9 November 2026 – 15 November 2026

Not sure where to be this week? Every week, in partnership with Gamma, we present a hand-picked selection of the five most compelling events taking place in and around Tallinn – it’s time to plan your week with purpose.

Mari, Sweetie: Screening & Afterparty

Terminal Records&Bar, Kalamaja Põhikooli Korvpalliplats, Tallinn

Wednesday,11 November, from 8.30pm

Mari, Sweetie gets its celebration, with a screening of Vivian Säde’s short film followed by live music from Lisanna Kuningas, written in the world of the film.

Continue reading Your Tallinn hit list: the top 5 events this week at Estonian World.

Estonia is using this week’s Tallinn Digital Summit, with selected sessions streamed live, to make the case for a new kind of government: one where AI agents do more than answer questions – they carry out public services under human oversight.

The idea is central to the two-day meeting, which brings political leaders, technologists, businesses and security experts to Estonia’s National Library on 5 and 6 November. Its question is how democracies can thrive in what organisers call the “agentic era”, as AI systems begin to act on people’s behalf.

The promise of an agentic state

An AI agent might file a form, arrange a service or complete a routine administrative task.

Continue reading Tallinn Digital Summit 2026 live: Estonia debates AI agents and the future of government at Estonian World.

Eesti Energia, Estonia’s energy company and the largest oil shale to energy firm in the world, is, according to a recent index, the most valuable company in Estonia, valued at €3.6 billion.

The latest TOP101 ranking of Estonia’s most valuable companies, compiled by Prudentia Advisory – a company specialising in mergers and acquisitions advisory services – and the Nasdaq Tallinn Stock Exchange, in collaboration with the law firm Triniti and the asset management company INVL Family Office, saw Eesti Energia take the top spot with a value of €3.6 billion, followed by Luminor Bank at €2.5 billion and Swedbank at €2.2 billion. 

Eesti Energia has also topped the TOP101 ranking in 2020–2021 and last year.

Continue reading Energy giant Eesti Energia Estonia’s most valuable company at Estonian World.

A consortium of Estonian defence companies led by technology firm Nortal sought to secure a €700 million government contract to build a nationwide drone defence system without a competitive tender, according to an investigation by the business newspaper Äripäev; the proposal was rejected by the defence ministry amid concerns over procurement rules and political pressure.

A plan to protect Estonia from hostile drones has exposed uncomfortable questions about the relationship between political power, private business and the rapidly expanding defence industry in a country on NATO’s eastern frontier.

The consortium, led by the Estonian software and consultancy company Nortal, proposed a seven-year agreement worth approximately €700 million to develop an integrated anti-drone shield.

Continue reading Estonian defence firms sought a €700 million drone shield deal without a public tender at Estonian World.

At least 11 European countries have reported incidents involving supermarket refrigeration systems; in Estonia, one Selver shop is confirmed to have been targeted, although a refrigeration company says other clients may also have been affected.

The attackers accessed a computer used to control a shop’s refrigeration system and changed its temperature settings. At the affected Selver, a freezer setting was raised to 50°C (122°F). The intrusion was detected and stopped quickly, before it caused damage to goods.

Selver said the incident took place at one of its outlets, the last in its chain still using an older refrigeration control system.

Continue reading A cyber-attack hits an Estonian supermarket as hackers target fridges across Europe at Estonian World.

A major exhibition of the late Estonian artist Anu Põder has opened at Sweden’s Moderna Museet in Malmö, bringing her unconventional sculptures to an international audience before travelling to Stockholm and Finland.

Põder, who died in 2013 at the age of 66, was known for her unconventional use of everyday materials and her exploration of the human body, memory and vulnerability. Working with everything from plaster and textiles to wax, plastic, soap and fat, she created sculptures that challenged traditional ideas about form, permanence and the relationship between art and the body.

The exhibition, her first solo presentation in Sweden, brings together around 20 works borrowed from the Art Museum of Estonia, the Tartu Art Museum and the Anu Põder Estate.

Continue reading Anu Põder’s sculptures take centre stage at Sweden’s Moderna Museet at Estonian World.

After four decades as Estonia’s honorary consul, Jaak Treiman reflects on how the country’s presidents have built its influence abroad – each in a distinctly different way.

