Information on Estonian language studies
Ongoing competitions
National culture society events

Information on Estonian language studies

Come and find out FREE OF CHARGE what our language cafés are all about
Saturday 6 May | Narva

12:30-14:00        Narva Young Sailors Club (1st floor)
15:00-16:30        Narva Central Library
                            Narva Counselling Centre (Keres Centre, 3rd floor, room 308)
17:00-18:30        Narva College of the University of Tartu (gallery hall, basement level)

PLEASE NOTE: You must register in advance by calling 800 9999.  Let us know you’ll be coming – we look forward to seeing you!

Have you studied Estonian at school or on language courses but don’t have many opportunities to use it? Come and join the language cafés organised by the Integration Foundation. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a beginner or more advanced – everyone’s welcome. On 6 May you have a great opportunity to find out first-hand what the language cafés are all about.

So what do they involve? Here are five important things you should know about them.

1. They DON’T involve grammar studies
The language cafés are not language courses. They’re a chance for you to take a break from your everyday routine and practise your Estonian in a relaxed atmosphere outside of the confines of a traditional classroom setting. Your language skills will improve, and you’re sure to meet some great people.

2. Everyone gets the chance to speak
Finally you get an opportunity to focus on speaking Estonian and understanding what others are saying. You also build up your courage and self-assurance in using the language.

3. We keep talking the whole time
We don’t do any writing; we don’t do any exercises; we don’t do any reading. We talk, and talk, and talk.

4. Mistakes are allowed
No one should worry about the fact that their Estonian isn’t perfect. It’s so cute when people with Russian or English as their first language speak Estonian, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter if you make little mistakes.

5. We talk about things that are of interest to people
It’s no secret that we all like to talk about ourselves, our travels, our hobbies, our work and our families. And they’re just the sorts of things we talk about at the language cafés.

The introductory event showcasing the language cafés in Narva on 6 May is being organised by the Integration Foundation as part of Europe Day and the all-Estonian “Let’s Do It!” clean-up campaign.

Come and see what’s on the menu at our language cafés!

In 2017 and 2018 the Integration Foundation is giving people the chance to take part in language cafés all over Estonia so as to support them in their efforts to learn the national language.

The first groups will be starting up in Harju, Ida-Viru, Tartu and Pärnu counties in May.

The language cafés provide support for independent Estonian studies and a chance to practise to those who want to:
- speak Estonian;
- expand their vocabulary;
- practise studying on their own; and
- talk about everyday topics with other people in a relaxed atmosphere.

Each group meets 25 times, with each get-together lasting for 1.5 hours. Group size is max. 16 people.

If you would like to register for the cafés or need more information, e-mail us at info@integratsiooniinfo.ee or call us on our free number 800 9999.

The groups discuss things like introducing yourself, looking for work, training and studying, communicating with colleagues, travelling, enjoying hobbies and marking special days and occasions, as well as everyday situations such as attending doctor’s appointments and dealing with officials.

Led and advised by the people running the groups, an Estonian-language (speaking and listening) environment is created, opportunities for practising spoken Estonian are introduced, the self-assurance of the participants is boosted and skills for independent studies of the language are shaped.

The language cafés are being organised as part of the ‘Moulding attitudes to learning for the independent Estonian language studies of less successfully integrated people’ project (no. 2014-2020.1.06.16) financed by the European Social Fund.

Where can I study and practise Estonian for free?
Information events (in Russian language) in Ahtme, Maardu and Rakvere

The language requirements of professional positions are a concern for many residents of Estonia, who don’t always know where they can find opportunities for language studies and practice.

This May, the Integration Foundation will be organising further information events (in Russian language) in order to showcase participation in the language cafés and other ways of learning Estonian in cooperation with specialists from the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund and the Innove Foundation.

An overview will be provided of the opportunities that are available for learning and practising Estonian. Attendees will also be advised on how to use language-learning resources and materials and how to start (and carry on) studying the language independently.

All of the information events will start at 18:00.
9 May                   TALLINN, Mustamäe Secondary School of Science (E. Vilde tee 64)
10 May                 AHTME, Ahtme Branch Library (Ridaküla 4, Kohtla-Järve)
16 May                 MAARDU, Free Time Centre (Keemikute 12b)
18 May                 RAKVERE, Lääne-Viru County Central Library (Lai 7)

Further details regarding the information sessions and registration are available by calling the free number 800 9999.

Information can also be found on the Integration Foundation website at http://www.integratsioon.ee/eesti-keele-oppe-noustamine.

Ongoing competitions

We support cultural projects that promote integration

The Integration and Migration Foundation has launched a project competition designed to support cultural activities taking place in 2017. The competition is open to projects that bring together people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

According to Jana Tondi, the Head of Language and Cultural Immersion with the Integration Foundation, the organisers hope to see projects submitted that turn attention to Ida-Viru and Harju counties and emphasise greater cooperation between the national groups represented in Estonia. Projects which enable non-Estonians to experience and be part of Estonian culture are also welcome.

“Creating opportunities for people to do things together is the best way to contribute to integration,” Tondi said. “By attending cultural events and taking part in workshops, people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds start interacting more.”  

Festivals, exhibitions and other activities fostering cooperation between people from different backgrounds will be supported as part of the competition. Projects involving the translation and publication of contemporary Estonian children’s and young adult literature are also suitable, along with the organisation of related events.

Last year, as a result of the same competition, the Integration Foundation supported the Estonia National Opera festival ‘A Narva Full of Music!’, a cultural diversity and equal opportunities programme as part of Tallinn Music Week and events of the ‘Meetings with Tarkovski 2016’ project in Tallinn, Maardu, Ida-Viru County, Tartu and Pärnu.

The budget for the competition is 30,000 euros. The maximum amount of support that can be sought for a single project is 10,000 euros.

Applications can be submitted by private and public legal entities registered in Estonia as well as local authorities and the agencies administered by them.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 29 May 2017.

An information session for applicants will be held at 13:00 on 17 May at the Tallinn office of the Integration Foundation (Lõõtsa 2A, 8th floor). Please register for this event in advance by e-mailing sigre.rouk@integratsioon.ee.

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation, telephone: +372 659 9069, e-mail: jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee 

We support the promotion of media education in schools

We invite general education schools and vocational education institutions to submit project applications for the promotion of media education.

The aim of the competition is to foster the media competence of students from upper secondary schools and vocational education institutions as well as their ability to analyse information, critically interpret media messages and themselves create media content.

We support the conducting of interviews, the presentation of news and reports, the making of short films et al. under the guidance of professionals, study trips to media agencies by students and the organisation of information seminars.

The total budget for the project competition is 15,000 euros. The deadline for the submission of applications is 5 June 2017.

The documents and application forms for the competition are available on the Integration Foundation website at https://www.integratsioon.ee/kaimasolevad-konkursid?project_id=692

Those interested in applying are welcome to attend an information session to be held from 15:00-16:30 on 16 May 2017 at the Tallinn office of the Integration Foundation (Lõõtsa 2A, 8th floor).

The project competition is being financed from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Research. 

For further information or to register for the information session, please contact:
Liilika Raudhein, analyst, telephone: +372 659 9841, e-mail: liilika.raudhein@integratsioon.ee   

National culture society events   

Exhibition of Estonian-Russian artist Ivan Sokolov is open in Estonian parliament

An exhibition of works from the collection of the NPO Russian Museum was opened in the Riigikogu (the Estonian parliament) on 3 May, this time focussing on the art of Ivan Sokolov.

According to Irina Budrik, a member of the management board of the museum, Sokolov’s paintings reflect the charm of everyday life and have a deeply calming effect. “Sokolov didn’t focus on social problems, but tried to see moments and capture the mood of them,” she explained. “That’s why he’s referred to as an impressionist.

Budrik believes that bringing Estonian-Russian culture to the Riigikogu will send out a signal that there is a place in Estonia for everyone who has chosen the country as their home.

Ivan Sokolov studied painting under Kristjan Raud, later contributing to exhibitions as an equal to such great figures as Johann Köler, August Weizenberg and Ants Laikmaa. Despite this, the work of many Estonian-Russian artists is very modestly represented in museum collections. “But thanks to the Russian Museum’s efforts in collecting art and organising exhibitions, that situation is finally changing,” Budrik remarked. 

The exhibition will be open at Toompea Castle until 26 May. It is being financed via the National Minority Cultural Association project competition funded by the Ministry of Culture.

Romance to fill the air in Tallinn and Kohtla-Järve at the end of May  

The 18th International Isabella Yurieva competition for Russian romance will be held in Tallinn from 26-29 May. There will be participants from Estonia, Russia, Latvia, Ukraine and Norway.

- 26 May at 18:00: The competition will be officially opened on Town Hall Square in Tallinn. Taking to the concert stage will be winners from previous years and the jury members.
- 27 & 28 May from 12:00: Rounds 1 and 2 of the competition will be taking place at Kanutiaed Youth House (Aia 12).
- 29 May at 18:00: The gala concert of the competition will be held in the House of the Blackheads featuring the winners of this year’s competition.

30 May at 18:00 will see the traditional charity concert taking place at Kohtla-Järve Cultural Centre, with performances by the competition winners and jury members.

The concert is being financed via the National Minority Cultural Association project competition from the budget of the Ministry of Culture.

Narva prepares a present for the 100th birthday of the Republic of Estonia

The 80th anniversary of the first all-Estonia gathering of Russian choirs and orchestras is set to be marked in Narva on 20 & 21 May 2017.

Following in the tradition of the Estonian Song Festival, a Russian festival of song was held in Narva in 1937, attended by huge numbers of choral singers and musicians. The passing of eight decades since the landmark festival is being marked with a series of events that will begin in Narva and then continue in Tallinn and other towns and cities around the country.

- At 12:00 on 20 May the Geneva children’s symphony choir will be performing at Narva Cultural Centre under Irina Kosova. Their repertoire for the concert will include classics of both Russian and foreign composers. Before the concert starts, the winners of the ‘History of Russian Song Festivals in Estonia’ quiz will be awarded.

- At 14:00 on 21 May a procession of singers taking part in a gala concert will set off from in front of the Resurrection of Christ Cathedral in Narva. The concert, which is being held at the Geneva Cultural Centre, will feature choirs, vocal and instrumental ensembles and dance groups from Narva, Tallinn, Kiviõli, Sillamäe and other parts of Estonia, as well as from Russia. Also presenting a diverse and exciting programme will be the national minority cultural associations represented in Narva. The festivities will end with a performance by the renowned Russian folk orchestra Metelitsa.

These events are being funded from the national minority cultural association project competition financed by the Ministry of Culture.

Both of the concerts are free of charge!

For further information please contact: Alla Matvejeva, Director, NPO Centre for Ethnic Education and Culture Organisations & organiser of Narva events, e-mail: alla_matvejeva@mail.ru, telephone: 5560 8676  

This is your invitation to attend a huge Slavic party!

Everyone interested is invited to take part in the Slavic Cultural and Literary Language Days being held at the Russian Cultural Centre in Tallinn (Mere pst 5) from 19-25 May. This huge party, which is a very important one for the Slavic peoples living in Estonia, has been held in the country for almost 30 years.

24 May is the Day of St Kirill and St Meffodi. Everywhere around the world where Slavic people live they celebrate the Slavic Cultural and Literary Language Days as a festival that brings all Slavs together. This year Slavic writing is marking its 1154th birthday. As in previous years, the programme will include Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian cultural days.

PROGRAMME

19 May at 16:00 – Ukrainian Culture Day at the Russian Cultural Centre. A concert will be held with performances by collectives from the Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia. 
20 May at 17:00 – Belarusian Culture Day at the Russian Cultural Centre. The Belarusian cultural association ‘Ljos’ will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. A concert will be held with performances by members of ‘Ljos’ and collectives from Belarus.
21 May at 18:00 – ‘The Voices of Slavs’ vocal music concert at the Russian Cultural Centre. Performances by soloists from the Russian Philharmonic Society
22 May at 18:00 – Russian Culture Day at the Russian Cultural Centre. Performance by the Russian National Folk Orchestra ‘Metelitsa’ from St Petersburg
23 May at 18:00 – Concert of Orthodox spiritual songs at the Church of the ‘Quick to Hearken’ Icon of the Mother of God (Loopealse pst 8). Performances by church and secular choirs from Tallinn
24 May at 11:00 – ‘Russian Poetry in the Romances of 19th-century Composers’ talk & concert of Vladimir Ignatov
25 May at 17:00 – ‘Haruzin: Enlightener of the Nobility of the Soul of the Knight’ talk by Tatjana Tšervova

ADMISSION TO ALL EVENTS IS FREE OF CHARGE.

The Slavic Cultural and Literary Language Days are taking place with the support of the Estonian Ministry of Culture, the Integration Foundation, Tallinn Department of Culture and the Russian Cultural Centre.

For further information please contact: Tatjana Semenjuk, Project coordinator, Slavic Cultural and Literary Language Days 2017, mobile: +372 58 36 363

Estonian House of Russian Culture invites you to a poetic concert

Everyone is invited to attend a concert entitled ‘Severyanin’ at the Russian Theatre starting at 19:00 on 13 May. Taking to the stage will be the Estonian Defence Forces Orchestra, popular Russian actor Evklid Kürdzidis, Anastassia Tsubina, Dmitri Kosjakov and Eduard Tee. The special guest at the concert will be Estonian writer Jaan Kaplinski.

There will be poems, stories and music by Rachmaninov, Petrov, Krepka, Ekler, Pokrase, Ignatov and more. Those attending the concert will also be able to admire an exhibition and enjoy other surprises.

The concert is being financed via the National Minority Cultural Association project competition from the budget of the Ministry of Culture.

Tickets are available from Piletilevi at https://shop.piletilevi.ee/public/?concert=199027&design=piletilevi&lang=rus¢er=7#view=ticketsselect or directly from the organiser (+372 51 13 075).

For further information please contact: Marina Tee, Director, NPO Estonian House of Russian Culture, e-mail: marina.tee@mail.ru, mobile: +372 51 13 075

Interested in Slavic culture? Come along to the ‘Slavic Wreath’ song and dance party!

The 15th international ‘Slavic Wreath’ festival is being held this year from 19-28 May, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the first national Russian song festival in Narva in 1937 and to the 110th anniversary of the ‘Russian seasons’ organised in Paris by Sergei Diaghilev.

