and wellness resorts are a fun way to make the most of your holiday

in Estonia: they treat not only the body but also the soul, and can be easily

combined with city tours, active holidays, beach holidays and winter sports.

There is nothing quite as relaxing as taking a trip to the countryside, on foot,

by bike or on skis, and having a hot sauna and full body massage, followed

by a gourmet dinner.


I TOURISM


The mainland and coast of Estonia are covered with beautiful pine forests, and our

national parks are easily accessible. Enjoy a day in nature: go hiking and camping

with your family or discover our cultural diversity on a cycling trip.

Nature is most colourful during autumn and spring: as water levels rise, it is the best

time to enjoy canoeing down the rivers in national parks and wild forests. Take your

GPS with you and combine it with the adventure of geo-caching: there are around

1,000 treasures hidden in Estonia.

Many of our tourist farms and holiday houses arrange horseback riding during

summer and sledging for winter: stop by the local Tourist Information Centres for

tips and suggestions.

During winter peak time, in January and February, there is plenty of snow. Dress up

warm and enjoy skiing, snowboarding and ice-skating.

Adventurous and experienced athletes can try rock- and ice climbing and skydiv-

ing, or plan a day out with friends and family in adventure parks, where everyone

can test their endurance and climbing skills, and separate tracks are offered for

kids, too.

Karting and paint-ball can be enjoyed throughout the year, as there are both indoor

and outdoor options available.

If you are travelling with small children, be sure to read our tips and safety sugges-

tions for public playgrounds.

Active holidays in EstoniaEstonia has plenty to offer for anyone interested in active holi-

days: nature and outdoors, sports and adventures, summer fun

and winter activities.

Whether you are just looking for leisurely pursuits or are in search

of a huge adrenaline rush, Estonia has something for you. Our

climate gives you a chance to enjoy all four seasons at their best,

from sunbathing to winter sports.

Summer is the best time to enjoy water sports, and our public

white sand beaches, with playgrounds and recreational areas,

are ideal for families travelling with children. Some of them offer

windsurfing and Jet Ski rental, too, but a little bit of planning

may be required, as the use of personal water craft is not allowed

everywhere. More experienced water sports enthusiasts can try

diving into historic wrecks or sailing.


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Holiday in Estonian citiesEstonian cities offer a surprising mix of architectural splendour, cultural diversity,

exciting night-life and all the modern conveniences you would expect in a Eu-

ropean country.

The compact nature of Estonia and its cities, even the medieval city of Tallinn,

allow you to see lots in a short time.

Tallinn attracts lovers of medieval architecture, and yet beyond the castle walls

is a thriving modern city, full of wireless Internet access and home to luxurious

restaurants, hotels and lively night-time activities that can compete with any-

where in Europe.

An increasing number of people come to enjoy the cultural attractions: opera,

dance, music, art exhibitions and museums – especially the Kumu Art Museum

(winner of the European Museum of the Year Award in 2008).

And if that’s not enough, then there’s the shopping: modern shopping centres

exist, of course, but there’s also a lot of fun to be had hunting out bargains and

exclusive gifts (for you or your friends and family back home) in the small bou-

tiques and specialist shops that permeate the Old Towns in all our cities.

Tallinn’s captivating, and UNESCO-protected, medieval Old Town is the number

one tourist attraction, but Estonia’s cities have so much more to offer:

PäRNU, the summer capital and famous beach resort, is buzzing in the summer.

Plus, with Kihnu Island and Soomaa National Park just a short distance away, it’s

no wonder that many people claim Pärnu is the place to be!

Whether you are looking for luxury & sophistication, simplicity & relaxation, or

just fun, fun, fun, take a look below at what’s on offer in Estonian cities now.

TARTU, the university town, is fresh and youthful and a gate-

way to southern Estonia. Rich in museums and full of history

and fun, Tartu is growing in popularity every year.


Self-guided tours in Estonia

Use our ideas for self-guided tours to discover some of Estonia’s rich cultural heritage

& history, influenced largely by Estonia’s three main occupiers: Sweden, Germany and

Russia. Hints on www.visitestonia.com.

It’s true that many people come to see the UNESCO-protected, medieval Tallinn Old

Town, but look beyond the capital into the countryside and islands and you will find

intriguing evidence of how our culture adapted to the occupations and invasions of

Germans, Russians and Swedes over the past centuries.

There’s nothing predictable about Estonian culture, yet it’s strangely warm and welcom-

ing and quickly becoming progressive and exciting, as demonstrated by the ways Esto-

nians have embraced the Internet and mobile phone to improve their lives in every way.

Visit the Old Believers who shun tea, coffee, electricity and live an ancient

lifestyle.

Witness the Swedish influences and culture along the coast and on Estonia’s

islands.

The contrast of seeing medieval castles and other ancient buildings sitting

happily alongside the latest modern wood and glass buildings will challenge

your preconceptions of architecture.

Cultural holiday in EstoniaEstonians are culturally passionate, and there are plenty of

exciting events, exhibitions, concerts, theatre performances

and festivals held all year round.

If you love culture and are looking for something different,

then look no further.

