The production creates a shared space for performers and the audience, combining spoken texts with childhood games inspired by the past. Tõniste said audience participation would be gentle and non-threatening.

“I have to admit that I do not particularly like being drawn into the action of a performance myself either,” Tõniste, who directs and performs in the production, said. “But I dare say that the way we do it is a very soft landing. It is more like a school trip to an amusement park. There is nothing frightening about it. You do not have to express yourself in front of others or perform. Nobody is made to look foolish.”

Tõniste said the title Tivoli suited the production for several reasons. “A tivoli is an organised environment, but at the same time there is great confusion. And partly because tivoli is simply a good old-fashioned word. Since nostalgia is the recurring theme of the production, it felt like a perfect fit,” he said.

The cast includes four performers and a large number of colourful props. Performer Üüve-Lydia Toompere said the production contained many small but important details.

“There are a lot of small details that need attention and are extremely important. As a performer, you keep creating new layers and depth for yourself. It takes time to understand the whole,” Toompere said.

She described the production as entertaining, engaging and somewhat thought-provoking. Tivoli will run at Kanuti Gildi Saal in September and October. The performance is in English.

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The funding will cover the design and construction of the centres, as well as related services and work. Earlier tenders for designing and building the centres ended without results and were therefore held again.

Design work is expected to take nine months after the contracts are signed. Construction is scheduled to take 15 to 16 months after the design work is completed, with the centres planned to be commissioned by the end of 2028.

Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava of the National Alliance has ordered a critical review of the design requirements for the three centres. The planned building volumes are to be reduced while retaining the space and functionality required by the services and institutions using the facilities.

The ministry must also assess how optimisation measures could affect construction costs and ensure that projected costs are reduced by at least 10 percent. The savings are to be redirected towards strengthening the capacity of national security and interior services.

By mid-October, the Interior Ministry must submit proposals to improve the development and implementation of construction projects in the interior sector. The proposals are to include more thorough assessments of land suitability, a critical review of requirements set by services and institutions, and stricter monitoring of construction estimates and costs.

A total of 32 disaster management centres are being developed across Latvia. The centres are intended to bring together several services, including the State Fire and Rescue Service, State Police and Emergency Medical Service, along with other services and institutions involved in responding to emergencies.

Construction of 21 disaster management centres has been completed so far. The first centres were formally opened on June 1, 2023.

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Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart, chair of the Riigikogu Anti-Corruption Select Committee, said the classification had not been sufficiently analysed.

“I get the impression that the state secret markings were added selectively and without analysis,” Kovalenko-Kõlvart said. She said it was understandable that information related to security or confidentiality restrictions could be classified, but questioned why sections analysing risks, proposals and decisions based on those proposals had also been covered.

In her view, classified information should remain protected while the rest of such documents should be made available to the public.

Last week, Kovalenko-Kõlvart commented on risks described in restricted documents concerning the decision to enter into the Datasel transaction. RKIK then reprimanded her for disclosing information covered by state secrecy. She said the centre had itself acknowledged that it had not sufficiently analysed which information should be classified.

“Director General Elmar Vaher has admitted that they did not have the opportunity to analyse what should and should not be covered,” Kovalenko-Kõlvart said. She added that this was not the first time an uncomfortable issue had emerged and documents had then suddenly been classified for 75 years. In her view, this was not a transparent or sound practice for oversight.

Peeter Tali, a Riigikogu member who has worked with state secrets for more than 20 years and who chairs the National Defence Committee, has also seen the documents. He said there was no reason to doubt officials’ competence in deciding how state secrets should be protected.

Under the law, Tali said, the author of a document decides its classification level and whether it should be designated for internal use. He said the classification of state secrets was strictly regulated by law and that it was difficult for him to believe an Estonian official had exceeded those limits or abused the law.

Tali added that a document’s classification could be removed for a valid reason if new circumstances emerged, but said no new circumstances had arisen in this case.