The festivities will open in Narva, with a wide range of events filling the town’s squares, and culminate in a colourful gala concert at Tondiraba Hall in Tallinn. The unique concert will feature almost 80 collectives from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Russia and Belarus – more than 2000 people in total.

The festival is designed to popularise and advance Russian and Slavic choral singing, instrumental and vocal music and the art of dance, and through the experience shared at the event to boost the cultural self-awareness of the Slavic people living in Estonia.

The jubilee celebrations are being organised by the Union of Russian Educational and Charity Associations in Estonia and supported by Tallinn City Council, Tallinn Department of Culture, the Ministry of Culture, the Integration Foundation, the Gambling Tax Council and local authorities.

You’re invited to the gala concert of the ‘Kvity Ukrainy’ children’s festival!

Everyone interested is invited to attend the gala concert of the ‘Kvity Ukrainy’ international children’s and youth festival being held at the House of the Blackheads (Pikk 26, Tallinn) at 13:00 on 3 June.

‘Kvity Ukrainy’ is a traditional festival that is held every year to give the Ukrainian community living in Estonia the chance to preserve their culture and national heritage and to showcase it for an Estonian audience.

Collectives from Estonia, Ukraine and Poland will be taking part in the festival, which is being organised by the Ukrainian Youth Association in Estonia.

Admission is free of charge.

The competition is being financed via the National Minority Cultural Association project competition from the budget of the Ministry of Culture.

For further information please contact: Vladimir Palamar, Director, Ukrainian Youth Association in Estonia, e-mail: ukrainaoae@gmail.com

 

Five key mistakes that people make when studying Estonian?
Save two dates
Russian translation is being provided by Rakvere Theatre
National culture society events  

How to be a successful language learner?

Five key mistakes that people make when studying Estonian

The attitude with which you go into learning or practising a language can have a greater impact on your success than you think. It’s often the case that people expend months of effort only for their language skills to barely improve. Below you’ll find the five main reasons people’s efforts to learn a language fail.

1. Lack of purpose
Before choosing materials to use or a course to take, think about these things:
- Why do you want to learn Estonian?
- What do you want to achieve, and how quickly do you want to achieve it?

Are you aiming to reach a certain level in your language use, to prepare for an exam, to improve your spoken Estonian or to simply remind yourself of the grammar rules? The solutions you need will depend largely on your answers to those questions.

2. Lack of awareness
Estonian, like any language, can be studied in very different ways. Language courses are no longer your only option: there are also individual lessons, and independent studies. You can also take part in supporting activities like language clubs and language cafés. Language clubs are designed to help students maintain their existing skills after they complete a course. Language cafés aim to advise and support those studying Estonian on their own.

3. Lack of time
It takes time to learn any language. Even if you start studying something intensively it can take months to reach a certain level. It’s all too common for people to begin their language studies full of enthusiasm only for their motivation to dry up – alongside any hope of success – within a month or two. That’s why it’s important to bear in mind that improvements in language skills don’t come overnight. A few weeks is too short a time for even the most exemplary students to see any major changes.

4. Lack of dedication
If you decide to start studying Estonian, you need to organise things in your life so that you can throw yourself into it at least three times a week. For example, you can use the keeleklikk.ee website, watch and listen to Estonian-language TV shows, read texts and chat to people in the language. What’s important is that you also try writing in Estonian each week, even if it’s only a few lines.

5. Lack of expectation
If you bought a pair of shoes that turned out to have a hole in them you wouldn’t simply put up with it – you’d take them back. The same principle should apply where language-learning is concerned: if you don’t feel the teacher, the materials or the organisation of studies are appropriate, you should demand better. Talk about problems as soon as they arise and do your best to come up with solutions that are student-centred. It doesn’t matter whether you’re studying on your own, whether the state’s paying for it or whether it’s financed by the European Social Fund – you should expect and demand quality no matter what. To resolve your problems, talk to the person who has the ability to change things.

PLEASE NOTE: The counsellors with the Integration Foundation can help people set Estonian language-learning goals for themselves and find the most appropriate solutions based thereon.

You can contact our counsellors by e-mailing info@integratsiooniinfo.ee or calling the free number 800 9999.

Save the dates

This year’s Citizen’s Day Quiz will take place from 20-30 November

The Citizen’s Day Quiz has been encouraging school students in Estonia to think about what it means to be an Estonian citizen and what makes our country so special.

- What is Estonia’s global ranking in terms of how many countries its passport holders can visit without a visa?
- How many people pass through the border point in Narva each year?
- For what purpose was the Cyber Unit of the Defence League established?

These are just some examples of the kinds of questions to which those taking part in the quiz in previous years have had to find the answers.

The Integration Foundation has been organising the Citizen’s Day Quiz since 2003. To date, almost 84,000 youngsters have completed the quizzes. A total of 905 questions have been set over the years, with none of them being repeated.

This year there will be a separate quiz for students in Grades 7-9 at general education schools

The following quizzes will be held from 20-30 November 2017:

- Citizen’s Day Quiz for students in Grades 5 & 6 at general education schools (all questions in both Estonian and Russian; 30 questions in total; 60 minutes to complete the quiz);
- Citizen’s Day Quiz for students in Grades 7-9 at general education schools (questions in Estonian; 50 questions in total; 60 minutes to complete the quiz);
- Citizen’s Day Quiz for students in Grades 10-12 at general education schools and students at vocational education institutions (questions in Estonian; 50 questions in total; 60 minutes to complete the quiz);
- Citizen’s Day Quiz for anyone else wishing to take part available from 26-30 November (all questions in Estonian, Russian and English; 50 questions in total; 60 minutes to complete the quiz).

Everyone is welcome to take part in the Citizen’s Day Quiz!

Information and questions: Toivo Sikk, Director of Civic Education, Development Centre, Integration Foundation, e-mail: toivo.sikk@integratsioon.ee, tel +372 659 9850

International integration conference will take place on 16-17 November

16-17 November 2017 in Tallinn, Estonia takes place an international conference “Shared Identities in Diverse Communities: Role of Culture, Media and Civil Society” organised by Estonian Integration Foundation in cooperation with Estonian Ministry of Culture and European Integration Network.

This international conference is an interdisciplinary platform bringing together key experts, policy-makers and government officials, local and international NGO-s, research institutions and teams working in the field of integration, including European Integration network members representing governments of EU member states. With Estonia’s current presidency in the EU, Tallinn becomes a visible platform for highlighting the key challenges and required action or policies on EU level.

The conference addresses the challenges of ensuring cohesion, peace and stability in contemporary culturally diverse societies. Increased migration along with economic downturn have triggered rise of xenophobia in many European countries, influencing both attitudes towards migrants and relations between existing cultural groups and people with migrant background. Inclusion of the second- and third generation migrants is still a challenge in several European countries.

The conference will focus on policy measures and best practices in integration, some of specific themes/keywords to be addressed in the program are:
- Diversity in popular culture as instrument of shared identity-building – how to find the balance between retaining cultural identity and supporting diversity, what role cultural policy plays in the equasion.
- Cultural awareness and inclusion in formal and non-formal education – policy measures and good practices.
- How to create the environment supporting cultural diversity in private and public sector organisations – intercultural sensitivity, diversity leadership, effective workplace diversity.
- Role of media in defining the framework for intercultural dialogue - communicating migration and integration, responsible media reporting
- What role the civil society plays in bridging policy and practice for advancing social cohesion, what conditions are necessary to ensure strong and active engagement from civil society on these issues?

Conference attendance is free for all participants, we expect around 200 guests from Estonia and abroad. Working language is English, with Estonian and Russian translation.

This international conference continues the issues raised at international conference “Integration Challenges in the Radicalizing World” that took place in November 2016, where among speakers were Prof. John Berry from Queens University, Prof. Uduak Archibong MBE from Bradford University, Prof. Haci-Halil Uslucan from the Expert Council from German Association of Integration Foundations and a number of other distinguished speakers from Estonia and abroad. Materials (videos, presentations) from 2016 conference are available here: www.misakonverents.ee/materials

Information and questions: Marianna Makarova, Conference organiser, Head of research development, Integration Foundation, tel +372 56569651, e-mail: marianna.makarova@integratsioon.ee; www.integratsioon.ee

Russian translation is being provided by Rakvere Theatre

Rakvere Theatre to provide first ever translated performance for Russian-speaking audience

On 19 May, audiences will be able to enjoy a performance at Rakvere Theatre for the first time with a Russian translation. The production chosen for this ground-breaking event is It’s All Because of Her, by young Belarusian playwright Andrey Ivanov. 

Hereafter the theatre plans to translate as much of its repertoire as possible.

Translation equipment was acquired by the theatre in cooperation with the  Integration Foundation, with funding from the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund and its sub-activity ‘Boosting the Ability to Present Information in Other Languages’. Audience members interested in the translation will be provided with a smart device on which subtitles will be displayed.

National culture society events  

Song and Dance Celebrations to start in early June

That’s right – while the Youth Song and Dance Celebrations will be taking place in Tallinn at the end of the month, the Ingrian-Finn song and dance festival ‘This Land’ will be kicking things off in Tartu on 3 & 4 June.

This is the 27th time the festival is being held in Estonia. This year’s celebrations are taking place in Tartu, with the festivities being made even more festive by the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Finland. Ingrian-Finn culture forms part of Finnish cultural space, but has also evolved over the centuries within the borders of the Russian Federation (in the St Petersburg region), soaking up influences along the way.

On 4  June a concert in Raadi Park will be preceded by a mass in Finnish at St Peter’s Church, while the day before there will be some athletic games and a big garden party at Ingrian House, with performances by Ingrian-Finn and Finnish folklore groups. All events are free of charge and can be attended by anyone interested.

PROGRAMME

3 June
13:00     Boot-tossing tournament on the sports field at Miina Härma Gymnasium (Tõnissoni 3)
18:00     Ingrian House garden party (Veski 35)

4 June
13:00     Mass at St Peter’s Church (Narva 104)
14:00     Parade to Raadi Park
15:00     Festival begins

Taking part will be Ingrian-Finn song and dance groups from Estonia, Finland and Russia and the Estraadiraadio ensemble with Alen Veziko and Lembit Saarsalu.

The event is being financed via the National Minority Cultural Association project competition from the budget of the Ministry of Culture.

For more information see www.inkeri.ee.

What’s happening on 11 June? A pre-midsummer party!

The Association of Latvian National Culture in Estonia is inviting everyone to the Seto farm at the Estonian Open Air Museum for a pre-midsummer party starting at 14:00 on 11 June.

Showcasing and sharing their summer solstice traditions will be the folklore ensemble Garataka, the association’s own folklore ensemble Reevele and Põhjahääled a.k.a. the Latvian Choir of Estonia.

Get your family together and come and meet the neighbours! You can enjoy (and join in on) midsummer songs and activities, and try some Latvian beer. Līgo!

Admission is with a ticket to the Open Air Museum.

The event is being financed via the National Minority Cultural Association project competition from the budget of the Ministry of Culture.

For further information please contact: Laura Šmideberga, Member of the Management Board, NPO Association of Latvian National Culture in Estonia, tel: +372 5451 1595, e-mail: laura.shmideberga@gmail.com 

Come and discover the cultural heritage of the Coastal Swedes!

The Cultural Government of the Estonian Swedes is organising a Swedish Day on 15 July – a traditional summer event for the Estonian Swedish community.

This year the festivities will be taking place among the ruins of Padise Abbey, since the Padise area, its coastline and the Pakri islands have been a home to the Coastal Swedes for centuries.

The Cultural Government of the Estonian Swedes is inviting everyone to come and discover the cultural heritage of the Coastal Swedish community and to enjoy the celebrations in their company.

The event is being financed via the National Minority Cultural Association project competition from the budget of the Ministry of Culture.

PROGRAMME

9:00 Bus departs for Padise from Freedom Square
10:00-10:15 Opening, words of welcome
10:15-10:45 Guided tour of Padise Abbey led by Heli Nurger
10:50-11:50 Concert in the abbey’s church
10:30-13:30 Swedish market and handicraft fair
12:00-12:20 Introduction to Pakri dances
12:20-13:00 Residents of Pakri recount the history of the islands
13:00-13:50 Five dance groups from former Estonian Swedish areas present a selection of folk dances
14:00 Bus departs for Vilivalla cemetery from Padise
15:30 Bus returns to Tallinn

Those with their own transport can drive to Padise Manor or the villages of Puuna or Pedase, while you can also learn all about Risti Church in Harju-Risti with an audio guide or journey across to the Pakri islands.

At 16:00 a dinghy (the Arabella) will be making the crossing from Kurkse Harbour to the island of Väike-Pakri.

To register for the bus (Tallinn-Padise-Vilivalla-Tallinn) or dinghy (to Väike-Pakri) call +372 644 1921 or +372 5349 5368 or e-mail jana@eestirootslane.ee.

For further information please contact: Jana Stahl, Member of the Management Board, Foundation of the Cultural Government of the Estonian Swedes, tel: +372 5349 5368, e-mail: jana@eestirootslane.ee

 

Venue: Pärnu. Date: 12 August
Lack the courage to speak Estonian? Sign up for a course!
What unites people who speak different languages? Football, extreme sports and fun runs!
How can we integrate people from different cultural backgrounds?
You can study and practise your Estonian in summer, too!
More than 800,000 euros to be allocated for the organisation of culture clubs
Who will organise Estonian language courses for teachers from Ida-Viru County?
Meet our new employee

 

Venue: Pärnu. Date: 12 August

Adding an exotic touch of spice to one of the season’s drawcards, the ‘Augustiunetus’ festival, will be the national minority summer celebration ‘Multicultural Pärnu’.

The main organiser of the festival is Galina Ivanova, originally from the Baikal region in Russia, who has been living in Pärnu with her family for years. She took on the responsibility of organising the festival 17 years ago with the idea of offering cultural associations the opportunity to put on public performances.

“I knew the associations had interesting performances they could stage, but didn’t really have any chance to do so,” she explains. “But Pärnu in summer is full of visitors, and they’re always looking for something new and interesting to watch or hear or do. That’s where the idea came from.” Thus was the festival born.