Estonia’s rich cultural heritage is full of surprising contrasts,

from the exotic to the heroic, from the romantic to the

modern.

Our ancient Nordic heart and warm, ageless soul have pro-

duced a diverse and complex range of cultural treasures.

Ethnic minorities, with their ancient folk traditions, songs

and costumes, still thrive and will make you want to pull out

your camera. You could:

Meet the Seto people and hear their enchanting Leelo choirs.

Is time travel possible? Yes, because in the city centre of Tallinn one can walk into the past through the defence tunnels of the Baroque era, or take a train ride into the year 2219.

Time travel begins in Tallinn city centreText: Oliver Õunmaa

Photos: Albert Truuväärt

I TOURISM


On the edge of the main square — Vabaduse väljak (Freedom Square – ed.)

— in Tallinn, behind the Freedom Monument dedicated to the Estonian War

of Independence, there is a hill covered in grass with leafy trees growing on

it. This highly valued place for relaxation in the very centre of the capital is

actually the Ingermanland Bastion, a defence construction which for centu-

ries protected the residents of the city from enemies. Today the bastion is

called Harjumägi, and one would never guess that inside there are passages

through which former defenders of the town could safely move from one

position to another. The passages have been recently renovated and now

form a part of a City Museum exhibit open to visitors to take a stroll through

time into the past and the future of Tallinn.

Let the underground tour begin

The entry to the passages is located in the old cannon tower Kiek in de Kök.

The museum has six guides who offer tours in Estonian, Russian, English,

Finnish, Greek and Turkish. During my visit, our guide was Enna Sirkel. After

a humorous short animated film about the mythical old man in Ülemiste

Lake who is impatiently waiting for the time when he can drown the city, Sir-

kel asks the more lightly clad visitors to wrap themselves in warm blankets.

Even on a hot summer day of 25 degrees, the temperature in the tunnels

is a cool 8 degrees. This is immediately felt when Sirkel opens the mysteri-

ous iron door, which looks like a restricted access to a research laboratory.

Behind the door is a corridor, which Enna calls the tunnel of time. It is like

something out of science fiction, like an entrance to a spaceship from an

episode of Star Trek. Silvery glittering columns stand next to the tunnel wall.

‘Those symbolise the recording of time by different cultures,’ explains Enna.

‘The number on each column shows in which year we are, according to

one or another culture.’ Thus you can become familiar with the universal,

Chinese, ancient Indian and our own Gregorian calendars.

The tunnel of time ends in a kind of viewing platform. An old city gate is

visible over the glass barrier. Nobody had any idea that this existed until the

bastion passages were renovated.

‘In the 15th century, it was used to transport necessary goods to Toompea,’

says Sirkel. A staircase with steep steps, cut in limestone more than three

hundred years ago, takes us down into the depths, until we suddenly find

ourselves inside the tunnels.

Silvery glittering columns stand next to the tunnel wall. The number on each column shows in which year we are, according to one or another culture. Thus we can become familiar with the universal, Chinese, ancient Indian and our own Gregorian calendars.

When the limestone passage splits in two, the right turn

takes you on a tour of the future of Tallinn.


The journey into the past

Inside the bastion tunnel, we are greeted by the developer of these pas-

sageways – a wax figure of the Swedish fortification master Erik Jönsson

Dahlbergh. Our guide has pressed a secret button, and the wax figure intro-

duces himself in Swedish.

‘In the 17th century, Estonia was part of Sweden,’ explains Sirkel. ‘In 1686,

Dahlbergh created a master plan which foresaw the building of eleven

bastions in Tallinn. The work lasted for twenty years, but only three of the

bastions were completed. Nonetheless, we have the opportunity to admire

the Bastion passageways, which are a great example of the skilled Swedish

handicrafts back in those days.

Next to Dahlberg, the limestone passage splits in two. The left turn takes

you on a time journey into the distant past of the bastions and the right turn

takes you on a tour of the future of Tallinn. Our guide guides us into the

past. At first, the passage is relatively wide and has a high arched ceiling. A

sense of mysticism is added by lamps fixed onto strangely bent pipes, which

cast gentle multicoloured beams into the dimness.

The passage is divided into several rooms. In the first one, information

boards give an overview of how the passages were restored. Just ten years

ago, many of them were still under water or full of rubbish. ‘The idea of

restoring the tunnels and opening them to the public was born in 2001 and

since then renovation has taken place,’ explains Sirkel. ‘About 800 cubic

metres of soil and rocks were removed from the tunnels. Today there is a

modern electric, ventilation and fire extinguishing system.’

In the next room, we are greeted by coughing coming from a sound sys-

tem. In the corner of the room, a dummy representing a homeless bum is

stretched out on an old mattress. ‘From the early 1990s until the passages

were restored, there were homeless people living here, about thirty in total,’

says Sirkel. ‘The homeless people had split the tunnels which were not under

water into apartments and the competition to get a place here was fierce.’

In the 17th century, Estonia was part of Sweden. Thanks to

the three bastions built at that time, we can admire the skilled

Swedish handicrafts back in those days.

At the end of the civil defence shelter, there is a female mannequin sitting clad in the uniform of a Soviet Lieutenant.