Attorney-at-law Karmen Turk said the law did not allow entire documents to be protected as state secrets, only specific information within them. She said information created by the state or public authorities was generally public, with access restrictions imposed in certain cases, such as to protect personal data or trade secrets. State secrecy, however, applies to information whose disclosure could harm Estonia’s security or foreign relations, and any classification must meet the criteria set by law.

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The order states that Fridman and Usmanov meet the criteria for Latvia’s national sanctions against individuals linked to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

Fridman is described as a prominent businessman close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and one of the main shareholders in Alfa Group. He is also a shareholder in Rosvodokanal, one of Russia’s leading private water supply companies, and ABH Holdings, which controlled one of Russia’s largest banks, Alfa Bank, and continues to control other Alfa Group companies.

The document says Russian authorities expropriated the ownership rights of the European Union management company in Alfa Bank’s Russian management company, JSC AB Holding, in 2024. As a result, indirect shareholders, including Fridman, became direct shareholders in the Russian management company. Fridman later sold those new direct ownership rights to a third party, receiving a substantial payment in Russia, according to the order.

Usmanov is described as an influential businessman close to Putin and one of the main shareholders in USM Holdings. The document says he has close ties to Putin and has been identified as one of the Russian president’s closest prominent business figures.

Usmanov is also described as having close ties to Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council and a former president and prime minister of Russia. The document says Medvedev benefited from using luxury residences controlled by Usmanov for personal purposes.

According to the order, Usmanov owns or directly controls assets, or controls them through USM Holdings, in key sectors of the Russian economy. His largest controlled company is steel producer Metalloinvest, which, along with other companies, operates in the mining sector and provides an important source of revenue for the Russian budget.

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The festival opened with the Swiss-Estonian baroque duo Viiv and its concert “Rebels and Dreamers of the Early Baroque”. Siri Löeffel and Priit Peterson are performing 17th-century Italian music on recorder and the relatively rare theorbo, a lute-related instrument.

“The theorbo comes from 17th-century Italy and is a distant relative of the guitar. Although this is a guitar festival, it cannot be called a guitar; it is more directly related to the lute,” Peterson explained.

He said the instrument has seven long bass strings that produce a low sound. It was historically used mainly as an accompanying instrument, while its possibilities as a solo instrument are fairly limited.

Peterson said he was particularly drawn to the theorbo’s distinctive tone. He added that the instrument offers opportunities to play with other instruments and is in demand in early music, although there are relatively few theorbo players.

The festival’s remaining concerts will focus on classical guitar music. Among the performers is Harald Trass, a winner of several competitions.

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“I think we can talk about that,” Nausėda said in a video comment provided by the Presidential Palace in response to LRT’s questions.

He said the number would probably be similar to the previous rotation and would likely not be lower. A difference of 100 troops in either direction would not be significant, he added, describing the deployment as an important deterrent in the current geopolitical context.

Nausėda said earlier on Tuesday that a new US troop rotation was on its way to Lithuania. He said details were still being coordinated, but that he had been told the logistical process was moving forward and had entered its final stage.

The president said he had heard from the United States that the rotation would return and that the decision, which is important for Lithuania’s security, had essentially been made.

Nausėda attributed the decision in part to Lithuania’s offer of a generous host-nation support package, its commitment to allocate 5.4% of gross domestic product to defence, its solidarity on issues related to the Strait of Hormuz, its readiness to send a demining mission, and its energy and broader economic cooperation with the United States.

He also highlighted talks with the head of defence industry giant Lockheed Martin about opportunities to develop projects in Lithuania. The discussions covered expanding the company’s activities in the country, involving Lithuanian businesses in its supply chains, localising the production of certain components and developing maintenance capabilities.

“I think the United States has formed the impression that Lithuania is both a reliable and strong partner with which it is worthwhile to cooperate strategically,” Nausėda said.

The United States is currently reviewing its troop presence in Europe. More than 1,000 US troops completed a rotation in Lithuania this summer. The United States has regularly deployed troop battalions to Lithuania since 2019, and changed the status of its forces in the country to continuous rotational deployment after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

These reinforced battalions usually consist of 1,000 or more troops and various types of combat equipment. Lithuania has previously said it is ready to host up to 1,500 US troops.