Over the years, performers from further afield have started contributing to the event in addition to the local cultural associations. Galina says that this year’s participants include Ukrainians from Lithuania, Buryats, Uzbeks and Kazakhs from Latvia, Poles from Tallinn and Chuvash from Narva.

As ever, Galina will do everything she can to make their time in Pärnu enjoyable – including offering her own summer house as accommodation, with room for up to 20 guests. “Everyone’s always so taken with the festival and with Pärnu in summer that they want us to invite them back the next year!” says Galina.

 

Lack the courage to speak Estonian? Sign up for a course!

You heard right – because a survey among those who have successfully completed free Estonian studies in the last two years reveals that taking part in the courses gave 80% of the respondents the courage they needed to communicate in the national language.

Since 2015, more than 3000 people have successfully completed the free Estonian language courses organised by the Integration Foundation. A comprehensive survey is carried out as part of the courses in order to better understand the needs of the participants and their motivation for taking part in the language studies. More than 1000 of those who have attended the courses have filled in the survey, the majority of them living in Tallinn and Harju County, and around a third in Ida-Viru County.

Their feedback shows that the greatest effect taking part in the courses has had on them is an increase in their interest in learning Estonian: 90% of respondents said they were now even more interested in studying the language than before. The survey also revealed that:

• 80% of respondents now have the courage to communicate more in Estonian;
• 70% have started making more frequent use of Estonian in their everyday lives; and
• 60% find it easier to follow Estonian-language news on television, on the radio and in newspapers thanks to the courses.
• The results of level testing indicate the same: 97% of participants demonstrated an improvement in their language skills after taking the courses.
•  

Better language skills = better job?

Asked what motivated them to sign up for the courses, the respondents said that one of the key factors was the hope of finding a better job. 26% felt that they had encountered problems finding work in the preceding 12 months precisely because of their language skills, while 52% had experienced this in the past. These figures are in line with recent analyses of the ethnic and linguistic division of the Estonian labour market, which show that skills in the national language are one of the most important factors affecting opportunities on the job market, even though the extent of the influence they wield can depend greatly on the region and the field of work.

A desire to communicate with Estonian colleagues and to belong to Estonian-based professional networks was another key factor which motivated participants to take the courses. No less important is the wish to be better informed of developments in the country. Interestingly, the media consumption of those who took part in the survey differs from that of those involved in the recent Integration Monitoring. Whereas among the monitoring respondents the most popular media channels were Russian television channels and PBK, followed by the Russian-language news programme of the Estonian National Broadcaster, among the language learners the most important sources of information were Estonian Russian-language media channels (web portals, but also the aforementioned news programme), with media channels produced in Russia and PBK in second place.

The Integration Foundation organises free Estonian language studies as part of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund. Almost 5000 people will have taken part in the courses by the end of 2017. The free studies will continue to be offered as part of the project until 2020.

For more information on the survey conducted among the language learners, please contact:
Marianna Makarova, Head of Research, marianna.makarova@integratsioon.ee

For more information on opportunities to participate in language studies, please contact:
Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion, jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee 

 

What unites people who speak different languages? Football, extreme sports and fun runs!

This year we are supporting six sports projects that contribute to greater social cohesion. A total of 42 applications were submitted to the competition, which is being financed by the Ministry of Culture.

Take a look at the projects being organised with the help of the Integration Foundation.

The Narva Energy Run, which was organised by the NPO Estonian Club for the Organisation of Sporting Events on 10 June for the seventh time, gives people in Estonia another reason to visit Ida-Viru County. Thanks to the event, residents of the county integrate more successfully into Estonian cultural space and the things taking place here.

The ‘Football Unites!’ project of the Estonian Football Association brings together youngsters from Kiviõli, Sillamäe, Paldiski, Kohtla-Järve, Narva and Jõhvi, including girls from Ida-Viru County aged 5-14 who speak Russian as their mother tongue. For the first time, the association is inviting almost 200 girls to take part in the football festivals being held in the county. They will take part in training and games led by female Estonian coaches.

The ‘Integration in the Name of Better Choices through Exciting Sports Activities’ project of the NPO Airpark Sports Club gets young people who speak different languages and come from different cultural backgrounds moving and talking together. They also train coaches from Ida-Viru and Lääne-Viru counties, south-eastern Estonia and the islands so as to extend the experiential sports field geographically and organise sports days at the Spot of Tallinn extreme sports hall.

The sports involved are aerobics, acrobatics, gymnastics, rollerblading, street dance, skiing, cycling, BMX freestyle, BMX cross, skateboarding, scootering, skating, longboarding, tricking, parkour, freestyle skiing, snowboarding and trampolining.

The International Athletics Week Competitions of the Estonian Athletic Association from 8-14 May attracted hundreds of sports-loving kids aged 7-12 to Tallinn, Ida-Viru County, Valga and Haapsalu, from Russian- and Estonian-medium schools alike. All of the competitions are 100% team events, with a focus on every team member playing their part. The teams are put together on the spot using the ‘number sequence’ method. The kids learn to work together, and not just with their classmates or those they attend training with, but other boys and girls as well.

The Sports Training and Information Foundation is translating a training textbook for trainers into Russian. In 2013 and 2014, leading specialists from Tallinn University and the University of Tartu and experts from the field rewrote a training textbook for trainers from cover to cover. Translating the textbook into Russian will mean that both Estonian- and Russian-speaking trainers receive the same training. The same materials in two languages will help all of the trainers in learning the other language and familiarising themselves with terminology specific to the field.

The NPO Ethical Links is organising joint events involving Estonians and newly arrived immigrants in Tartu. People from different cultural backgrounds come together for football games and other recreational events. They are informed about sports opportunities in Tartu and are encouraged to play sport in the city’s sports clubs alongside locals.

4536 people with citizenship other than Estonian lived in Tartu in 2015. An estimated one thousand foreigners are coming to Tartu each year, and this number is constantly rising.

 

How can we integrate people from different cultural backgrounds? Through cultural events and workshops!

The Integration Foundation has selected nine cultural projects promoting integration for funding to the total value of 48,000 euros. These projects create excellent opportunities for residents of Estonia who speak different languages to communicate with one another.

Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion with the Integration Foundation, says there is no more effective way of integrating people from different cultural backgrounds than by getting them to talk to one another. “Attending cultural events and taking part in workshops gets people who speak different mother tongues talking together more,” she said.

Below is an overview of the projects that are being funded.

OÜ ÕM Festival’s ‘Voice of the Hills’ is a one-day festival of music and cinema that is being held on three stages and in an underground cinema at the Estonian Mining Museum. It will provide an eclectic programme, from rap to techno and a documentary programme focussing on Ida-Viru County. Performing at the festival will be Tommy Cash, Röövel Ööbik, St. Cheatersburg, Gorõ Lana, Dead Furies and Holy Motors as well as artists from Tallinn and Ida-Viru County. The underground cinema, which has been created in cooperation with the Sõprus cinema, will be screening Eldoraado (1971), Poissmees ja Volga (2014) and Tuhamäed (2017), for the latter of which the festival marks its premiere.

The Ida-Viru County Integration Centre project ‘Comings and Goings in Culture’ is an educational undertaking involving visits to museums (including the new Estonian National Museum) and a series of lectures and discussions. 200 young people from different schools in Ida-Viru County will be taking part.

The ‘Musical Bridges’ project of the Centre for the Further Training of Musicians will involve hundreds of youngsters from schools in Tallinn and Ida-Viru County. Four workshops are being organised as part of the project, which will culminate in December with a joint concert involving all of the schools.

Russian-medium Narva School no. 6 is working with Estonian-medium Kambja School to organise a joint dance festival going by the name ‘United by the Language of Dance’. The festival will involve dance workshops as well as a visit from the Vanemuine Theatre with an educational programme entitled ‘Dance through the Ages’, which will showcase the history of Estonian ballet and teach the participants dance steps. Students from the Vanemuine School of Dance and Ballet will present excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s ballets and the theatre’s own productions.

The Lastekaitse Liidu Lastelaagrite OÜ project ‘The Magic of Science’ will be bringing the AHHAA science theatre to children’s camps.

The NPO Allika Küla project “Let’s Play Instruments Together” will be organising an accordion masterclass and concerts for youngsters.

The NPO Eesti Semiootika Selts project ‘I Remember’ will be bringing together young people from Russian- and Estonian-medium schools to discuss the content of Leelo Tungal’s work Seltsimees laps. Contributing to the discussion alongside the students will be historians, journalists, film-makers and semiotics specialists.

The NPO Rajamuusika project “Festival IDeeJazz’17 @ Narva” will be bringing jazz music to various parts of Ida-Viru County.

Nutigeen OÜ’s project ‘Family Robotics Day: Kids as Robotics Teachers’ will be a bilingual robotics event.

A total of 28 applications were submitted to the competition. The maximum amount of support that can be granted to a single project is 10,000 euros.

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation, telephone: +372 659 9069, e-mail: jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee 

 

You can study and practise your Estonian in summer, too!

Here is some information on the language clubs and courses being held over the summer.

23 Estonian language and culture clubs will be holding get-togethers around the country in July:
- 15 in Ida-Viru County (two in Kohtla-Järve, two in Ahtme, one in Jõhvi, one in Sillamäe and nine in Narva); and
- eight in Tallinn.

The members of the clubs were selected by the Integration Foundation from the list of those who registered in 2015 for Estonian language studies and/or from among those who have completed the B2-level language training commissioned by the foundation.

Anyone still wishing to join one of the Estonian language and culture clubs should keep their eyes open for notifications of new groups, which will be opening their doors to new members in the last few months of the year.

Estonian language courses for 525 people from Tallinn, 225 people from Ida-Viru County (including 75 from Narva) and 15 people from Tartu will be starting and continuing this August. There will be a total of 51 groups with 765 participants. The courses are being attended by those who registered in 2015 on the Integration Foundation website for Estonian language studies.

Language and cultural immersion and Estonian language courses are organised with the support of the European Social Fund project ‘Terms and conditions of the provision of support for activities promoting integration in Estonian society’.

 

More than 800,000 euros to be allocated for the organisation of culture clubs

Tenders for the organisation of Estonian language and culture clubs throughout the country can be submitted until 17 August 2017.

The language and culture clubs are designed for less successfully integrated permanent residents of Estonia, including newly arrived immigrants, who speak a mother tongue other than Estonian and who wish to improve their skills in speaking the national language or feel more confident communicating in it. Attending the club events helps the participants learn more about Estonian culture, overcome difficulties in learning the language and find support and inspiration.

With this procurement the Integration Foundation is looking to find partners with whom to organise club activities in the period from 1 October 2017-30 November 2019.

The procurement documents can be found in the e-procurement registry at https://riigihanked.riik.ee/register/hange/188128
The total value of the procurement is estimated at 840,535 euros (without VAT).

Tenders should be submitted to the e-procurement registry by 11.00 on 17 August 2017. 

The clubs are organised as part of sub-activity 5.2.2 ‘Language and cultural immersion’ of activity 5.2 ‘Development and provision of an integration programme’ of the European Social Fund project ‘Terms and conditions of the provision of support for activities promoting integration in Estonian society’.

Who will organise Estonian language courses for teachers from Ida-Viru County?

A procurement has been launched for the organisation of Estonian language courses for teachers from Ida-Viru County.

The aim of the public procurement is to develop and implement Estonian language courses for teachers from pre-school institutions and general education schools in Narva, Sillamäe, Jõhvi and Kohtla-Järve so as to improve their language skills and to help them prepare for the state examination in Estonian and pass the language exam at the B2 or C1 level.

Conducting of the training is financed by the Ministry of Education and Research.

The total value of the procurement is estimated at 100,000 euros (without VAT). The procurement documents can be found in the e-procurement registry at https://riigihanked.riik.ee/register/hange/187973

Tenders should be submitted to the e-procurement registry by 11:00 on 12 July 2017. 

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation, telephone: +372 659 9069, e-mail: jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee 

 

Meet the Integration Foundation’s new Head of Cooperation!

Joining the Integration Foundation team on 12 June was new Head of Cooperation Ljudmila Peussa, who will be responsible for the planning and implementation of cooperation-related activities and the development of the foundation’s cooperation network.

Ljudmila graduated with a humanities degree from Narva College of the University of Tartu (UT) and is currently completing her Master’s degree in Business Management at the UT Faculty of Economics. She worked at Narva College from 2003, where she was involved in the planning of studies, marketing and project work. For her last four years at the college she focused on developing the field of in-service training.

 

Irene Käosaar: “I want to bring the foundation closer to people”
Is it easier to leave Estonia than it is to come back to it?

Organiser of Estonian language courses for teachers from Ida-Viru County announced
Want to voice your opinion? Come to the Opinion Festival!
Come to a conference in Pärnu
Young foreign Estonians are upgrading their Estonian in Viljandi County, the youth of Ida-Viru County in Võru County

Irene Käosaar: “I want to bring the foundation closer to people”

The supervisory board of the Integration Foundation has elected as its new chairperson Irene Käosaar, who will continue in her role as the head of the General Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Research until the end of August. Agnes Aaslaid met with Irene to find out what approach she will be taking to her new role.

The supervisory board is signing a three-year contract with you. What will you want to have achieved by 2020 to be able to look back and say you’re happy with what you’ve done?
The board’s expecting big changes from me – they really want me to think outside the box. I hope the foundation’s a little more visible and a little closer to people in three years’ time. I’d also like it to be playing more of a role in shaping society and influencing how people think. Procurements and competitions will continue, of course, but I’d like to reduce the amount of bureaucracy that comes with them if I can – so that people can focus more on the content and on talking to our partners and less on paperwork and reporting. I’ve also been charged with the task of moving the foundation to Narva and ensuring that a good team gets set up there. The pace over the next three years is likely to be pretty relentless!

Your first day in the job will be 1 September. Where do you plan to start?
I’m hoping to spend the first few months talking to everyone in the foundation as well as to representatives of all of the networks and target groups we work with. I want to get as clear a picture as possible of how things are at the moment and some ideas on where and how to move forward.

What do you think is the most positive thing about the foundation at present that you could continue with in the same spirit?
To my mind the people who work here really have a sense of mission, and they do what they do from the heart. People have really taken to the counselling service, cooperation with national minority cultural associations is very effective and the media education projects are really important. I don’t doubt there are lots more positives, but I haven’t had the time to delve into everything yet!