I TOURISM

Journey through time. Tallinn 1219-2219

Come and discover the tower and the tunnels!• ThemuseumisopenfromTuesdaytoSunday,

from 10.30 to 18.00. Last admission at 17.30.

• The Bastion Tunnels can be visited only as part of a guided

tour. Group size is limited to 20 persons. Guided tours of the

Bastion Tunnels should be booked in advance, by calling

(+372) 644 6686, by e-mail: [email protected]

or in person at the museum desk.

• Kiek in de Kök

Adults 70 EEK

Concessions 40 EEK (pupils, students, seniors,

ISIC and ITIC card holders)

Family ticket (2 adults + up to 4 children under 18) 140 EEK

Free admission for pre-school children

Free admission every last Friday of the month.

• Bastion Tunnels

Adults 90 EEK

Concessions 50 EEK

(pupils, students, seniors, ISIC and ITIC card holders)

Family ticket (2 adults + up to 4 children under 18) 180 EEK

Free admission for pre-school children

• Jointticket(KiekindeKökandBastionTunnels)130EEK.

Free admission for pre-school children, and with Tallinn Card.

• ThenewexhibitionofKiekindeKökandtheBastionTunnels

was designed by Leonardo Meigas and Ivari Männi. The cost

of the exhibit was 28.4 million kroons, 21 million of which was

provided by Enterprise Estonia, and 7.4 million by the City of

Tallinn.

As we move on, our guide suddenly breaks into a dance accompanied by

punk music. ‘Do you recognise the music,’ she asks the tour group animat-

edly. ‘At the end of the Soviet era, especially in the early 1980s, there were

more and more punks on the streets of Tallinn. As this Western protest

movement of young people was not really liked by the authorities, the punks

often had to flee from the militia. The bastion passages offered great cover

where they could hide.’ Hence, the walls of one of the rooms are covered in

anarchistic slogans and there is a figure of a young man with a punk hairdo.

The next three rooms are re-creations of civilian defence shelters which were

here in the passages during the Soviet era. It was a camping site which

nobody knew much about. There was an electric system, phone lines and

ventilation. Such shelters could be found all over Estonia during the Cold

War, and citizens were allocated places according to their places of residence

or work. We also see the shelter where the people of Tallinn hid during the

1944 Soviet bombing raids.

When we move out of the shelter, a hazy white shape of a human being

appears on the wall of the darker side of the tunnel. ‘This is our ghost!’

announces Sirkel. In 2004, some workmen saw a white lady here and appar-

ently she is still here.’

Three rooms are re-creations of civilian

defence shelters which were in the

passages during the Soviet era.


Of course, the ghost does not really show herself publicly to tourists. A look

up confirms that there is a projector guilty of creating this little fright.

Next, our journey takes us to the 19th century, when Estonia was part of the

Russian empire. ‘Back then, the Bastion lost its military value; the city built

a park on top and called the bastion a hill,’ says Sirkel. ‘As time passed,

the names of the bastions from the Swedish era were forgotten – those

had been given to the bastions according to Swedish counties: Skåne (or

Swedish) and Ingermanland.’ In the 19th century, the bastions became mythi-

cal places for people. ‘Stories were told about the Old Town being full of

underground tunnels, some so long that they led five kilometres away to

Pirita. Such a long passage, however, has not been found. Apparently, it is

merely a legend.’

Next, we come into a spacious room depicting the middle of the 18th cen-

tury. There is a monk half buried in the wall, and he is guarded by a Russian

soldier wearing an appropriate uniform. ‘The Russian monk Arseni told off

the Empress Catherine II for her bad habits and because of this he was sent

to Tallinn and imprisoned for life,’ says Sirkel.

Next to the monk, there is another staircase leading even deeper, with 18th

century Swedish soldiers guarding the sides. When our tour group starts

descending the staircase, we hear a roll of drums and a march starts to

play. ‘Welcome to the Swedish era!’ exclaims our guide, and explains how

the Swedish era became the Russian era. ‘During the Great Northern War,

fought between Sweden and Russia, Tallinn was hit by the plague and hun-

ger. Hence, Tallinn no longer had enough citizens and Swedish soldiers to

protect the city from the Russians, and it surrendered without a shot having

been fired.’

Our guide demonstrates a strange device next to the passage wall, which

consists of a water bowl and two candles. It turns out that the bowl of water

was needed to find out if an enemy had started to dig their own tunnel to

get into the Bastion. When the water in the bowl started to vibrate, the

enemy was much easier to discover. The candles were just there to provide

light. Simple and brilliant!

Suddenly, we have reached the end of our trip to the past – 363 years ago

to the time of the building of the soil fortifications. There is another passage

leading onwards from this room, but access is blocked by a large glass wall.

Through the glass we can see the passages which have not been restored

yet, which up to quite recently were under knee-high water. These passages

will soon be restored and old ashlars exhibited.

In a spacious room, depicting the middle of the 18th century, there is

the Russian monk Arseni half buried in the wall.

The Bastion tunnels have their own ghost who

appears on the wall of the darker side of the tunnel.

The work in the tunnels has not been finished yet. These passages will soon be restored

and old ashlars exhibited.