In August, the United States sent a questionnaire asking European countries to demonstrate progress in taking primary responsibility for the continent’s defence after an agreement to increase military budgets.

Nausėda confident German brigade will arrive in full

Nausėda also said he was confident that Germany’s brigade in Lithuania would be deployed at full strength.

“The German brigade will be in Lithuania in its entirety,” he told LRT in New York on Tuesday, referring to a commitment made by Germany’s chancellor and government.

Under an agreement between Lithuania and Germany, Berlin plans to deploy a brigade of about 5,000 troops in Lithuania by the end of 2027. Most of the brigade will be based at the Rūdninkai training area in Šalčininkai district.

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The project is still being designed, and the Liepaja municipality invited residents to a meeting to hear their objections and consider possible changes.

Residents living near the lake often deal with mud, flooded yards and streets. One resident, Kristaps, said heavy rain leaves roads with deep holes that are difficult to drive through, while cars are constantly covered in dirt and dust.

Another resident, Uldis, said the city needs the barrier because water levels are rising.

The project includes a barrier with a road, a carriageway, pedestrian and bicycle paths, and lighting. It also calls for improvements to the sewage system and the construction of a pumping station.

According to Dina Tapiņa, deputy head of the Liepaja City Council’s Project Implementation Department, the barrier would also help protect the lake from pollution caused by the possible flow of rainwater and sewage into it.

Construction is estimated to cost about 4 million euros. The municipality would provide 600,000 euros in co-financing, with the remainder covered by European funds. However, the municipality expects the final cost to be higher because design work has shown that the soil is less stable than anticipated and will require additional reinforcement.

The main concerns raised by residents involve the barrier’s height and its effect on daily life. Some residents recalled that water levels on private properties increased after an earlier street renovation. One homeowner said they once had to remove about 150 litres of water from a basement.

Several boat cooperatives are also located in the planned barrier area. The municipality says their operations will not be affected, but land tenants have calculated that they could potentially face losses of several thousand euros.

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The route marked in blue on Elering’s map of Saaremaa has caused confusion among residents for several years. Several possible routes were initially considered, but the line has now been selected as the route for Estonia’s fourth electricity connection with Latvia.

“It crosses my property and will be 300 to 400 metres from my home. It is definitely disturbing. I collected signatures on behalf of the village, but they have not been taken particularly seriously,” said Eve, a resident of Tõnija village.

Residents have submitted 500 proposed changes to the route over the years, while the planning process has already cost 1.5 million euros.

At a public discussion in Kuressaare, many continued to question why such a large overhead line should pass through Saaremaa’s natural environment. Elering is seeking a less expensive way to build the connection needed by the state, while island residents are concerned about their homes and the island.

“An underground cable or a submarine cable, which could be built, is not being discussed. That issue has been set aside. I do not understand why there is no willingness to consider a submarine cable, except that it is said to be more expensive,” said Mikk, a resident of Laimjala.

Priit Heinla, Elering’s head of external connections development, said an overhead line would be the most economically efficient option.

“The planning was initiated for this reason. Elering has not taken any offshore wind farm into account as part of the fourth Estonia-Latvia connection,” Heinla said.

According to Heinla, a route directly across the sea, with one or two supporting substations built on Saaremaa, would be more expensive.

The Saaremaa municipal government has previously said that only an underground cable or a submarine cable from a substation on the island’s southern coast to Latvia could be permitted. The municipality will submit its position to the planning process again this month.

“The alternatives are not being considered. This is bulldozer politics, and it is upsetting people,” Mikk said.

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Latvia’s National Armed Forces said the obstacles near the border are only one part of a broader defence system that will also include the ability to lay mines, indirect-fire support, sensors and assistance for the border guard. The country has initially allocated 303 million euros for border reinforcement over five years.

