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Culture of Estonia

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Culture of Estonia. The culture of Estonia combines an indigenous heritage, represented by the country's Uralic national language Estonian, with Nordic cultural aspects.

Culture of Estonia

Due to its history and geography, Estonia's culture has been influenced by the traditions of the adjacent area's various Finnic, Baltic, Slavic and Germanic peoples, as well as by cultural developments in the former dominant powers, Sweden and Russia. Traditionally, Estonia has been seen as an area of rivalry between western and eastern Europe on many levels. An example of this geopolitical legacy is an exceptional combination of multiple nationally-recognized Christian traditions: Western Christianity (Catholic, Protestant) and Eastern Christianity (Orthodox Church).

List of Estonians. This is a list of notable Estonians Architects[edit] Andres Alver (born 1953)Dmitri Bruns (born 1929)Karl Burman (1882–1965)Madis Eek (born 1966)Eugen Habermann (1884–1944)Georg Hellat (1870–1943)Otto Pius Hippius (1826–1883)Erich Jacoby (1885–1941)Herbert Johanson (1884–1964)Peep Jänes (born 1936)Louis I.

List of Estonians

Kahn (1901–1974), (USA)Raine Karp (born 1939)Alar Kotli (1904–1963)Edgar-Johan Kuusik (1888–1974)Ernst Gustav Kühnert (1885–1961)Vilen Künnapu (born 1948)Leonhard Lapin (born 1947)Elmar Lohk (1901–1963)Margit Mutso (born 1966)Robert Natus (1890–1950)Uno Prii (1924–2000)Raivo Puusepp (born 1960)Jacques Rosenbaum (1878–1943)Eugen Sacharias (1906–2002)Olev Siinmaa (1881–1948)Elmar Tampõld (born 1920) Estonian literature. Literature. Estophilia. Tarto maa rahwa Näddali Leht (Estonian for Tartu Peasant's Weekly) was one of the first regular Estonian language publications, published in 1807.


Estophilia (from Greek: φίλος, "dear, loving") refers to the ideas and activities of people not of Estonian descent who are sympathetic to or interested in Estonian language, Estonian literature or Estonian culture, History of Estonia and Estonia in general. Such people are known as Estophiles. Its opposite is Estophobia. The term particularly refers to the activities of the Estophile Movement of the late 18th to early 19th century, when Baltic German scholars began documenting and promoting Estonian culture and language. Media. List of Estonian films. This is a list of most notable films produced in Estonia and in the Estonian language in chronological order. 1912-1918[edit]

List of Estonian films

List of Estonian war films. Music of Estonia. The earliest mentioning of Estonian singing and dancing dates back to Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum (c. 1179).[1] Saxo speaks of Estonian warriors who sang at night while waiting for an epic battle.

Music of Estonia

The Estonian folk music tradition is broadly divided into 2 periods. The older folksongs are also referred to as runic songs, songs in the poetic metre regivärss the tradition shared by all Baltic-Finnic peoples. Runic singing was widespread among Estonians until the 18th century, when it started to be replaced by rhythmic folksongs. Estonian Song Festival. The Estonian Song Festival (in Estonian: Laulupidu) is one of the largest amateur choral events in the world, a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Estonian Song Festival

It is held every five years in July on the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds (Lauluväljak).[1] The joint choir has comprised 30,000 singers performing to an audience of 80,000.[1][2] History[edit] The tradition of the song festival was born along with Estonian national awakening. The first national song festival was held in Tartu in the summer of 1869.[1] One of the organisers of the first song festival was Johann Voldemar Jannsen. In the first three festivals only men's choirs and brass orchestras participated. 822 singers and 56 brass players participated in the first festival. Starting from 1947, the Soviet authorities forced foreign songs into the repertoire. Music. Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest. Estonia first entered the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994.

Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest

Its first appearance would have taken place in 1993 with Janika Sillamaa and "Muretut meelt ja südametuld", however a qualification round was just installed for former Eastern bloc countries and she did not manage to qualify to the Grand Final. Its first contest participation in 1994 was not a successful one, coming second last only to Lithuania.

As such, the country was relegated from the 1995 contest. Its second entry, Maarja-Liis Ilus and Ivo Linna with "Kaelakee hääl", in 1996 was the complete opposite, coming 5th with 94 points. This was the first top 5 ranking for a former USSR country. Estonian national awakening. Architecture of Estonia. This article covers the architecture of Estonia.

Architecture of Estonia

History[edit] Ancient Estonia[edit] A distinguishing feature of early Estonian architecture are the many strongholds and hill-forts found throughout the country, for example Varbola Stronghold. Architecture. Public holidays in Estonia. Holidays. Estonian cuisine. Cold table[edit] Flounder The first course in traditional Estonian cuisine is based on cold dishes - a selection of meats and sausages served with potato salad or rosolje, an Estonian signature dish, almost identical to Swedish sillsallad, based on beetroot, potatoes and herring.[2] Small pastries called pirukad ("pirukas" in the singular) - a relative of the pirozhki - filled with meat, cabbage, carrots, rice and other fillings or mixtures are also popular, and are often served with bouillon.

Estonian cuisine

Herring is common among other fish as a part of the Estonian cold table. Smoked or marinated eel, crayfish dishes, and imported crabs and shrimps are considered delicacies. One of Estonia's national dishes is räim (Baltic dwarf herring), along with sprats. Soups[edit] Soups may be eaten before the main course, but traditionally formed the main meal and most often are made of meat or chicken stock mixed with a variety of vegetables. Main course[edit] Black pudding. Black pudding is the native British version of blood sausage.

Black pudding

It is generally made from pork blood and a relatively high proportion of oatmeal. In the past it was occasionally flavoured with pennyroyal, differing from continental European versions in its relatively limited range of ingredients and reliance on oatmeal and barley instead of onions to absorb the blood.[1] It can be eaten cold, as it is cooked in production, but is often grilled, fried or boiled in its skin. Kalev (confectioner) Cuisine. Curd snack. Kama (food) A bowl of kama Kama (in Estonian) or talkkuna (in Finnish) is a traditional Estonian and Finnish finely milled flour mixture. The kama or talkkuna powder is a mixture of roasted barley, rye, oat and pea flour. The oat flour may be completely replaced by wheat flour, or kibbled black beans[disambiguation needed] may be added to the mixture. Historically kama was a non-perishable, easy to carry food that could be quickly fashioned into a stomach-filling snack by rolling it into butter or lard; it didn't require baking, as it was already roasted.

Nowadays it is used for making some desserts. Kama can be bought as a souvenir in Estonia. A similar product is skrädmjöl, a flour, consisting exclusively of roasted oats, which is traditionally made in the Swedish province of Värmland. Kama has an other meaning in Finnish colloquial language. Sport in Estonia. Sport plays an important role in Estonian culture. Estonia first competed as a nation at the 1920 Summer Olympics, although the National Olympic Committee was established in 1923.

Estonian athletes took part at every Olympic Games until the country was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940. The 1980 Summer Olympics sailing regatta was held in the capital city Tallinn. Estonia has won most of its Olympic medals in weightlifting, wrestling, and cross-country skiing.[1] Basketball[edit] The Estonia national basketball team was at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Sports.