I TOURISM

Full speed into the future

Our journey into the past is complete and we are speeding into the future –

into 2219. We are taken there by train. Tallinn as a small town has never had

an underground train, but when the Bastion Tunnels were opened, it was fi-

nally built. The train which speeds along the tunnel was created especially for

the Bastion and everything, from the parts to the implementation, was made

in Tallinn. ‘We thought that the journey into the future should be made on a

time machine, and what else suits a tunnel better than a train,’ says Toomas

Abiline, Director of the Kiek in de Kök and the Bastion Tunnels Museum.

We take our seats in the cylinder-like carriages of this train, with its futuristic

design. There is a buzz and a big shutter on the carriage door closes in front

of our faces. Attached to it is a screen which starts to show a humorous film.

It explains to the visitors how cities were born, and how people in the past

envisaged future cities.

After the film has been playing for a minute, the train starts to move al-

most imperceptibly. The passage where the train runs is not very long, just

over seventy metres but, as it moves just 10 metres a minute, the trip is

long enough to watch the whole film. The eight minute train ride takes

the guests to the guard room from the Swedish era, where little stalactites

hang from the arched ceiling. This is where the room of the future has been

created. There, on a large screen, you can watch a film which ponders what

Tallinn may look like in the year 2219. For example, the film shows the Opera

Theatre Estonia, which has become a supermarket, a beach park, which has

become a tropical spa resort, and the Old Town, which has been filled with

skyscrapers.

By the walls, there is an exhibition stand showing items from contemporary

man. The signs displayed next to them have been written by a future archae-

ologist, who has guessed what items they might be. For example, the sign

next to a mobile phone says that people in our days were such music lovers

that they took their own music machines even to the theatre, so that their

sound would be louder than other sounds. The sign next to a cigarette pack-

age explains that these poison sticks were probably used by a sect practising

slow suicide methods. Next to a condom, we find the explanation that men

back in our time were so out of control that their passion had to be control-

led with this item.

Each carriage is just large enough to

accommodate a seat for three people

next to one another.


Kiek in de KökWhen the train takes us back to Dahlberg at a slightly faster pace, our time

journey, which has lasted for an hour and a half, has come to an end. Who-

ever wishes to do so, after climbing the steep staircase, can take another

round through the cannon tower Kiek in die Kök.

The name of the tower means ’Peep into the kitchen’ in lower Saxonian.

Why? Because when the tower was built, it was so much higher than other

buildings in the town that guards could easily peek at women busy over

kitchen stoves.

In the tower, which was renovated together with the passages, there is a per-

manent exhibition on the historical battles linked to Tallinn and the weapons

which were used. The two cannons on display have awe-inspiring names:

Lion and Bitter Death. Visitors can hold the smaller weapons in their hands

to feel how heavy a three-centuries-old musket was. The large model also

shows the city wall towers and gates of Tallinn which are no longer in exist-

ence today.

On the large screen, visitors get an overview of past events in Tallinn by the

chronicler Balthasar Russow, who lived in Tallinn, and by the mythical city

guard Vana Toomas (Old Thomas), who guards the town from the top of

the Town Hall spire.

There are also different temporary exhibitions in the tower. For example,

until the end of September, you can see old paintings and graphic art about

Tallinn. Among other works, there is the oldest painting depicting Tallinn on

display: Lambert Glandorp’s ‘Battle Scene with Christ’, from 1561.

Those guests with great stamina, who have managed to climb all the wind-

ing staircases of the narrow tower to the sixth floor, can relax in the elegant

cafeteria, which offers a splendid view of the Old Town.


I TOURISM

Estonia in briefOfficial name: Republic of Estonia

State order: Parliamentary republic

Area: 45,227 sq kilometres (17,500 sq miles)

Population: 1,356,045 inhabitants: 69% Estonians, 26% Russians and 5% others

Population density: 35 people per square kilometre. Over 70% reside in urban centres

Capital: Tallinn with 405,562 inhabitants (01.09.2009)

Other major towns: Tartu (101,190), Narva (67,752), Kohtla-Järve (46,765), Pärnu (44,781)

Administrative divisions: 15 counties (maakond), divided further into 202 rural municipalities (vald)

Official language: Estonian, a member of the Finno-Ugric group. Russian is widely spoken.

Many Estonians speak English, German, Finnish or Swedish

Alphabet: Latin

Religion: Predominantly Protestant (Lutheran)

Currency: Estonian kroon (EEK), divided into 100 sents; 1 euro = 15.65 EEK

Driving: Right hand side of the road. Speed limits in town 50 km/h, out of town 90 km/h. International driving licence required

Weights and measures: Metric system

Electricity: 220 volts, 50 Hz

National flag: Blue-black-and-white

National holiday: 24 February (Independence Day)

National anthem: Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm (My fatherland, my joy and happiness)

National flower: Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)

National bird: Chimney swallow (Hirundo rustica)


For more travel details, please consult the sources

below: www.visitestonia.com (Estonian Tourist

Board), www.riik.ee/en/.

Tourist information centres are located in all larger

towns.