Hundreds of reinforced-concrete obstacles are currently being stored at the former Zaiceva airfield in Aluksne Municipality before being gradually transported closer to the state border.

“These obstacles are installed in open areas that would otherwise be easy for tracked and wheeled vehicles to cross. When rows of dragon’s teeth are combined with an anti-tank ditch, enemy vehicles cannot physically overcome them without specialised engineering equipment,” said Sergeant Adolf Grins, a representative of the Engineer Company of the National Guard’s 2nd Vidzeme Brigade.

Latvia’s borders with Russia and Belarus are more than 450 kilometres long, but the concrete obstacles will not be installed continuously along the entire border. They will be concentrated in places where the terrain would allow heavy equipment to move.

Production of the obstacles began in August. Since September, anti-tank ditches have been actively dug and dragon’s teeth installed in border areas.

“A total of 13,000 dragon’s teeth need to be produced, and 7,500 have already been made. On average, one dragon’s tooth is produced and delivered every one and a half minutes,” said Dace Plotniece, head of the foreign and border projects division at VNĪ.

Balvu Municipality is currently the most active work area. About two kilometres of ditches have been dug there, along with approximately one kilometre of dragon’s teeth being installed, Plotniece said.

The defence infrastructure is not limited to the immediate border. Some mobility and counter-mobility measures may also be built deeper inside the country, requiring the use of municipal and private land.

Private land will also be used under an established procedure. Owners will be informed in advance that their land will be used and that vehicles will move across it, while the necessary approvals will be obtained. There is also a procedure for recording possible damage caused by moving across the property and carrying out the required work.

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At Tõnismäe State Gymnasium, the school was quiet during the one-hour warning strike. Twenty-one teachers, about a quarter of the staff, took part. Students whose first lesson was cancelled either studied independently or arrived for their second lesson.

Strike leader Helerin Paeoja said excessive workload was a key concern.

“In my view, it is wrong that teachers’ workload is calculated based on contact lessons. In many schools, full-time work means 22 45-minute lessons. If preparing for each lesson takes 30 minutes to an hour, the 35-hour working week is already exceeded. All the other tasks are done in the teacher’s free time,” Paeoja said.

At Tallinn Open School, a municipal school, 26 of the 70 employees took part in the strike. The participating teachers and students remained at the school, and some lessons were replaced.

“The strike at the school looked like this: at 9 a.m., the computers were switched off, worksheets were put away, and we were told not to talk about work. Instead, we discussed other topics,” said project-based learning teacher Anneli Hallap.

School head Sandra Järv said she supported the teachers’ strike, although cancelled lessons created inconvenience.

“The aim is to create some inconvenience for a moment, to show how many teachers there are in Estonia, how important it is that they can stand up for their rights, and that the promises made are kept,” Järv said.

Reemo Voltri, chairman of the Estonian Education Personnel Union, said the union would enter Wednesday’s pay talks hoping the government would fulfil its promise to set the minimum teacher salary at the level of the national average wage.

“Since the last parliamentary elections, teachers’ salaries have actually fallen compared with the national average, rather than risen as promised. We expect this trend to change and that next year teachers’ pay will not continue to decline relative to the average,” Voltri said.

The forecast average wage for next year is more than 2,300 euros, while the current minimum salary for teachers is 1,970 euros.

Education Minister Kristina Kallas was unable to give an interview to the “Aktuaalne kaamera” programme because of health problems. In a written statement, she said raising teachers’ salaries was a priority for her in the state budget negotiations.

Kallas is due to meet representatives of the Education Personnel Union and local governments on Wednesday. The government is expected to reach final agreements on the state budget on Thursday.

Regarding the reduction of teachers’ workloads, Kallas said the state, as an employer of schools, had signed a collective agreement guaranteeing a fair workload for teachers at state schools. She also encouraged other school owners to sign collective agreements with their teachers.

Teachers at Paide Gymnasium, a state-owned school, also took part in the warning strike. They said that instead of discussing the size of teachers’ salaries, it should be stated honestly that teachers are expected to do too much work for their current pay.

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