I have served as Estonia’s honorary consul for the past 40 years. From that vantage point, I have observed how the country’s presidents, from Lennart Meri to Alar Karis, have shaped its international image and influence.

Although Estonia’s president has domestic responsibilities, the head of state’s principal duties lie in the international arena, protecting and advancing the country’s interests within the international community. That is a formidable task for anyone representing a nation of just 1.3 million people, especially in today’s multipolar reality where Great Power politics is ascendant.

Continue reading Jaak Treiman: how Estonia’s presidents have made a small country heard at Estonian World.

The six-month outage of the Estonia–Finland power link showed that resilience depends on more than spare equipment: Europe must be able to restore essential services before further failures deepen the damage, writes Amir Naser Hojati, a futures trader and fintech entrepreneur.

The spare cable was ready. The ship was not.

When a ship’s anchor damaged EstLink 2, the 650-megawatt electricity link between Finland and Estonia, on Christmas Day 2024, its operators faced a costly choice. They could wait for a specialist cable-laying vessel, potentially until late 2025, or adapt a construction vessel to restore the connection sooner.

Continue reading Amir Naser Hojati: EstLink 2 exposed a gap in Europe’s infrastructure resilience at Estonian World.

Estonian-American Lembit Beecher grew up speaking Estonian with his mother and English with his father; now the composer, pianist and animator draws on family stories of migration and homeland, bringing them into music that will be heard in Toronto, Canada, and at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Estonia.

When Dear Mountains receives its Canadian premiere at Toronto’s Koerner Hall on 20 November, the music will move between archival recordings, family testimony and imagined scenes of life across a scattered Armenian diaspora.

The 42-minute oratorio was commissioned and first performed by Cantori New York in 2024.

Continue reading Estonian-American composer Lembit Beecher turns family memory into music at Estonian World.

2 November 2026 – 8 November 2026

Not sure where to be this week? Every week, in partnership with Gamma, we present a hand-picked selection of the five most compelling events taking place in and around Tallinn – it’s time to plan your week with purpose.

Manu Delago & Max ZT: Soundscapes

Niguliste museum, Tallinn

Monday, 2 November, from 7pm

On All Souls’ Day, Grammy-nominated musicians Manu Delago and Max ZT bring an evening of adventurous sound to Niguliste Museum.

Continue reading Your Tallinn hit list: the top 5 events this week at Estonian World.

Jonatan Vseviov, a former secretary general of Estonia’s foreign ministry who left his post to join the Social Democratic Party and run for a seat in the parliament, wants Estonia to become a more influential European power, revive its economy and strengthen social security; his first major political speech offered an ambitious programme, but left its financing and implementation largely unexplained.

On 22 October, Vseviov announced that he was leaving his post as secretary general of Estonia’s foreign ministry to join the Social Democratic Party and run for a seat in the Estonian parliament. His departure took effect on 1 November, ending a lengthy career at the highest levels of Estonia’s diplomatic and defence establishment.

Continue reading Jonatan Vseviov sets out a new vision for Estonia, but difficult questions remain at Estonian World.

Estonian-founded software unicorn Pipedrive is preparing to eliminate 267 jobs in Estonia and close offices elsewhere in Europe, in a sweeping restructuring that raises questions about the future of traditional software businesses, the company’s growth prospects and the intentions of its American private equity owner.

Pipedrive, one of Estonia’s most prominent technology success stories, announced the largest restructuring in its 16-year history on 29 October, with plans to significantly reduce its global workforce, management structure and office network.

According to the Estonian business newspaper Äripäev, the company plans to cut 219 positions in Tallinn and 48 in Tartu, equivalent to 70 per cent of its 380 employees in Estonia.

Continue reading Estonia’s Pipedrive to cut 70% of local workforce as AI disrupts its business model at Estonian World.

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Estonian World brings you the latest reactions from Estonia. For updates from 2022, please see a separate article.

1 November 2026 – Tallinn students invite schools to join Ukraine aid drive

Students at Tallinn European School are inviting schools across Estonia to help collect one tonne of humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Their school gathered nearly 250 kilograms last year.

The four students leading the Schools for Victory initiative say young people can make a difference by turning concern into practical help. They are contacting schools and student councils, hoping to build on the effort with support from across the country.