The Tallinn Tourist Information Centre in the Old

Town is located at 4 Kullassepa Street - no more

than 10 steps from the Town Hall Square (ph.: +

372 645 7777, e-mail: turismiinfo@tallinnlv.

ee). The Tallinn Tourist Information Centre in Viru

Keskus (ph: + 372 610 1557, 610 1558), open

every day 9 am - 9 pm, is located in the centre of

the city. A wide selection of maps, brochures and

publications in several languages (largest selec-

tion in English) can be found at local bookstores

and tourist information centres.

VisaAs of 21 December 2007, Estonia is a part of the

Schengen visa area.

Nationals of EU and EEA member states are free

to enter Estonia. The required travel document for

entry is a national ID card or passport.

Nationals of the following countries do not need

visa to enter Estonia, and can stay for up to 90

days in any 6-month period: Andorra, Argentina,

Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa

Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Holy See,

Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Macao, Ma-

laysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua,

Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Singapore, South

Korea, USA, Uruguay, Venezuela. The

required travel document for entry is a

valid passport.

Citizens of countries not mentioned

above require a visa to enter Estonia.

Visitors arriving in Estonia with visa

must have national passports valid at

least 3 months after their planned de-

parture from Estonia.

Children aged 7 to 15 years must have their own

passport when travelling to Estonia or, if they are

registered in their parent’s passport, must have

their photo next to the name. Children under 7

years need not have a photo if they are regis-

tered in their parents’ passports. Persons above

15 years must have a separate travel document

with photo.

For detailed information on visa requirements

and entry rules, please consult the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs website at www.vm.ee/eng.

ArrivalBy plane: Recently renovated, the Tallinn Lennart

Meri Airport, just 3 km from the city centre, is wel-

coming, modern and user-friendly. Among other

amenities, travellers have access to a free WiFi

area in the transit zone. The airport’s 24-hour cus-

tomer service telephone is +372 6058 888.

The easiest way to get to town is by taxi. A ten-

minute ride to the city centre costs approximately

60 Estonian kroons. A hotel transfer minibus

meets all incoming flights and takes visitors to

downtown hotels for just 25 kroons (€1.60 or

$1.90). City bus #2 connects between the airport,

the centre and the harbour. The bus schedule is

posted at the bus stops in these places, and tick-

ets can be purchased from the driver (15 kroons,

€0.95 or $1.16 per ride).

Regional airports are located in Kuressaare (Saare-

maa), Kärdla (Hiiumaa), Pärnu and Tartu; these

provide no regular international connections.

By ship: With over 6 million passengers annually,

the Port of Tallinn is undoubtedly Estonia’s main

gateway. Large passenger ferries arrive from and

depart for Helsinki and Stockholm regularly. The

85-km Tallinn-Helsinki line is served by ferries that

make the journey in 2 hours; hydrofoils and cata-

marans make the trip on 1.5 hours and operate

Between April to November or December, de-

pending on weather conditions. Travellers should

note that different ferry lines depart from differ-

ent terminals and harbours. The City Port with its

four terminals is a 10-15 minute walk from Tallinn

Old Town; the Paldiski-Kapellskär line uses the

Port of Paldiski, about 50 km from Tallinn.

By car: Border checkpoints greet travellers enter-

ing or departing the country by way of the Esto-

nian-Latvian border points at Ikla (the Tallinn-Riga

highway) and Valga, as well as on the Estonian-

Russian border at Narva (the Tallinn-St. Petersburg

highway), Luhamaa, Koidula and Murati. On the

Estonian-Russian border, all traffic is subject to

border formalities both when entering and leav-

ing Estonia.

By bus: Not only is travel by bus the fastest and

most convenient mode of international public

transportation in the Baltic states, it also offers ex-

cellent value for your money. Regular connections

service all major cities in the Baltic countries and

St. Petersburg. Eurolines Lux Express offers com-

fortable Riga Airport transfers from Tallinn, Pärnu,

Klaipeda, Vilnius, Panevezys, and Šiauliai. Prices

start from €15.90. A useful tip: Regular passenger

buses have priority at the border checkpoints, so

travel is smooth. For more information and time-

tables, please contact Eurolines at tel. +372 6800

909 or visit their website at http://www.euro-

lines.ee/eng/index.html.

Practical in-formation for visitors


I TOURISM

By train: There are only one international over-

night train to Moscow. For further details see

www.gorail.ee

CustomsWe suggest travellers consult with the Estonian

Customs Board help desk (ph.: +372 880 0814 or

www.customs.ee) for details. The limit on im-

port of alcoholic beverages from outside the EU is

one litre for beverages over 22% alcohol content,

and two litres for beverages up to 22%, and four

litres for wine. Import of tobacco and tobacco

products from non-EU countries is limited to 40

cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 50 g of

tobacco products. Counterfeit goods, including

pirated CDs, video and audio tapes, are prohib-

ited by law. A special export permit is required for

specimens of plants and animals of endangered

species, protected species and hunting trophies

(please contact the Nature Conservation Depart-

ment, Ministry of the Environment for details).

Articles of cultural value produced in Estonia

more than 50 years ago also require special per-

mits (please contact the National Heritage Board).