There have been some major shifts in society in the last 20 years, and the foundation’s played its part in that. I don’t agree at all that the integration process has failed. It’s not a process that can be rushed, after all, since it depends on a whole lot of factors in society.

You worked for the foundation from 1999-2007 as well. What do you remember most vividly about that time?
Back then we really did think we could engineer change in society. The atmosphere that we worked in then is something I want to bring back. I’m convinced you can work miracles by generating a positive atmosphere and motivating people. If your team members feel important and valued, they’re happier, more creative and more adventurous.

You travel a lot. Which of the four corners of the earth are you most drawn to?
Travelling around post-Soviet countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Ukraine always warms the cockles of my heart. The most recent place I’ve been to is Zaporizhia in Ukraine, where I provided some training to people from the universities there. I’m amazed at how eager they are to learn. Looking from the outside in, you get to see that Estonia’s done pretty well for itself.

 

Is it easier to leave Estonia than it is to come back to it?

Those who have returned to Estonia say that whereas it was easy to leave the country, coming back to it was much more complicated. Sometimes they even feel as though their return isn’t welcomed. However, I can confirm that the state welcomes everyone who decides to return and offers its assistance for them doing so.

The Integration Foundation advises those looking to return to Estonia and also provides support to ease the cost of returning (https://www.integratsioon.ee/tagasipoordumistoetus).
Applications for this support can be lodged by anyone with Estonian citizenship or ethnic Estonians with an Estonian residence permit who:

• in general emigrated from Estonia at least 10 years ago or were born in another country;
• and require support to return to Estonia due to their financial or social status.

Anyone below the age of 30 who has acquired both a Master’s degree and a doctorate abroad does not need to have lived in another country for at least 10 years.

Sometimes returning to your country can prove harder than setting out into the world. When you come back you have to start looking for work again, find yourself somewhere to live, wrangle places for your kids in kindergartens and schools and get yourself a GP. This might all go smoothly, but it can just as easily turn out to be very complicated. Each comes with its own rules and deadlines. Problems arise when important things fail to get done within the timeframe given and services designed for those living in Estonia remain unavailable when needed.

Where do such problems start?

The main reason most obstacles crop up is failing to register yourself and your address in the Population Register. Where you live forms the basis of the provision of services. That’s why you should check (and, if necessary, update) whether you’re registered as living in Estonia and in the local government area where you want to make use of services like kindergartens, schools and public transport.

Another potential stumbling block is health insurance and GP services. Here, too, it’s important that your name’s in the Population Register, but it’s even more important to remember that getting your name added to a doctor’s list takes time and that this is something you should deal with as soon as you return, not leaving it until you or someone in your family needs to see a GP.

Coming back involves quite a bit of paperwork, and for the most part seems more complicated than leaving. Whereas most people who leave the country do so on their own with nothing but a backpack, many return with family in tow – and as such have less freedom of choice. Finding a suitable kindergarten or school often takes quite a bit of time. This in turn affects where you choose to work and simple everyday logistics. And if the person coming back to the country is a single parent, their choices are even more complicated. Those returning to rural areas have to try even harder to find work or even start working in a different county to the one they’re living in. You have to make compromises you weren’t counting on.

The happiest families are those who have friends and other family members to support them in their day-to-day lives. As a counsellor I’ve seen just how positive an influence a social network can have on people coming back to the country.

Kätlin Kõverik, Senior Adviser, Integration Foundation
E-mail: katlin.koverik@integratsioon.ee
 

 

Organiser of Estonian language courses for teachers from Ida-Viru County announced

A public procurement which came to an end in July has seen the right to organise Estonian language courses for teachers from Ida-Viru County once again awarded to OÜ Algus, which has been organising such courses for the last two years.

Jana Tondi, the head of language and cultural immersion with the Integration Foundation, says the goal was to find an enthusiastic training company to teach Estonian to 200 teachers from the county. “Their job now is to motivate the teachers not only to learn, but also to sit the state exam, which everyone on the courses is required to take,” she explained.

The training, which is being provided to teachers from pre-school institutions and general education schools throughout Ida-Viru County, will be held in Narva, Sillamäe, Kohtla-Järve and Jõhvi. Each course will last for 200 academic hours – 40 more than the courses held in the last two years.

The training will commence in September and end in May next year. All of those taking part will be required to take the state exam at either the B2 or C1 level at the end of the course.

Last year the Integration Foundation offered Estonian language courses to 210 teachers from Ida-Viru County, 194 of whom completed them. 155 of the participants went on to take the state exam, with 28 passing.

OÜ Algus CEO Diana Luptova says the results of the exams showed that many of the participants were just a few points away from passing. “The aim is to give these teachers the courage they need to communicate in Estonian and the opportunity to take part in national conferences, and not to feel left out,” she said. “Skills don’t improve overnight – it’s a much longer process.”

Estonian language training for teachers from Ida-Viru County is financed to the value of €120,000 by the Ministry of Education and Research via the state budget.

For further information please contact:

Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion

E-mail: jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee

 

 

Want to voice your opinion? Come to the Opinion Festival!

The Ministry of Culture invites everyone interested to come along to the Opinion Festival to listen and contribute to a discussion seminar on culturally diverse workplaces and their impact on Estonian society. The festival will be taking place in Paide on 11 & 12 August.

The discussion seminar (in English) will take place on 12 August at 11:30-13:00 at the education area.

Diversity in the Estonian workplace and society: the good, the bad and the ugly – Find out more: https://www.arvamusfestival.ee/stage/diversity-estonian-workplace-society-good-bad-ugly/?url=/kava/   
FB event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/122660035017648/

Leading the discussion will be Austrian Embassy Consul and Deputy Head of Mission Cornelia Godfrey. Also speaking will be Dennis Ulrik Kristensen from the yarn-dyeing factory AS Sindi Lanka.

 

Come to a conference in Pärnu

The Integration Foundation is inviting you to a conference “Multiculturalism – threat, opportunity, value?” taking place on 19 September 2017 in the Strand Spa and Conference Hotel (A. H. Tammsaare pst 35, Pärnu).

The presenters at the conference will create a picture of our cultural background and how it has changed through history and about external influences in different time periods.

The speakers include Marju Kõivupuu, Valdur Mikita, Katri Raik, Urmas Vaino and many others.

We are expecting heads of local self-governments, employees of the social sphere, educational staff (both heads as well as teachers), employees of the cultural field, health promoters, support persons, youth workers, and community work representatives to participate in the event.

Registration is open until 10 August 2017 or until the maximum number of attendees is reached. Register here (https://survey.ut.ee/index.php/863227?lang=et).

Participation is free of charge. The conference is in Estonian.

The partner of the conference is the University of Tartu. The event is supported by the Pärnu County Government and financed by the Ministry of Culture.

Conference programme: https://www.integratsioon.ee/uudised?news_id=1026
Registration form: https://survey.ut.ee/index.php/863227?lang=et

 

Young foreign Estonians are upgrading their Estonian in Viljandi County, the youth of Ida-Viru County in Võru County

If you wish to improve your Estonian skills, go to Viljandi or Võru County. Both counties have proven themselves great communities for learning Estonian.

The culture and language camp for young foreign Estonians organised by the Integration Foundation brought, in total, 66 young people from 24 countries in three shifts to Venevere Holiday Village. Currently the third camp for young people who speak Estonian fluently is underway.

The youth of Ida-Viru County practice their Estonian as part of family stays in Võru County. The first shifts were in June and July. The families will rest in August and continue with renewed energy in the autumn. Those undertaking family studies in September and October will have to attend school during the day and a hobby group during the evening. A family studies shift lasts for ten days, during which the students are hosted by families and several common events take place.

Most of the students are from Narva Language Lyceum, the principle of which Nadežda Tšerkašina is a passionate supporter of family studies. She says that the language skills of the students improve significantly. In addition, there are young people from Kohta-Järve City Centre Basic School, Kohta-Järve Ahtme Secondary School and elsewhere. The total number of participants is 120.

According to Maivi Liiskman, the project manager of MTÜ Volonta that organises the family studies, the youth blend in quickly and are interested in one another’s activities.

Pille Kulberg, the project manager of the other non-profit organisation (MTÜ Veeda) that organises family studies in Võru County, says that the youth are a bit shy on the first day, but the ice starts to melt as early as the second day. Many of the youth have participated several times. “I have been connected to family studies since 1998, but I cannot remember any young people who behaved badly. Students like this kind of language learning format and one of the family members is always a teacher. Teaching skills are useful for this project.”

The language and culture camps are organised for young people with Estonian roots as part of the ‘Countrymen programme 2014-2020’. They are run with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Research.

The organisation of Estonian language and culture studies in families is financed from the state budget by the Ministry of Culture.

Further information:
Jana Tondi, Head of language and cultural immersion, 
e-mail: jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee

 

 

 

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Ethnofair on Town Hall Square expected to prove most popular among tourists

From 10:00-18:00 on 23 & 24 September the Alliance of Nationalities of Estonia will be holding an ethnofair on Town Hall Square, including a special concert. The event will mark National Minorities Day in Estonia, which the alliance’s director Timur Seifullen says is the event that its members look forward to most each year.

Taking to the stage for the concert will be singing groups from societies belonging to the alliance, while the ethnofair will offer traditional food and drinks and handicraft items for sale.

Town Hall Square was selected as the venue for the event because of the number of tourists it attracts. “The event will reflect the lives that minorities lead in Estonia and the opportunities that are open to them here, so for that reason it’s mostly aimed at a foreign audience,” Seifullen explained. “People who live here know that national minorities do pretty well for themselves in Estonia.”

Those performing on stage and manning the stalls will be of all ages. “There’ll definitely be younger people taking part as well,” Seifullen confirmed. “We’re really happy that foreign students are getting involved.”

Of course, many of those taking part in the fair and concert will be donning their national costumes for the occasion. Seifullen says that many bystanders will have no idea just how much effort goes into making the costumes. He gives the Mordvans as an example, who lacked the jewellery that would otherwise normally accompany their national clothing. “They didn’t really have any choice but to make it themselves!” Seifullen explained. “We asked Kärt Summatavet, a professional jewellery artist, to give them a bit of guidance on what to do and voila – they made them!” And the Mordvans are just one example of how enterprising many representatives of these national minorities are.

 

National Minorities Day

• National Minorities Day is marked on 24 September, the anniversary of the first Estonian National Minorities Forum in 1988.
• The Alliance of Nationalities of Estonia was established so that national minorities could work together to support the process of the restoration of independence in the country.
• Once this was achieved, the alliance’s aim became to represent the interests of national minorities in Estonia and to preserve, develop and showcase their cultures.

Jõhvi Cultural Centre to be filled with national minority culture

National Minorities Day will be marked at Jõhvi Concert Hall on 24 September with the 14th national minority cultural festival ‘National Cultures Creative Pot’.

Programme
11:30 Official opening

11:30-18:00 Exhibitions, displays, masterclasses, ‘My amazing Ida-Viru County’ children’s exhibition, ‘Ukraine through the eyes of children’ exhibition & NPO Türkiispärl exhibition of dolls and textile toys

12:00-14:30 Conference: ‘Connections between generations ensure the continuation of traditions’

12:30 Awarding of prizes in the ‘My amazing Ida-Viru County’ children’s competition

13:00-14:00 Literary get-togethers 

14:30-15:30 Concert: Lõõtsavägilased

16:00 Gala concert featuring national minority cultural association collectives, a guest collective from Poland and the Ukrainian national dance group Czeremosz

17:45 Festival ends

 

The festival is being organised by the national culture round table operating under the Ida-Viru County Governor and Jõhvi Municipal Government. It is being supported by the Integration Foundation, the Ministry of Culture, the Estonian Cultural Capital and the Ida-Viru County Integration Centre. Everyone is welcome!

 

Estonian Nationalities Days 2017 at the Russian Cultural Centre

13 September at 18:00 | Small Hall

Masterclass with artist Bato Dugarzhapov (Russia). Admission with prior registration, tel 5836 3613, Tatjana Semenjuk

 

16 September | Personal exhibition of Bato Dugarzhapov (Russia) at Keila-Joa Manor

 

19 September at 17:15 | Conference Hall | “The history of Tallinn’s Sailors Home” lecture by Tatjana Tšervova. The lecture will be given in Russian. Free admission

21 September at 11:00 | Conference Hall | “The art of representatives of Estonia’s national minorities” lecture by Valeri Laur. The lecture will be given in Russian. Free admission

 

22 September at 18:00 | Large Hall | ‘Under one sky’ gala concert of national minority collectives.

Featuring the creative collectives of the Association of Slavic Educational and Charitable Societies in Estonia and Lüüra (the International Union of Associations of National Minorities). Free admission

23 September at 14:00 | Large Hall | ‘Russian songs in my soul’ concert. Featuring the Sudaruški folk song choir (Tallinn), the Rodnõje napevõ Russian song choir (Tallinn), the Ljubava folk song ensemble (Tallinn), the Zlatõje gorõ folk music ensemble (Tallinn), the Retšenka Russian song ensemble (Kohtla-Järve), the Zorenka Russian song choir (Kohtla-Järve) and the Nadežda Russian song choir (Narva). Free admission

23 September at 18:00 | Small Hall | ‘We live here’ classical music concert. Performances by soloists from the Russian Philharmonic Society. Including classical vocal and instrumental works of Russian, Ukrainian, Hungarian, Romanian and Estonian composers. Featuring: Karina Amirhanjan (soprano), Natalja Burova (soprano), Aleksandr Nekrassov (baritone), Roman Tšervinko (baritone), Vladimir Skamnitski (violin), Aleksandr Paškov (piano, St Petersburg). Free admission

 

28 September at 19:00 | Small Hall | Creative evening with poet, film director and journalist Andrei Tantsõrev. Free admission

 

 

How will Lüüra (the International Union of Associations of National Minorities) be marking National Minorities Day?

On 7 September an exhibition of Russian applied art entitled ‘Source of Joy’ will open at the Russian Cultural Centre (Mere pst 5, Tallinn). The exhibition is being organised by the NPO Töökoda-huviklubi Stiil under director Marina Datskovskaja.