Continue reading Updates: Russia’s war against Ukraine – Estonian perspective at Estonian World.

A delivery robot ran onto a pedestrian crossing against a red light in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, on Monday evening, leaving up to nine bus passengers injured after the driver braked sharply.

The robot entered a crossing against the lights, forcing a bus driver to brake sharply; Starship Technologies, the company behind the delivery robots, has opened an investigation and changed their route.

The incident happened at the junction of Luise and Tehnika streets in the city’s Kristiine district. The robot was travelling from Tehnika Street when it entered the crossing, according to Tallinn City Transport.

Continue reading Updated: a delivery robot runs a red light in Tallinn, Estonia, injuring bus passengers at Estonian World.

The Estonian parliament has adopted amendments to the Weapons Act that simplify the acquisition, possession and use of firearms, reducing the administrative burden on gun owners and businesses; the changes mark the first step towards a more liberal firearms policy.

The Weapons Act and the Explosives Act were amended to enhance public safety, improve oversight of firearms handling, strengthen the reliability of registries and data protection, reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, and support national defence readiness and the public’s willingness to defend the country.

Interior Minister Igor Taro said Estonia’s approach to firearms and their use was already satisfactory, but the laws had not kept pace with changes in the security environment.

Continue reading Estonia to liberalise its firearms’ policies at Estonian World.

According to the Freedom on the Net 2026 index, compiled by Freedom House, Estonia has the freest internet in the world.

In this year’s index, Estonia scored 91 out of 100, giving it the freest internet, ahead of Costa Rica, Taiwan, Australia and France.

Most countries in Europe – and the world – were not assessed in this year’s index, including Finland, Latvia and Lithuania. Freedom House said it paused coverage of 34 countries in this edition. The 38 countries assessed were selected to represent a range of environments across different regions, political systems and types of internet control.

Continue reading Estonia has the freest internet in the world at Estonian World.

An estimated 9.9 per cent of Estonia’s working-age population is employed in sectors such as technology, advanced services and the creative industries; the figure puts the country close to Europe’s leaders, though the 2026 ranking is based partly on estimates.

Estonia is among a small group of European countries where about one in ten working-age adults is employed in knowledge-intensive businesses, according to a new index.

The 2026 Geography of Europe’s Brain Business Jobs Index, produced by the European Centre for Entrepreneurship and Policy Reform, or ECEPR, with support from Nordic Capital, estimates the share in Estonia at 9.9 per cent.

Continue reading Estonia joins Europe’s top tier for knowledge-intensive jobs at Estonian World.

26 October 2026 – 1 November 2026

Not sure where to be this week? Every week, in partnership with Gamma, we present a hand-picked selection of the five most compelling events taking place in and around Tallinn – it’s time to plan your week with purpose.

AWARË Sound Journey

Kultuurikatel, Tallinn

Wednesday, 28 October, from 7pm

AWARË grew out of a creative friendship and is built on close harmonies, purposeful silences and an enveloping atmosphere.

Continue reading Your Tallinn hit list: the top 5 events this week at Estonian World.

In 1739, the Bible was published in Estonian; it helped establish North Estonian as the dominant written standard and shaped the language that would become central to national identity.

In 1739, a modest book appeared in Tallinn. Few people beyond Estonia are likely to have heard of it. It was called Piibli Ramat, roughly “Bible Book”. It was neither the first religious text in Estonian nor the first attempt to write the language. But it was the first complete translation of the Bible into Estonian, with far-reaching consequences for the language and culture.

Continue reading The book that helped shape the Estonian language at Estonian World.

In Estonia’s industrial east, basements, garages and dachas offer residents room to negotiate identity, memory and belonging; in The Future of Hiding, anthropologist Francisco Martínez explores these private worlds and challenges the idea of Estonia as a homogeneous society.

Ida-Virumaa, Estonia’s north-eastern region, has been shaped by oil shale mining, industrialisation, deportations and its position on the country’s eastern frontier. It is also a place where questions of language, history and national identity can feel especially charged.

In The Future of Hiding, Martínez draws on five years of research in the region to look beyond its familiar public image.

Continue reading Inside Estonia’s “Siberia”: how hidden spaces shape identity and belonging at Estonian World.