Getting Around EstoniaInter-city public transportation Public buses are the easiest, cheapest and most

convenient solution for visiting Tartu, Pärnu or any

other of the larger towns. Buses from Tallinn to

Tartu depart every 15-30 minutes, to Pärnu every

hour. On weekdays, seats to these destinations

are almost always available even immediately be-

fore departure (watch out for special events). For

weekend travel or trips to more remote locations

with fewer connections, it is advisable to buy tick-

ets in advance. The Tallinn Bus Terminal is located

at Lastekodu 46. The timetable is also available

online at www.bussireisid.ee/index.php and

ticket information is available at telephone +372

6800 900.

Travelling by carTravellers hoping to see more of the country

and the rural areas it would be best advised to

travel by car. The roads are quite good and traffic

is light. Crossing Estonia from north to south or

west to east by car takes approximately three to

four hours. All major car rental agencies have of-

fices in Tallinn. It is also possible to rent the car in

Estonia and drop it off at a rental agency in Latvia

or Lithuania, or vice versa. The speed limit in rural

areas is 90 km/h and in cities 50 km/h. In some

areas the highway speed limit is increased dur-

ing the summer months. Headlights and seatbelts

(front and back) must be on at all times. Driving

under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicat-

ing substances is punishable by law.

Local transport

Taxis: Taxis must clearly display their fares, driv-

er’s taxi service licenses, and a meter. The initial

charge for entering a cab ranges from 20 to 45

kroons. Different taxi companies have different

rates, but the average charge per kilometre is

7 kroons. In Tallinn, a short ride within the city

centre usually costs around 50 kroons. A ride to

the suburbs may cost about 100 kroons. There

is no additional charge for ordering the taxi by

phone, and it usually takes the cab just five to ten

minutes to arrive. All taxi drivers must give you a

receipt (in Estonian, ask for “Kviitung, palun”).

Locals usually give the exact fare and no tip. As

in most major cities, some dishonest drivers at-

tempt to overcharge unsuspecting passengers. If

in doubt, note the taxi company and license plate

number.

Public transportation: Tallinn has a public trans-

port network of buses, trams and trolley-buses.

Other Estonian towns have buses. Schedules are

posted at bus stops. Tickets are available at news-

stands (the yellow and blue “R-kiosks”) and from

the driver. A pre-purchased ticket (10 kroons,

€0.83) must be validated upon boarding and

is valid for one ride. A pre-purchased one-hour

ticket costs 15 kroons and two-hour ticket 20

kroons. Check the time schedule for Tallinn bus

lines for any bus stop at www.tallinn.ee/eng.

AccommodationsAll major hotels in Tallinn have been newly built

or completely renovation in recent years. De-

spite annual additions to the number of hotels

and rooms, it can nonetheless be difficult to find

a hotel room on short notice (particularly over

the week-end). For the best selection, we urge

visitors to Tallinn and the rest of Estonia to book

hotel rooms in advance. For more details, see the

Estonian Tourist Board website at www.visitesto-

nia.ee.


MoneyThe Estonian kroon is pegged to the euro (1

euro=15.6466 kroons; 1 kroon=100 cents).

Most larger hotels, stores and restaurants accept

Visa, MasterCard, Eurocard, Diner’s Club and

American Express. However, it is advisable to carry

some Estonian kroons with you.

Traveller’s checks can be exchanged in most banks

but are less likely to be accepted in shops. Eu-

rocheque is the most widely accepted traveller’s

check, but American Express and Thomas Cook

are also accepted. Banks are plentiful and easy to

find in Tallinn. Most are open from 9:00 to 18:00

on weekdays, while some offices are also open

on Saturday mornings. All banks offer currency

exchange services. Exchange offices can also be

found in larger hotels, the airport, harbour, rail-

road station and major shopping centres. ATMs

are conveniently located around town; instruc-

tions are in English, Russian and Estonian.

Telephones and InternetThe country code of Estonia is 372. Dial 00 for

outbound international calls. Public payphones

only accept prepaid phone cards, costing 50

and 100 EEK, which can be purchased at news-

stands. As with ATMs, phone instructions are of-

fered in English, Russian and Estonian. The GSM

mobile phone system is available; please check

compatibility with your operator.

Public Internet access points have been set up all

over Estonia. They are located in local libraries

and post offices. There are over 100 free wireless

Internet zones around the country, many of them

in rather unexpected places - beaches, Old Town

squares, stadiums, and concert halls.

Emergencies112 is the emergency number for ambulance,

police and fire department. The police can also

be reached directly at 110. Emergency numbers

can be dialled free of charge and without a

phone card from any public telephone. Select

pharmacies are open 24-hours-a-day in many

major towns. The one in Tallinn is located at 10

Pärnu Road (opposite the Estonian Drama Thea-

tre); the one in Tartu is located in the Town Hall

building (Town Hall Square).

National HolidaysEstonians celebrate January 1 as New Year’s

Day, a rather slow and quiet day as people re-

cover from the festivities. Shops open late and

banks are closed. February 24, Independence

Day, is celebrated with a parade of the Estonian

Defence Forces at Vabaduse väljak (Freedom

Square). May 1 is a bank holiday, similar to Good

Friday and May Day. June 23 is the biggest holi-

day of the year as Estonians celebrate Midsum-

mer Eve and the Victory Day in commemoration

of the 1919 Battle of Võnnu, and June 24 is St.