It will include displays of:

- protective dolls;

- traditional embroidery;

- gem stone and pearl jewellery;

- woven charms known as “God’s Eye”; and

- ancient Slavic wooden symbols.

The exhibition will be open until 30 September. Admission is free.

On 8 September at 18:00 an exhibition by Sergei Lim (who is considered Estonia’s Aivazovski) entitled ‘The Sea around Us’ will open at the Russian Cultural Centre. It will be open until 8 October. Admission is free.

 

On 9 September at 10:00 Kotka stadium in Tallinn (Linnu tee 15) will play host to an open football tournament between national minority teams being organised by the Cultural and Sports Association of National Minorities. The day will also include performances by children’s dance groups: the Slavic cultural association Akrida, the Lezginka ensemble, the Ariran folklore dance ensemble and the Russian ensemble Daleko Li Do Tallinna. There will also be a mini-football tournament. The organisers call on all representatives of national minorities who are interested in football to form teams and take part in the event. For further information please contact: Imedi Kekeishvili, tournament coordinator | Mobile: +372 51 58 020.

 

On 18 September from 10:00-12:00 a children’s morning will be held in the Foreign Literature section of Tallinn Central Library (Liivalaia 40, Tallinn). The programme includes a Lezgin dance workshop and an exhibition of national costumes. The Lezginka ensemble is led by Rameliya Ulubayova.

 

On 19 September from 17:30-19:30 an evening of music and poetry will be held in the Foreign Literature section of Tallinn Central Library (Liivalaia 40, Tallinn). There will be a performance by the ensemble Ju Vega. Admission is free.

 

On 17 September from 12:00-14:00 Lüüra (the International Union of Associations of National Minorities) will be holding the ‘Golden Autumn’ fair and festival and an open day at Kaera 21 in Tallinn. For the ninth year this event will open the doors to everyone interested in finding out more about the traditions of different nationalities. More than 30 are represented by Lüüra: Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Georgians, Tatars, Armenians, Kabardians, Buryats, Lezgins, Moldovans, Chuvash, Koreans, Kazakhs, Uzbeks and more. There will be a concert, a festival of national cuisines, national games, an exhibition and sale, an art fair, contests and creative workshops for children. Admission is free.

 

On 22 September at 18:00 the main hall of the Russian Cultural Centre will be the venue for the ‘Under One Sky’ gala concert of national minority collectives. It will feature members of the Association of Slavic Educational and Charitable Societies in Estonia and Lüüra (the International Union of Associations of National Minorities). Admission is free.

 

For further information please contact: Larisa Ivaniševa | Mobile: +372 5805 3258 | E-mail: info@lyra.ee

Children are invited to attend Azerbaijan Day at Miiamilla Museum

On Saturday 23 September at 15:00 the Miiamilla Children’s Museum in Kadriorg (Koidula 21C) will be the venue for Azerbaijan Day, organised by the Orhan Azeri Sunday School.

The programme will include folk dances, workshops and face-painting, and everyone will have the chance to try the famous sweet treat baklava. The activities of national minority Sunday schools are financed from the budget of the Ministry of Education and Research.

 

For further information please contact: Sanam Aliyeva, Director, Orhan Azeri Sunday School | E-mail: sanam.aliyeva@gmail.com | Mobile: +372 5595 6950

Other National Minorities Day events

Haapsalu

From 22-24 September the Bõliina folklore ensemble and the Bereginja Russian National Culture Centre will be holding open days at Kastani 7. The programme will include excursions in the ‘Russian cabin’ museum, workshops, national games, a folklore programme and an introduction to Russian cuisine.

For further information please contact: Natalja Jampolskaja | Bõliina folklore ensemble, director of the Bereginja Russian National Culture Centre | E-mail: natalja.jampolskaja@mail.ru | Mobile: +372 55 20 094

Tallinn

On 30 September a lecture entitled ‘Traditional Russian rag dolls’ and a workshop will be held at the Sääse branch of Tallinn Central Library.

For further information please contact: Natalja Jampolskaja | Bõliina folklore ensemble, director of the Bereginja Russian National Culture Centre | E-mail: natalja.jampolskaja@mail.ru | Mobile: +372 55 20 094

Pärnu

From 25-30 September the NPO Raduga (the Union of National Minorities) will be showcasing national minority cultures on its premises at Rüütli 23. Visitors will be able to find out all about Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian music, literature, national symbols and national cuisine. From 1-10 October there will be an exhibition of national dolls. The final event dedicated to National Minorities Day will be held on 7 October.

For further information please contact: Galina Ivanova | Director of NPO Raduga (Union of National Minorities) | E-mail: raduga_parnu@mail.ru | Mobile: +372 5800 8847

Are you an innovative integrator? Nominate yourself for a prize!

The Integration Foundation is looking to bestow development prizes on legal entities and individuals who have involved people from different ethnic backgrounds in cooperative activities in an innovative way in 2016 and 2017. The prize fund is valued at 3000 euros.

Integration is defined as the shaping of knowledge, skills and values in a way that contributes to the development of society and where people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds play an active part in social life and support democratic values.

 

The development awards will be presented in three categories:

• Promotion to the general public of the cultures of the national minorities living in Estonia. One prize valued at 1000 euros will be awarded in this category.
• Promoting cooperation between residents of the country who speak Estonian and those who speak other languages as a mother tongue with the aim of fostering contact between communities. One prize valued at 1000 euros will be awarded in this category.
• Shaping opinions supporting integration through media projects or the initiatives of opinion leaders. One prize valued at 1000 euros will be awarded in this category.

 

This year will also see the awarding of a Baltic Integration prize for the first time in recognition of a project or activity that has influenced the development and sustainability of the field of integration within society as a whole in the Baltic States. The best integration projects from Latvia and Lithuania will also vie for this prize, with nominations being made by the Latvian Ministry of Culture and the Lithuanian National Minorities Board. The Baltic Integration prize is non-monetary.

 

This year, international experts will be included in the judging, which will take place as part of an integration conference being organised by the Integration Foundation on 16 & 17 November.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 25 September 2017. To lodge a nomination, fill in the appropriate application form on the Integration Foundation website under ‘Competitions’.

 

The Integration Foundation has been awarding the development prizes since 1999, while media prizes were first presented in 2009. The integration awards are financed from the state budget via the Ministry of Culture.

For further information please contact:

Kristina Pirgop, Head of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation, telephone: +372 659 9024, e-mail: kristina.pirgop@integratsioon.ee

People of different nationalities, tell us what your favourite place in Estonia is!

Reaching television screens in September will be the six-part travel series Meie Eestid (‘Our Estonias’) created by Mari-Liis Lille and Paavo Piik, in which each week a host who speaks Russian as their mother tongue will present the places that are most important to them in Estonia.

Their stories will take us to Lasnamäe and Laulasmaa, Vasknarva and Lake Võrtsjärv, Paide and Osmussaare, offering an interesting insight into places that already seem familiar to us.

On social media (https://www.facebook.com/meieestid/) the producers are inviting people from all national backgrounds to share their favourite places in Estonia in the hope of putting together a definitive list of the hundred most beautiful places to visit in the country for the 100th anniversary of the Estonian Republic.

Contributing to the series are Nikolai Bentsler, Dmitri Kosjakov, Aleksandr Žilenko, Tatjana Kosmõnina, Sergei Furmanjuk, Sergo Vares and some surprise guests. The series was produced by Kinoteater, U8 and producer Maria Kljukina.

It will be broadcast on ETV starting on 4 September and on ETV+ from 8 September.

The series was produced with the support of the Integration Foundation as part of activities supporting integration of the European Social Fund.

 

 

Are you a high school student? Do you want to share your thoughts on the Republic of Estonia?

The Citizens Day essay competition organised by the Integration Foundation and the Ministry of Education and Research is designed to get students thinking about the Republic of Estonia and to put those thoughts into words in an engaging way.

The competition will open on 25 September with entries to be submitted to essee@integratsioon.ee by 13 October. The competition is open to students from grades 7-12 in general education schools and students in vocational education.
 

There are two topics to choose between:

• What I would give to Estonia for its 100th birthday and why?
• The kind of app I would use as a developer of the Republic of Estonia in the future

Toivo Sikk, the head of civic education with MISA, says that the aim of the Citizens Day essay competition is to show an appreciation for the Estonian state and its history and for the role of every individual in the development of Estonian society.

“We also want to encourage students to have a say on issues related to the development of the country and to recognise them for their wish to contribute to society,” he explained.

The Integration Foundation has been organising the essay competition since 2011. Previous topics have been ‘What it means to me to be an Estonian citizen’ (2011), ‘How does sport help you recognise what it means to be an Estonian citizen?’ (2012), ‘What it means to me as an Estonian citizen to take an active role in social life’ (2013), ‘Our first decade as a Member State of the European Union’ (2014), ‘How can young people be of use to Estonian society?’ (2015) and ‘100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia – guest or guest of honour?’ (2016).

How to be a YouTuber, produce a television series and other media skills that are set to be taught in nine schools

This autumn will see the launch in Estonian schools of nine media education projects to which support was granted in the ‘Promotion of media education in general education schools and institutions of vocational education’ project competition held in spring. The total volume of the projects being supported is almost 20,000 euros. 12 applications were submitted.
 

• As part of the ‘Opportunity to choose’ project, students from Sillamäe Gymnasium will be learning key techniques in text analysis – how to distinguish between reliable and questionable information and how to recognise the main ways in which the author seeks to influence the reader in a media text. In the practical part of the project the students will conduct interviews and put together reports on youth work topics at Kadrina Secondary School, Võru Gymnasium and Narva Language Lyceum.
   
• Tallinn Art Grammar School is working with Estonian Public Broadcasting to introduce its students to the process of making television programmes. The students will attend workshops on production, filming and editing at which they will acquire practical skills for producing their own School TV.
   
• One of the aims of Ahtme Gymnasium’s project ‘I look at the news inside and out!’ is to increase awareness among young people from Ida-Viru County of the ways in which propaganda is spread and of the media as a production system. To achieve this objective, the Baltic Film and Media School at Tallinn University has put together a special study programme. As a result of the course, the students will complete a simulated news bulletin covering local life.
   
• Two projects of institutions of vocational education were also granted support: Students from Tallinn Construction School will be holding a Media Day in October at which they will learn about the critical evaluation and ethical use of information found online; and as part of a series of ongoing events, students from Järva County Vocational Training Centre will be practising the writing of news stories and articles under the tutelage of professionals and finding out what it’s like to be a YouTuber and produce a television show.
   
• Students from Haabersti Russian Gymnasium and Tallinn Mustamäe School of Humanities will be visiting studios to learn the basics of directing and camera operating and find out how radio and television news is produced.
   
• Pirita Business High School will be the venue for a media conference entitled ‘Orienting in media space – obligation or freedom?’.
   
• The non-profit organisation VVS Media grupp will be offering Tallinn-based upper secondary students who do not speak Estonian as their mother tongue the chance to take part in video training and making news stories and reports so as to teach them the skill of understanding information and the language of pictures.

 

The aim of the competition is to foster the media competence of students from upper secondary schools and vocational education institutions as well as their ability to analyse information, critically interpret media messages and themselves create media content.

 

The projects are being financed from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Research. 

For further information please contact: Liilika Raudhein, analyst, telephone: +372 659 9841, e-mail: liilika.raudhein@integratsioon.ee 
 

President Kaljulaid: All nationalities living in Estonia should feel proud of themselves

At a meeting between Estonian and national minority umbrella organisations at the Estonian National Museum on 18 August, President Kersti Kaljulaid remarked that everyone in Estonia should feel proud of their nationality and culture.

“I’m so pleased that you’ve all come together today to discuss how everyone can play a part in designing Estonia’s ‘national pattern’ in the 21st century,” President Kaljulaid said. “And I support you in ensuring that our pattern features a wide spectrum of colours. As much variety, as much multiplicity of languages and of course as much diversity of cultures as possible!”

110 people from 40 organisations attended the event. Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Azeris, Tatars, Ingrian Finns, Mordvans, Bashkirs, Kabardians, Estonians and other nationalities were represented. New cultural contacts were made and discussions were held on how to make a greater contribution to the development of Estonia.

The Integration Foundation’s Head of Partnership Relations Kristina Pirgop says that such a sizeable gathering of Estonian and national minority umbrella organisations has never taken place in Estonia before.

“There’s been a lot of interest in such an event over the years, which is why we decided to work with the Ministry of Culture and the Estonian Folklore Council to arrange it,” she explained. “There’s no reason these umbrella organisations should keep to themselves when meeting with people from other cultures could be such an amazing platform for growth for new ideas and undertakings.

Text of president’s address: https://www.president.ee/en/official-duties/speeches/13514-president-of-the-republic-on-the-opening-of-the-summer-co-operation-event-of-umbrella-organisations-of-estonia-and-national-minorities/index.html

Video of president’s address: https://youtu.be/BPI19UKLiE0

Event gallery: https://goo.gl/photos/6BCAgk4mafrXzY9T6

 

For further information please contact:

Kristina Pirgop, Head of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation, mobile: +372 5194 1147, e-mail:

kristina.pirgop@integratsioon.ee

Trainer sought for recipients of international protection

 

The Ministry of the Interior is seeking a partner to provide training in the adaptation programme designed for recipients of international protection. Said partner will also be charged with the task of updating the existing training and the accompanying materials.

The training materials will now be more extensive as further topics are added. There is a separate training module within the adaptation programme for those who have received international protection. The module was designed with the needs of the recipients in mind: it aims to provide them with a good understanding of how Estonian society works and to enable them to connect with their local community as quickly as possible.

The activities forming part of the module will be implemented in 2018 and 2019, with at least 200 recipients of international protection being trained during that period. The total budget for the round of applications is 200,000 euros. 75% of this amount is being financed by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the remaining 25% from the state budget.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 11:00 on 27 September 2017. Application forms and guidelines can be found online at www.amif.ee

 

For further information please contact:

Silva Viilup, Adviser, Foreign Financing Department, Ministry of the Interior, telephone: +372 612 5180, e--mail: silva.viilup@siseministeerium.ee

 

 

We invite you to the international conference on integration
This is your invitation to Estonia’s first integration hackathon!
Children invite President Kaljulaid to Narva
Look how many taxi drivers from Narva will be commencing Estonian language studies in November 2017
We support the promotion of media education in schools
Concert version of ‘Carmen’ to be performed at House of the Blackheads
Our Narva office has a brand new home!
Statistical overview of free Estonian language studies

We invite you to the international conference on integration

„Shared Identities in Diverse Communities: the Role of Culture, Media and Civil Society”

 

16 & 17 November 2017 in Tallinn, Estonia

Nordic Hotel Forum, Viru väljak 3

This two-day conference brings together leading experts on integration issues, policy-makers and hands-on practitioners from Estonia and around Europe to share visionary ideas, research results and best practices for the effective integration in diverse societies.
 

Conference speakers are recognized international experts from Canada, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia. Interactive panel discussions and practical workshops will address various topics related to the role popular culture, media, active civil society and the education system play in creating the environment that supports development of inclusive shared identity and cohesion in culturally diverse societies. Among guest speakers are:
 

Rob Berkeley MBE, BBC, University of Oxford – project lead responsible for audience accountability at BBC – the world’s oldest national broadcasting organisation.

Mr Bob Deen, Head of Section and Senior Adviser at OSCE High Comissioner on National Minorities.

Professor Zsuzsa Csergő –president of Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN) - academic association promoting research on issues of Nationalism, Ethnicity, Violence, Conflict etc. and Head of Department of Political studies at Queens’ University Canada.

Professor Milton Bennett – director of Intercultural Development Research Institute (USA/Italy) author of the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS).

Dr. Peeter Mehisto, University of London – expert in bilingual education, key expert in developing Estonian program for language immersion.

Dr. Marco Martinello – the National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS), Belgium, director of the Centre d’Etudes de l’Ethnicité et des Migrations (CEDEM).

Additional information on the program and speakers you han find here

Conference participation is free of charge. Working language is English, with simultaneous translation to Estonian and Russian. Web streaming will be available: www.integrationconference.ee
 

This is your invitation to Estonia’s first integration hackathon!

 

The first ever Estonian integration hackathon will be taking place in Tallinn on 24 & 25 November. It is designed to look for innovative and exciting solutions for the creation of a more cohesive society.
 

What is the integration hackathon?

It’s an innovative two-day marathon of creative ideas. Find out more online at www.integratsioon.ee/hakaton

Who can take part?

The hackathon is open to anyone who thinks that Estonian society should be cohesive – meaning one where people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds take an active role in social life and share democratic values, and have the desire and what it takes to put their ideas out there and make something of them.
 

Where can I get more detailed information?

An information day will be held at the Kopli restaurant (Kopli 25, Tallinn) from 16:00-18:00 on 19 October at which the organisers of the event will be talking about key challenges and developments in the field of integration and the questions that have arisen as a result.

Note: REGISTER FOR THE INFORMATION DAY ONLINE AT https://www.integratsioon.ee/hakatoni-infopaev

 

The hackathon is being organised by
the Integration Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture.

 

For further information please contact: Olga Sõtnik, Senior specialist, Ministry of Culture, mobile: +372 51 20 962, e-mail: olga.sotnik@kul.ee

 

 

 

Children invite President Kaljulaid to Narva
 

On 2 October President Kersti Kaljulaid met with students from Narva Language Lyceum in Võru. The students have been immersing themselves in an Estonian-language environment while staying with families from Võru County.

 

President Kaljulaid dropped in on a handicraft workshop where the students were making sweet wrappers and cards. The most beautiful examples were presented to the Head of State as a gift at the end of the meeting, when the students also invited President Kaljulaid to Narva.
 

This year 120 students from Ida-Viru County are taking part in family studies. During the meeting, President Kaljulaid said that even more students should be included in such studies, as they are a very effective way of learning a language. She also called on the Integration Foundation to come up with a way of ensuring that the students maintain their new skills after returning home.
 

Foundation director Irene Käosaar says that what makes family studies such a successful way of learning a language is the fact that by staying with families the students make lasting friends. “Kids who speak Estonian as their mother tongue and kids who speak Russian as theirs start interacting, and many of them come back to Võru Country two or three times for further visits,” she said.
 

Inasmuch as their concentration was focussed on the handicrafts, the students also answered President Kaljulaid’s questions. They in turn then asked the Head of State what her favourite subject had been at school. The answer? Biology. “I liked exploring new places, and studying biology meant I was able to travel around a lot,” President Kaljulaid explained.
 

Present along with the eight youngsters from Narva Language Lyceum were their support students from Osula Basic School and Võru DownTown School.

 

 

We support the promotion of media education in schools
 

We invite general education schools and vocational education institutions to submit project applications for the promotion of media education.

 

The aim of the competition is to foster the media competence of students from upper secondary schools and vocational education institutions as well as their ability to analyse information, critically interpret media messages and themselves create media content.

 

We support the conducting of interviews, the presentation of news and reports, the making of short films et al. under the guidance of professionals, study trips to media agencies by students and the organisation of information seminars.

 

The total budget for the project competition is 13,000 euros. The deadline for the submission of applications is 6 November 2017.

 

The documents and application forms for the competition are available on the Integration Foundation website at https://www.integratsioon.ee/kaimasolevad-konkursid?project_id=704

 

The project competition is being financed from the state budget via the Ministry of Education and Research. 

 

For further information please contact: Liilika Raudhein, analyst, telephone: +372 659 9841, e-mail: liilika.raudhein@integratsioon.ee

 

Concert version of ‘Carmen’ to be performed at House of the Blackheads

 

The Association of Belarusians in Estonia invites everyone to enjoy a concert version of the opera ‘Carmen’ as performed by talented young Europeans at the House of the Blackheads (Pikk 26, Tallinn) at 19:00 on 14 October.

 

‘Talented young Europeans’ is a project of the association which aims to support young singers and promote classical European vocal music.

 

As part of the project, which is being run this year for the eighth time, the orchestra from the Estonian Academy of Music will be cooperating with internationally recognised young singers who have performed on opera stages in Zurich, Munich, France, Moscow and Minsk.
 

Come along to the House of the Blackheads to meet the main characters of French composer Georges Bizet’s opera: the Spanish Carmen, played by mezzosoprano Dara Savinova; the soldier Jose, played by Hungarian tenor Gula Rab; and the matador Escamillot played by Estonian baritone Atlan Karp. Also contributing to the performance will be Polish concert master Oleksandr Yankevych and the Tallinn Flamenco Studio led by Claudia Ševtšenko. The story leads you to the Spanish city of sinners and saints, Seville, which is aflame with passion.

 

Tickets are available from Piletilevi.

 

For further information please contact: Niina Savinova, President, Association of Belarusians in Estonia, Mobile: +372 51 34 280

Our Narva office has a brand new home!

 

We are at the same address – in the Keres Centre at Kerese 3 – but in September we moved down one floor.

We are now on the 2nd floor, not the 3rd floor as previously.

 

Statistical overview of free Estonian language studies

In October 2017

572 people all over Estonia have started language courses

1.      Tallinn: 286

2.      Narva: 118

3.      Tartu: 16

4.      Pärnu: 16

5.      Kohtla-Järve (Ahtme): 46

6.      Jõhvi: 45

7.      Sillamäe: 45

 

56 taxi drivers from Narva will be commencing Estonian language studies in November 2017

 

200 teachers have been studying Estonian since September 2017

1.      Narva: 114

2.      Sillamäe: 28

3.      Jõhvi: 28

4.      Kohtla-Järve: 14

5.      Ahtme: 14

 

In 2018

the foundation will be opening places on Estonian language courses for 588 people

·         224 on Estonian language courses at the A2, B1 and B2 levels all over Estonia

·         160 at the A1 level in Narva

·         160 at the A1 level in Tallinn

·         44 taxi drivers at the A1 level in Narva

 

+ 30 Estonian language and culture clubs all over the country in which at least 480 people can participate. Estonian is practised in the clubs at the B2 and C1 levels.

 

Between September 2015 and September 2017

a total of 4864 people took part in Estonian language courses at the A2, B1 and B2 levels

1.      Tallinn: 3154 (including residents of municipalities in Harju County e.g. Maardu: 154)

2.      Sillamäe: 175

3.      Jõhvi: 122 (including Toila)

4.      Kohtla-Järve & Ahtme: 434 (including Kohtla, Lüganuse, Kohtla-Nõmme and Aseri municipalities and Kiviõli)

5.      Narva: 831 (including Vaivara, Illuka and Mäetaguse municipalities and Narva-Jõesuu)

6.      Pärnu: 29 (including Paikuse, Sindi and Sauga municipalities)

7.      Tartu: 80 (including Tartu and Ülenurme municipalities)

 

+ Estonian language courses for teachers from Ida-Viru County in Narva, Sillamäe, Jõhvi, Kohtla-Järve and Ahtme

2015: 235 teachers

2016: 210 teachers

 

Fiery political debate added to conference programme
Integration Hackathon set for 24 & 25 November
Five reasons to take part in the online Citizen’s Day quiz
How can you give unemployed people with limited Estonian skills the encouragement they need?
Expat Estonian cultural associations can submit projects for jubilee year
28 Estonian language and culture clubs will commence activity
Six steps to becoming an Estonian citizen
Six more national minority Sunday schools receive state support
Narva taxi drivers to commence Estonian language studies en masse
Young people from Ida-Viru County integrate themselves in Tartu and Rakvere
Russian Culture Sunday School to showcase century-old Russian cuisine
Iris show group to celebrate its anniversary with Zlatõje Gorõ and Eduard Toman

 

Follow live broadcast
 

We are happy to announce that the international integration conference ‘Shared Identities in Diverse Communities: the Role of Culture, Media and Civil Society’ being held in Tallinn on 16 & 17 November will now feature a potentially fiery debate between politicians. The debate will start at 13:30 on the second day of the conference.
 

All of the places at the conference have been filled, but the debate will be able to be followed live on the conference website at www.integrationconference.ee and in the Postimees portal at www.postimees.ee.

 

The politicians taking part in the debate are:
 

Jevgeni Ossinovski, Social Democratic Party

Viktoria Ladõnskaja, Pro Patria and Res Publica Union

Mihhail Kõlvart, Centre Party

Yoko Alender, Reform Party

Martin Helme, Conservative People’s Party of Estonia
 

The debate will be moderated by journalist Neeme Raud (photo Erik Prozes, Postimees) and Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Integration Foundation Kristina Kallas.

Further information about the conference programme is available online at www.integrationconference.ee

 

Integration Hackathon set for 24 & 25 November
 

The Club of Different Rooms (Erinevate Tubade Klubi) in Tallinn will play host to the very first Integration Hackathon on 24 & 25 November, at which teams of three to five people will start developing exciting new projects aimed at creating a more cohesive society.
 

For more details about the hackathon or to register, go to www.integratsioon.ee/hakaton
 

Important information for participants from Ida-Viru County

In cooperation with the British Council we are able to support participants from Ida-Viru County by offering them free accommodation and transport during the hackathon.
 

Information session held in Tallinn on 19 October

A recording of the session can be viewed online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K5wsiwqnOU&feature=youtu.be

 

To bring yourself up to speed on developments in the field of integration -
the international conference ‘Shared Identities in Diverse Communities: the Role of Culture, Media and Civil Society’ can be followed live online at http://integrationconference.ee/
 

For further information please contact: Olga Sõtnik, Senior specialist, Ministry of Culture, mobile: +372 51 20 962, e-mail: olga.sotnik@kul.ee

 

 

Five reasons to take part in the online Citizen’s Day quiz

 

On 26 November we celebrate Citizen’s Day. To mark the occasion, the Integration Foundation has put together a quiz – something it’s been doing every year for the past 15 years.

 

The quiz can be found on the foundation’s website at www.integratsioon.ee: 

- for students from Grades 5-12 in general education schools and for vocational school students from 9:00 on 20 November to 23:59 on 30 November;

- for everyone else interested from 26-30 November.

1. It’s the perfect opportunity to imagine what life would be like without Google

Safe in the knowledge that what they need to know can be found online, people have gotten used to simply grabbing their phones and Googling things. But the questions in the Citizen’s Day quiz are put together so cleverly that a basic Google search won’t provide the answers. Find out what you’re capable of without Google as your lifeline.

 

2. You’ll find out new stuff about what makes Estonia so special

The people who put the questions together have done their darndest to make the quiz exciting. There’s so much to know about Estonian society that you learn something new every year. 15 years they’ve been putting together questions for the quiz, and not one of them has ever cropped up twice.

 

3. You’ll find out how much recent history you remember

Lots of the quiz questions are related to 2016. How much do you remember about last year?

 

4. Taking the quiz will spark your curiosity

Once you find out one fascinating fact it inspires you to find out more about the same topic. This makes you more attentive generally and allows you to make connections between things using the knowledge you’ve gained. While people who never take any initiative complain of boredom, curious people lead exciting lives.

 

5. Citizen’s Day comes right after St Catherine’s Day

Once you’ve had your fill of fun on St Catherine’s Day, park yourself in front of your computer and get quizzing! That’s a whole weekend right there.

 

 

How can you give unemployed people with limited Estonian skills the encouragement they need?

 

This February the Integration Foundation launched a pilot mentoring programme for unemployed people known by its Estonian acronym TEMP. 30 people are taking part in the programme: 15 pairs of mentors and mentees.

 

- The mentees are unemployed residents of Tallinn and Ida-Viru County whose Estonian language skills are limited. The majority are aged 50+, although there are also some younger mentees.

- The mentors are volunteers with the desire and the energy to help the mentees make positive changes in their lives. At the start of the project the mentors underwent two days of training.

 

The programme provides the participants with the opportunity to communicate with people from outside of their ordinary circle of acquaintances through a variety of workshops, training events and get-togethers. For example, food preparation workshops have been held in Tallinn and Sillamäe; the Opinion Festival was attended in Paide; there has been a stress management course in Tallinn; and training on self-marketing is soon to be provided.

 

On 30 October the mentees and mentors met in Tallinn with the personnel managers from a number of large companies (Ericsson Eesti AS, AS Vopak E.O.S., Omniva, ISS Eesti AS and Kaubamaja AS), who outlined their recruitment principles and shared useful job-seeking tips. The personnel managers underscored the fact that willingness to work carries much more weight during recruitment than Estonian language skills.