John’s Day (Midsummer). August 20 is the Day

of Restoration of Independence (1991). Decem-

ber 24 (Christmas Eve), December 25 (Christmas

Day) and December 26 (Boxing Day) are usually

spent at home with families.

FoodTraditional Estonian cuisine consists of simple

peasant food, such as cottage cheese, potatoes

and bread, all of which are still important compo-

nents of the local diet. The Estonian dark bread is

the main staple missed by Estonians abroad. Typi-

cal Estonian dishes do not feature prominently on

restaurant menus, and traditional home cooking

is more likely to appear at small eateries in remote

areas. Still, a few establishments have made Es-

tonian specialities their niche; to sample Estonian

cuisine, try the Kuldse Notsu Kõrts, Vanaema

juures, Eesti Maja, Kaera-Jaan and Kolu Tavern

(Open Air Museum) in Tallinn, and the highly rec-

ommended Lümanda söögimaja on the Island of

Saaremaa.

Of meat dishes, pork is the favourite and most

common in Estonia; Baltic herring is the most

common local fish. A typical, heavy Estonian

meal is a pork steak with sauerkraut and pota-

toes. Soups are also a mainstay in the local diet,

with tasty samplings ranging from broth with

dumplings and meatballs to delectable vegetable

purees.

At local restaurants, appetizer prices start at ap-

proximately 50 kroons and main courses start

from about 100 kroons. A three-course restau-

rant meal with coffee will usually cost upwards

of 250 kroons. A glass of house wine or beer

is usually 40-50 kroons. Cafeterias offer main

course for 45-60 kroons and 100 kroons will buy

a full meal. Pleased customers usually leave a tip

of 10% of the bill.


I TOURISM

DrinksThe main drinks in Estonia are beer, wine and

vodka. While many young city residents opt for

beer or wine, the older generation and rural folk

tend to prefer vodka. In the 1930s Estonian vodka

made it into the Guinness Book of Records as the

strongest vodka in the world (96º). Local brands

of beer enjoy a very strong market position in Es-

tonia. The two main breweries are Saku and A.

Le Coq. Saku is Tallinn-based, and its corporate

colour is navy blue while A.Le Coq is brewed in

Tartu and its colour is red. There are also many

smaller breweries. A full list of Estonian beers is

posted at www.Beerguide.ee. One glass of

beer at bars or restaurants costs 30-60 kroons. A

bottle of beer sells at supermarkets for 10 kroons.

Spirits also include some traditional liqueurs. The

famous Vana Tallinn (Old Tallinn) has a 45º alco-

hol content, and is coincidentally made from 45

ingredients - the recipe is known only to a hand-

ful of people. Indeed, the legendary 19th-century

kristallkümmel (caraway liqueur) has made its

long-awaited comeback.

Estonian wines, made from currants or other

local berries, are rather sweet. Wine lovers usu-

ally prefer imported wine, of which there is an

ever-increasing selection at stores and vinoteks.

A very popular and refreshing non-alcoholic drink

is kali, made of bread, malt, rye or oats flour

and yeast; it has a characteristically dark brown

colour. It was with this drink that the Estonians

forced the Coca-Cola company into submission,

or at least into a business deal. Kali was enjoying

phenomenal sales, while Coke was not selling up

to expectations. It was then that Coca-Cola de-

cided to broaden its horizons by buying one of

the local kali trademarks in order to make a profit

on the stubborn Estonians.

EntertainmentThe entertainment scene in Estonia is vibrant

year-round, providing visitors and locals alike

with a long list to choose from. Concerts,

festivals theatre, street raves, DJ competitions

– Estonia has it all. It is not by chance that both

Tallinn and Tartu have their own opera and bal-

let theatre. Tickets are an excellent value for

the money; concert tickets start around 150

kroons, and best seats at the opera are yours

for as little as 390 kroons. For more information

on the concert schedule see www.concert.ee;

the programme for the national opera is posted

at www.opera.ee. Tickets can be bought at

the box offices or via ticket agencies located in

all larger supermarkets, or via Internet (www.

piletilevi.ee)

Even the most sceptical museum-goer is bound

to find something intriguing in Estonia’s large

selection of museums, which feature everything

from history, art, photography to toys, chocolate,

musical instruments, even wax figures and many

other topics. Most museums are closed on Tues-

days and many on Mondays as well. It is advisable

to have cash on hand as many museums do not

accept credit cards.

Tallinn is also bustling well into the night with

booming and blooming club scene. Clubs are

usually open and packed with energised vibes

from Thursday to Sunday, with Friday and Satur-

day drawing the liveliest of crowds. In addition

to local and resident DJs, clubs frequently present

guest performers from London, the US and other

club hubs. For those looking for a more mellow

night on the town, Tallinn’s street are brimming

with pubs, vinoteks and bar-restaurants, many of

which offer live music even on weekdays. Rather

take in a movie? Films in cinemas are shown in

the original language with subtitles.