 

The Integration Foundation’s Head of Cooperation Ljudmila Peussa says the meeting had a very encouraging effect on the mentees. “The personnel managers gave them loads of useful advice that will really help them in looking for work,” she said.

 

TEMP is being carried out as part of the CROSS project ‘Cross-border cooperation on mentoring and peer support for immigrants’. The project is being supported from the resources of the INTERREG Central Baltic 2014-2020 programme financed by the European Regional Development Fund. TEMP hails from Finland, where it has been successfully implemented for many years.

 

Expat Estonian cultural associations can submit projects for jubilee year
 

On 26 October the Republic of Estonia 100 and Countrymen Programme project competitions were announced, which support the activities of expat Estonian cultural associations with 100,000 euros to mark the anniversary year.
 

According to Kristina Pirgop, Head of Partnership Relations at the Integration Foundation, the support given to foreign cultural associations is larger than before. “The year 2018 is special for the Republic of Estonia and we want events keeping Estonian culture alive abroad to turn into reality and Estonians living far away to feel like part of Estonian cultural life,” said Pirgop.
 

According to Anne-Ly Reimaa, an adviser at the Ministry of Culture, the interest of expat Estonian cultural associations in the application rounds has been huge. “We consider it very important that Estonians living abroad keep a connection with their home country and that Estonian traditions and culture also be preserved at places where Estonians live. Estonians living abroad are often the first ones to introduce our country,” Reimaa said.
 

According to Heilika Pikkov, International Programme Manager of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU and Estonia's centenary, all Estonian friends from both sides of the border are welcome to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. “This is the most important celebration of our country’s history – the time when all Estonians all over the world should feel like one big family,” Pikkov said.
 

The Countrymen Programme competition projects are supported with up to 3000 euros, the Republic of Estonia 100 competition project with up to 7000 euros.
 

The deadline for both applications is 30 November 2017.
 

The terms and conditions of the competition can be found on the website of the Integration Foundation at https://www.integratsioon.ee/konkursid
 

The project competitions are organised by the Integration Foundation and funded by the State Chancellery and the Ministry of Culture from the resources of the ‘Countrymen Programme 2014–2020’. The Countrymen Programme is managed by the Ministry of Education and Research.
 

More information about the anniversary programme can be found online at www.ev100.ee.
 

For further information please contact:
Heilika Pikkov, International Programme Manager for the 100th anniversary celebrations and Estonia’s presidency of the European Union, mobile: +372 56 91 20 91, heilika.pikkov@riigikantselei.ee

Kristina Pirgop, Head of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation, telephone: +372 659 9024, +372 5194 1147,

kristina.pirgop@integratsioon.ee

 

28 Estonian language and culture clubs will commence activity
 

This winter will see Estonian language and culture clubs organising activities all over Estonia: 14 clubs will be starting in Tallinn, 12 in Ida-Viru County (two in Sillamäe, six in Narva, two in Jõhvi, one in Kohtla-Järve, one in Ahtme) and two in Tartu.

 

Who are the clubs meant for?

 

Estonian language and culture clubs are meant for people: 

• whose native language is not Estonian and who have completed the language course for level B2 or C1 or the language course for teachers from Ida-Viru County organised by the Integration Foundation*;
• who wish to expand their understanding of Estonian culture;
• who would like to visit cultural events outside their home town;
• who would be inspired by meeting exciting people (cultural actors, entrepreneurs, etc.), who will be invited as guest performers at club events;
• who would enjoy club activities once a week;
• who want to overcome the language barrier, need support and encouragement to use Estonian more confidently in everyday life.

* Potential club members are sent personal invitations.

* Friends and acquaintances of club members can also join the club, if they have completed the national B2 or C1 level exam.

 

About clubs

• Each club has two group leaders and 16 members from different private and professional backgrounds.
• The club meets once a week for six months altogether. During this time there are six excursions to different museums, concerts, the theatre or sports events as well as naturally beautiful parts of Estonia.
• The clubs were established in 2015 and 760 members have participated during these two years. The club will continue to operate until 2020.
• The clubs’ activities are financed by the European Social Fund as part of the activity 5.2.2 of the project ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’.
• Club meetings are organised by the Integration Foundation in cooperation with Change Partners OÜ, OÜ Keelepisik, ImmiSchool – Uusimmigrantide Koolituskeskus OÜ and Atlasnet MTÜ.

 

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi, Head of language and cultural immersion, telephone +372 659 9069, e-mail: jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee

 

Six steps to becoming an Estonian citizen
 

A simple and practical guideline has been prepared for applying for Estonian citizenship. There are two versions of the printed materials: Estonian-English and Estonian-Russian.
 

Information about these six steps is available here.

 

 

Six more national minority Sunday schools receive state support

 

In addition to the round of applications that was held in summer, which saw 24 national minority Sunday schools granted state support, the autumn round saw a further six Sunday schools receive funding.
 

Kristina Pirgop, the Head of Partnership Relations with the Integration Foundation, says that the 23,100 euros granted to the six Sunday schools will cover Ukrainian language and culture studies in Maardu, Ingrian culture and Finnish language studies in Pärnu, Korean and Georgian language and culture studies in Tallinn and Russian language and culture studies in Pärnu this academic year.

 

“The kids who attend the Sunday schools learn the languages and traditions of their forefathers, try their hand at folk dancing and handicrafts and are taught how to make traditional dishes,” she explained. “They also go on excursions to museums, meet up with students from other Sunday schools and celebrate special occasions in their respective national calendars.”

 

A total of 520 students are enrolled in the Sunday schools being financed in 2017, which employ 70 teachers. The activities of national minority Sunday schools are funded by the Ministry of Education and Research.

 

For further information please contact: Kristina Pirgop, Head of Partnership Relations, Integration Foundation, telephone: +372 659 9024, e-mail: kristina.pirgop@integratsioon.ee

 

Narva taxi drivers to commence Estonian language studies en masse
 

100 Narva taxi drivers will be commencing 120 hours of elementary Estonian studies in November funded by the state.
 

Jana Tondi, the head of language and cultural immersion with the Integration Foundation, says the courses are able to go ahead thanks to the government approving a Ministry of Culture application for further funding for free Estonian language studies in 2017 and 2018.
 

“This means we’re able to provide better opportunities for learning the national language, since free studies at the elementary or A1 level aren’t being offered all that widely at the moment,” she explained. “The courses will focus on providing the taxi drivers with the communication skills they need in their work. They’ll be learning simple, everyday phrases.”
 

A list of taxi drivers interested in the courses was submitted to the Integration Foundation by Narva City Government. The courses are being run by the Edukool Foundation in seven groups from November this year through to the end of November next year.
 

Each course will end with an exam.  

 

 

Young people from Ida-Viru County integrate themselves in Tartu

 

The Ida-Viru County Integration Centre has launched a project in order to give young people between the ages of 13 and 18 with different mother tongues the chance to work together, make new friends and find out about Estonian history.

 

Students from schools in Kiviõli, Jõhvi, Sillamäe, Narva and other parts of Ida-Viru County with Eesti and Russian as their languages of instruction are being integrated as part of excursions to the Estonian National Museum. On the way there they also stop off at Iisaku Parish Museum and Mustvee Old Believers Museum.

 

The groups comprise students from different schools so as to ensure a good mix of students with both Estonian and Russian as their mother tongue. 40 students from four schools in the Narva area (Soldino Gymnasium, Paju Secondary School, Narva-Jõesuu School and Narva Old Town State School) took part in the first excursion on 11 October.

 

The project is being supported by the Integration Foundation.

 

For further information please contact: Arne Piirimägi, Project coordinator, Director, Kiviõli Russian School, e-mail: arne.piirimagi@gmail.com

 

Youngsters from Ida-Viru County meet with former Foreign Minister in Rakvere

 

40 youngsters from upper secondary schools in Narva, Sillamäe and Kohtla-Järve visited Rakvere on 30 October as part of a programme designed specifically for people aged 17-19 living in Estonia that aims to foster contact between them and show them what they can make of themselves in the country.

 

During the event they met with the head of the Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Marina Kaljurand, Defence League Viru district instructor and senior operational officer Erik Sild, Virumaa Teataja newspaper editor Anu Viita-Neuhaus and Rakvere mayor Mihkel Juhkami. The speakers talked about their career choices and the recommendations they would give young people.

 

Alongside these heartfelt stories and valuable advice, the Tarvanpää Society (www.tarvanpää.ee) also performed folk dances. During the second half of the day, the team behind the Tolerant School project organised a school bullying forum-style theatre designed to prevent bullying and highlight the seriousness of the issue. At the end of the day the attendees were able to try their hand at being journalists when Anu Viita-Neuhaus from Virumaa Teataja gave them a practical task to complete.

 

The Integration Foundation’s Head of Cooperation Ljudmila Peussa says that students from local schools are always invited to take part in these excursions as well – this time from Kadrina High School.

 

Russian Culture Sunday School to showcase century-old Russian cuisine
 

The Russian Culture Sunday School in Tallinn is inviting everyone to their open day starting at 16:30 on 14 November in the lecture hall of the Neitsitorn café and museum. The theme of the event is ‘Russian cuisine from the late 19th and early 20th centuries’.
 

Visitors will find out about the most famous cafés and restaurants in Tallinn and St Petersburg from that period, while the organisers will be talking about the history of popular dishes and giving people the chance to try them for themselves. The menu will include cold starters, a soup and a dessert served with tea.
 

The event is taking place with the support of the Integration Foundation and in association with Tallinn City Museum.

Admission is on the basis of advance registration. The number of places is limited.
 

Registration and further information: Roman Ljagu, Director, Russian Culture Sunday School, e-mail: romanljagu@hot.ee

 

Iris show group to celebrate its anniversary with Zlatõje Gorõ and Eduard Toman
 

The Iris show group are inviting everyone along to Lindakivi Cultural Centre at 16:00 on 2 December to help them celebrate their 20th anniversary. They will be performing alongside the ensemble Zlatõje Gorõ, actor and singer Eduard Toman, soloists from the Aplaus Creative Centre and singer Rafael.
 

Iris was formed in 1997 from students of the Aplaus Creative Centre’s variety studio. Its original line-up included Artjom Solovjov, Natalja Tšernobajeva, Marina Taruta, Ludmilla Katskova and Olga Tšopenko (who was replaced by Nadežda Karpenko in 2001).

 

Its repertoire includes stylised folk songs, variety songs, jazz compositions in 10 languages and songs by Estonia’s own Raimond Valgre. The show group have won numerous awards at international variety song contests in Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Armenia.
 

Admission is free.
 

For further information please contact: Igor Jermakov, Director, Iris Show Group, e-mail: igor@lindakivi.ee

 

 

Five questions for Kristina Kallas
Registration for Estonian language courses to re-open in January
Training for company directors and personnel managers: ‘How to manage diversity’
Narva Advisory Centre to host Afternoon Tea
Young foreign Estonians – start making plans for summer!
Almost 80,000 euros to be granted in support of cultural and sports projects
State to continue supporting national minority organisations
Authors of best Citizen’s Day essays awarded at special ceremony
Season's greetings

 

 

There’s been so much going on!
 

Kristina Kallas has been the chairman of the supervisory board of the Integration Foundation for two years now. Agnes Aaslaid invited her to look back on 2017 and look ahead to what 2018 might bring.
 

Kristina, you’ve chaired the supervisory board since December 2015. What have we achieved in the last two years? 

We’ve made quite a lot of changes to the foundation’s action plan. For example, we took things out that supported people in emigrating from Estonia. Given the demographic situation we’re in, they seemed pretty laughable. They were definitely relics of a bygone era. We’ve made huge strides when it comes to organising Estonian studies, particularly in developing the concept of the Estonian language houses and in preparations to set them up. We’ve also reviewed our support for the activities of national minority cultural associations and the foundation’s communication and visibility generally. The thing I’m most proud of is the international integration conference we run, which has been going for two years now and which we’ve organised really well. It’s shone the spotlight on the foundation again in Estonia and earned us international attention as well. Plus it’s made integration something the public are talking about again. 
 

How has the foundation done in 2017 in your view?

It’s been a hard year, what with the decision to move the foundation to Narva in 2018, which left a lot of people feeling unsure of themselves. That affected our work for a while. And then we got a new director. In that kind of situation even getting back into a regular working pattern’s an achievement. But our biggest successes this year in terms of what we have to offer are the Estonian language house concept we came up with in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, the integration conferences we’ve organised and the new targets we’ve set for ourselves. 
 

What does the foundation need to do in 2018 so that we can look back on the year and heave a sigh of satisfaction?

Next year will be a successful one for us if we get three things done:

- launching the Estonian language house projects in Narva and Tallinn;

- sorting out the details of the relocation plans for Narva and getting that transfer underway; and

- implementing a new and more effective approach to our communication so that the foundation is the main spokesperson for integration issues in society.
 

We also need to take what we’re offering to the next level, like for instance turning more of our attention to promoting media criticism and civic education among young people and broadening our cooperation networks. Plus we need to make some changes in the way we support the work of national culture associations so the support we give them actually helps them grow and develop. 
 

What will you remember most about 2017? 

Probably how exhausting it was, since there’s been so much going on! There’ve been some sweeping changes in the foundation, and that’s meant a lot of talking to people and the public. We’ve made a start on new initiatives like the Estonian language houses and the Creative Incubator in Narva. In autumn we had the Narva Cultural Capital project, and in 2018 we’re launching the Narva Music Festival. Plus we’ve had the Estonian presidency of the Council of the European Union, and next year’s the country’s centenary. The former involved, and the latter’s already involved, lots of different events and performances and visits in Narva. I also worked closely with the OSCE this year when we assessed the national integration programme in Kyrgyzstan. That saw me flying all the way to Bishkek once a month. Ukraine’s also taken up a fair bit of my time and concentration, as we worked with Zaporizhia State University to develop multilingual education models, and we’re also supporting the Ukrainian Ministry of Education in their attempts at education reform. All of this is in addition to my main job, which is heading up Narva College of the University of Tartu, where we’ve also seen big changes this year – like the first group of foreign students that started studying there this year. But working with such fantastic teams all over the country means that all of the things I just mentioned have been a success! 
 

It would be interesting to know what you get up to in your spare time. Do you have a hobby you plan to spend more time on in 2018?