ShopsSouvenir shops in Tallinn and most other tourist

locations are open seven days a week, 10:00-

18:00 or 19:00. Big supermarkets and hyper-

markets are open seven days a week from 9:00-

21:00 or 10:00-22:00. Department stores close

a few hours earlier on Sundays or, in smaller

towns, may be closed on Sundays. Smaller food

shops may have shorter opening hours. Some

24-hour shops can be found as well. Other

shops usually open at 9:00 or 10:00 and close at

18:00 or 19:00; they often close early on Satur-

days and are closed on Sundays. The majority of

shops accept credit cards, with the exception of

smaller stores and stores in rural areas.


SouvenirsSouvenir and shopping preferences vary hugely

but there are certain souvenir gifts that have

gladdened many a heart. Estonian handicraft

comes in many forms. There are woollen sweat-

ers and mittens with local ethnic patterns, linen

sheets and tablecloths, crocheted shawls and

veils, colourful woven rugs, handmade jewellery

and glassware, baskets, and an array of wooden

spoons and butterknives made from juniper. Fine

and applied art for show and purchase is on dis-

play at art galleries around the country, featur-

ing graphics, glass, ceramics, hand-painted silk

scarves and leatherwork. Various herbal teas from

wild plants are available at pharmacies. Local

honey – pure or flavoured, e.g. ginger, is another

delicious treat. In rural areas, you may find hand-

milled flour. And those who keep coming back

swear by the Estonian black rye bread. To bring

home local spirits, popular choices include Vana

Tallinn or kristallkümmel liqueur or local beer. And

there is no place better than Estonia to buy Esto-

nian music.

CrimeAlthough common sense is advisable in all desti-

nations, Estonia gives no particular reason to be

excessively worried. Do not walk the unlit and

abandoned areas alone at night. Do not leave

bags or items of value in the car, as not to tempt

car thieves or robbers. Pickpockets may oper-

ate at crowded tourist destinations in Tallinn, so

make sure your wallet and documents are stored

safely.

LanguageEstonian is not widely spoken in the world, so

Estonians do not expect short-term visitors to

master the local language. Still, local people

are thrilled and pleased to hear a foreigner say

“Tere!” (Hi!) or “Aitäh (Thank you) in Estonian.

Knowledge of foreign languages is naturally a

must for hotel staff and numerous other pro-

fessions in the service sector. Many people are

fluent in English, particularly the younger urban

generation, and a great number of people also

speak Finnish, due to Finnish TV, Finland’s close

proximity to Estonia and the great number of

Finnish tourists. German is less widely spoken

in Estonia, although previous generations have

often studied German, not English, at school.

Russian-language use has dropped to a point

where older people no longer speak the lan-

guage well and the younger generation have

already chosen other languages to learn at

school. Studying French has become more popu-

lar over the last few years but the number of

people who speak French is still quite small. An

English-Estonian dictionary is available online at

www.ibs.ee/dict.

EstoniansEstonians are typical Nordic people – they are

reserved, not too talkative and speak rather mo-

notonously, with very little intonation. All this

may give one the impression of coldness border-

ing on rudeness. But rest assured, this is not the

case, and the speaker may actually be extremely

well-meaning, even excited. There are several

well-known Estonian sayings, such as “Think first,

then speak”, “Weigh everything carefully nine

times before making a move”, and “Talking is sil-

ver, silence is gold”. It is, therefore, no wonder

that the people are not very good at small talk, do

not waste too much time on grand introductions,

and usually come straight to the point. This is why

Estonians’ English may sometimes sound shock-

ingly direct. There is, however, often a subtle irony

involved in Estonians’ utterances - delivered with

a serious face and just the slightest twinkle of the

eye.

Estonians are relatively individualistic. There is a

saying that five Estonians mean six parties. Even

though people agree on the final objective, they

insist on reaching it in their own ways. Estonians

also value their privacy. In the old days, it was said

that the neighbour’s house was close enough if

you could see the smoke from the chimney. Mod-

ern, tight-packed urbanites flock to remote coun-

tryside on the weekends to enjoy more space and

privacy.

Even though guests at birthday parties and con-

certs are rather quiet and subdued in the onset,

they warm up eventually and turn into a direct

opposite of their day-character, as you are likely

to see in Tallinn’s clubs.


I TOURISM

From Design to Production. With ease.

ESTONIA

Estonia is home of Skype and

many other inventions that

would ease your business and

communication. We help you to expand out of the old frame.

Small and quick – Estonia can

provide fexible solutions

One stop business for com-plementing your supply

chain: Solution + Development

+ Production + IT support

Find out more

» investinestonia.com

e-mail: [email protected]:+3726279700

ESTONIA

Estonia is home of Skype and

many other inventions that

would ease your business and

communication. We help WW you to expand out of the old frame.

Small and quick – Esk tonia can

pro

Oplemch+

Fin

»

e-mail: [email protected]:+3726279700

mall and quick Esk tonia can

ovide fexible solutions

ne stop business for com-ementing your supply

hain: Solution + Development

Production + IT support

nd out more

investinestonia.com

Summer 2010

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