Commuting between Tartu, Tallinn and Narva and bringing up three small kids doesn’t leave me with much time to myself, although I have managed this year to teach myself to more effectively switch off from work. Reading helps me with that. I like reading science-based stuff, but also literature. My partner tries to coax me out into the woods of a weekend or to go canoeing or whatever, but I prefer to curl up at home with a good book.
 

For summer I set myself the goal of doing as much exercise as possible, since all that driving and all those meetings and all that office work mean sitting around all the time, which is bad news physically. I started running to work off stress. I downloaded RunKeeper, which keeps pushing me all the time now. I used to think running was something only vain people did, that it wasn’t the done thing for someone working in academia to be seen parading about town in lycra. But I’ve come to realise how important exercising is as part of my lifestyle. Your brain works better if your body’s in good shape, too. If I get a free moment of an evening or on the weekend I like reading and watching films with my kids. It’s fun doing their homework with them as well, like the projects they’re given about plants and animals to do with their parents. If you’re a teacher reading this, please give them more homework like that! Albeit with enough of a heads-up so us parents who travel a lot for work can plan time to do them with them.

Photo: Anna Markova
 

 

Registration for Estonian language courses to re-open in January

 

We would like to let those interested in Estonian language studies know that registration for the courses being held in the first half of 2018 will open on 10 January at 12:00 on our website at https://www.integratsioon.ee.

 

During the new year the foundation will be offering courses at the A1, A2, B1 and B2 levels that are free of charge for the participants. 41 courses will be opened in January in Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Sillamäe, Jõhvi and the Ahtme district of Kohtla-Järve, offering a total of 650 places.

 

The courses, which are being run by the NPOs Atlasnet and Folkuniversitetet Estonia, will be held between 17 January and 20 June 2018.

 

Anyone who is unable to register in January or for whom the times and venues of the courses are unsuitable will be able to register again in August 2018.

 

The courses are aimed at new immigrants and permanent residents in different parts of the country whose integration has been limited and who come from a linguistic and cultural background other than Estonian. The courses are organised with the support of the European Social Fund project ‘Terms and conditions of the provision of support for activities promoting integration in Estonian society’ and from the budget of the Ministry of Culture.

 

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion, telephone: +372 659 9069, e-mail: jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee

 

 

Training for company directors and personnel managers: ‘How to manage diversity’

 

The Integration Foundation, in association with the Estonian Human Rights Centre, is inviting anyone interested to take part in a diversity management training day from 10:00-16:30 on 6 February 2018 in Tallinn (venue TBA).

 

The aim of the training is to increase awareness of diverse working environments and to demonstrate ways of creating a working environment that respects diversity and is itself functionally multicultural. The working language of the event will be Estonian.

 

Programme:
 

10:00-10:30 Registration

10:30-12:00 Introduction to topic: the historical formation of the fields of integration and diversity; the main challenges facing society today; integration and generational differences; and the importance of diversity and inclusion in the context of companies and organisations

12:00-13:00 Lunch

13:00-14:30 Nationality-based stereotypes in recruitment and the working environment and ways of reducing their impact; stereotypes game; discussions in working groups

14:30-15:00 Coffee break

15:00-16:30 Practical solutions implemented by companies in Estonia to create a working environment that respects diversity and is itself functionally multicultural

 

The trainers for the event will be Estonian Human Rights Centre founder and director Kari Käsper and the centre’s equal treatment expert Kelly Grossthal.

 

To register, fill in the form at https://goo.gl/forms/8iFKKbmz8L0ZY7S23 by 19 January 2018.

 

The training is being provided as part of the ‘Cross-border cooperation on mentoring and peer support for less integrated long-term residents who are unemployed CROSS CB525’ project. During the project, a mentoring programme which promotes social integration and finding work is being offered in Estonia to less integrated permanent residents who are currently unemployed. Activities emphasising the value of diversity are also being carried out in companies in the country. Both the programme and the activities are designed to increase awareness of diverse working environments and to better prepare organisations to recruit people from different national backgrounds.

 

The project is being supported from the resources of the INTERREG Central Baltic 2014-2020 programme financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The partners in the project are the Integration Foundation and the Föreningen Luckan r.f branch Luckan Integration.

 

For further information please contact: Ljudmila Peussa, Head of Cooperation, Integration Foundation, telephone +372 5556 3452, e-mail: ljudmila.peussa@integratsioon.ee 

 

Narva Advisory Centre to host Afternoon Tea

 

At 15:30 on 1 February the Narva Advisory Centre will be hosting an ‘Estonian citizen’-themed Afternoon Tea for social studies teachers from schools in Ida-Viru County. They will also be introducing the Integration Foundation’s new brochure ‘6 Steps to Becoming an Estonian Citizen’ and talking about citizenship courses.

 

The centre will be offering the teachers a social studies lesson in schools for students aged 15-19, during which its advisors will outline the new brochure to the students and share information on citizenship courses.

 

The aim of organising the event is to advise and inform young people living in Estonia who speak Russian as a mother tongue and who need such information.

 

 

Young foreign Estonians – start making plans for summer!

 

In 2018, throughout which Estonia will be marking its centenary as a republic, we look forward to welcoming Estonians who live abroad on visits to their homeland. What better gift could they give the country for such a special birthday? Another reason for visiting is the Estonian language and culture summer camps being organised by the Integration Foundation.

 

In 2018 we’re inviting more than the usual number of foreign Estonian youngsters to take part in the language and culture camps being held in Estonia. The camps, which are open to young people aged 13-18 who have an Estonian background but live in other countries, give the participants the chance to study the language, get to know Estonian kids their age and learn more about Estonia’s cultural environment. They go sightseeing and on excursions and play sport together. The organisers of the camps want Estonian youngsters living abroad to feel a connection with their homeland and its language.

 

Five camps are planned for 2018:

Camp 1: 25 June-5 July at Venevere Holiday Village  

Camp 2: 9-19 July at Venevere Holiday Village  

Camp 3: 23 July-2 August at Venevere Holiday Village

Camp 4: 24 July-3 August at Sammuli Holiday Village

Camp 5: 6-16 August at Venevere Holiday Village

 

Taking their language skills into account, we recommend that the youngsters choose their camp so that beginners attend Camp 1 or Camp 3, those with intermediate language skills attend Camp 2 or Camp 4 and those with advanced language skills attend Camp 5.

 

The camps are being held in areas of outstanding natural beauty in Viljandi County at Venevere Holiday Village http://venevere.ee and Sammuli Holiday Village www.sammuli.ee.

 

Parents can register their children for the camps on the website of the Integration Foundation. Registration is open until 31 March 2018 HERE

 

The foundation will inform the selected applicants by e-mail by 15 April 2018.

 

Language and culture camps for young people with Estonian roots are supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Research via the ‘Countrymen programme 2014-2020’ and as part of the ‘Estonia 100’ project of the Government Office.

 

For further information please contact:
Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion, telephone: +372 659 9069, e-mail: jana.tondi@intergratsioon.ee

 

 

Almost 80,000 euros to be granted in support of cultural and sports projects

 

We recommend that anyone with experience of drawing up projects keep a close eye on the Integration Foundation’s website and Facebook page in January, where information will appear on the opening of an application round in support of cultural and sports projects. The total budget of the competition is 79,000 euros.

 

Via the competition, the foundation is supporting joint activities in the fields of sport and culture as partnership and inclusion projects that enhance social cohesion, incl. the generation of everyday contact between people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, communication and involvement in society. The competition is being financed by the Ministry of Culture from the state budget.

 

The deadline for the submission of applications is February 2018. Projects must be implemented between March and November.

 

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion, telephone: +372 659 9069, e-mail: jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee

 

State to continue supporting national minority organisations

 

The state has been financially supporting the activities of national minority cultural associations since the early 1990s and is to continue doing so for the next years. The Integration Foundation has launched a competition to support the activities of the umbrella organisations of national minority cultural associations for the period from 2018-2020.

 

Kristina Pirgop, the Head of Partnership Relations with the Integration Foundation, says that activity support helps national minorities foster their culture and promote it in society. “The national minorities living in Estonia wouldn’t be able to maintain their identity if they didn’t focus on their culture themselves,” she said. “And getting different communities involved helps improve social integration.”

 

The application round for activity support for the umbrella organisations of national minority cultural associations is based on a period of three years rather than one so that the organisations are able to plan their development in the longer term. Activity support is financed by the Ministry of Culture. The budget in the first year of the application round (i.e. 2018) is 452,000 euros. Pirgop says that the amount available in the following two years will depend on the recipient’s results from the previous year.

 

In parallel with the activity support competition, the Integration Foundation has launched a project-based competition designed for national minority cultural associations, at the heart of which is the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. “We’ll be supporting events organised by national minority cultural associations and their cooperation with other Estonian cultural organisations in celebrating the centenary,” Pirgop explained. The total budget of the competition is 80,860 euros, with a maximum of 6000 euros being awarded to a single project.

 

The deadline for the submission of applications for activity support is 23 January 2018, while those for the cultural society project competition can be submitted until 9 January 2018.

 

For more information on the competitions (in Estonian) see:

- Rahvusvähemuste kultuuriseltside katusorganisatsioonide toetuse taotlusvoor aastateks 2018-2020

- Rahvusvähemuste kultuuriühingute projektikonkurss

 

In the last three-year period, 16 umbrella organisations of national minority cultural associations and their members were supported – 231 associations in total.

 

For further information please contact: Kristina Pirgop, Head of Partnership Relations, telephone: +372 659 9024, mobile: +372 5194 1147, e-mail: kristina.pirgop@integratsioon.ee

 

  

 

Authors of best Citizen’s Day essays awarded at special ceremony

 

The winners of the 2017 Citizen’s Day essay competition – the youngsters who most impressed for their way with words in describing what they would give as a gift to mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia and what app they would use in the future to help take Estonia further – were awarded for their efforts at a special ceremony held on 28 November.

 

An overview of the winners and their essays can be found online at https://www.integratsioon.ee/bw_client_files/integratsiooni_sihtasutus/public/img/File/2017esseekonkurss.pdf.

 

The ceremony at the House of the Blackheads was followed by an event in the Riigikogu at which the audience was addressed by President of the Republic Kersti Kaljulaid and President of the Riigikogu Eiki Nestor. In addition to the youngsters, the event was attended by the majority of the government as well as Arnold Rüütel and his wife.

Season's greetings
 

We’re all united by Estonia! We hope you enjoy the festive season with your friends and family and that the new year brings you even more quality time together.

You will find our eCard by clicking here: https://www.integratsioon.ee/kaart17/eng/

How do the participants feel the mentoring programme for unemployed residents has gone?
Places still available in language and culture clubs
Afternoon tea for social studies teachers from schools in Ida-Viru County
Students are now being taught how to put together posts that grab people’s attention
The Culture Friend 2017 competition begins

 

How do the participants feel the mentoring programme for unemployed residents has gone?

The TEMP pilot project, which was launched last February to provide mentorship to unemployed residents of the country, will soon be coming to an end. Has the project – whose aim was to give participants the chance to talk to people outside of their ordinary circle – been deemed a success? Agnes Aaslaid went along to find out.

Larisa Žitnik from Sillamäe, who took part in the project as a mentee, says that because of TEMP she attended get-togethers and events that she would never otherwise have found herself involved in. “People from Ida-Viru County normally don’t go to the Opinion Festival in Paide, but we did – and it was really interesting!” she enthuses. “It’s such a shame that people in Sillamäe know nothing about it.” She found the training courses provided very educational: tips on how to present yourself memorably and psychological advice with regard to keeping your spirits up when unemployed.

A food preparation workshop also gave Larisa, who is a volunteer with the ‘Vodograi’ Ukrainian community of Sillamäe, the opportunity to showcase the cooking of her homeland. “We had to form a team, and once that was done we started cooking up a storm!” she says. Other memorable events she highlights include a get-together in Tallinn with the personnel managers of large companies, who put their cards on the table about the decisive criteria in recruitment.

Urmo Paluste, who works in training on a daily basis, joined the project as a mentor, since he hoped it would provide him with a new experience. And, he says, it did. “My knowledge and understanding of the obstacles that people of other nationalities in Estonia encounter in trying to find work were really broadened,” he explains. “The biggest worry the person I was mentoring faced was their Estonian, since the majority of jobs require skills in the national language, which unfortunately they aren’t fluent in. What you learn on a course is soon forgotten if you don’t have any chance to practise it.”
 

Urmo hopes the pilot project will evolve into a longer-term undertaking in which a larger number of people are provided with advice and assistance in coping on the labour market. However, he recommends doing a little more homework next time before selecting mentees. “The person I was mentoring didn’t really have the motivation they needed to take part at the beginning, so it took quite a while for trust to form between us,” he admits. “Once that trust was there, though, interest soon followed, and a real desire to do something to improve their situation.”
 

Overseeing the project were Olga Štšeglova and Julia Kašina from the NPO Arengu Sammud. Olga says it was pleasing to see just how many people were interested in taking part as mentors and how the speakers were willing to work with such an unusual audience. A major plus with the project, in her view, is that the participants were prepared to accept views that didn’t exactly coincide with their own. For Olga, the biggest test was organising joint events for mentors and mentees, since the training needs of the two groups were simply so different.

“We’re currently analysing the results of the project, and based on them we’re developing guidelines on how the method can be effectively used in the Estonian context,” she says. “Before this we only had the Finnish experience to go on.” The guidelines will form the starting point of similar projects in the future.

What was the experience of the project on the other side of the gulf?

The CROSS project goes beyond borders – whereas in Estonia it supported less integrated permanent residents who are unemployed, in Finland it supported people from Estonia living there so as to help them more effectively integrate into Finnish society.

Lois Armas, the coordinator of Luckan Integration, which offers support services to immigrants to Finland, describes how the project fared in the country.

“To date around 20 people have taken part in the project – 10 of them joined in on the activities of the support group in spring, while the other 10 attended the family cafés organised in autumn. This January and February there’s training on diverse workplaces for employees of multicultural organisations which we’re expecting up to 25 people to take part in. As such, the total number of participants in the project will be 40-45.

“Our experience has shown that they need the most support when it comes to integrating in society – they want to communicate more with people who speak Finnish, find interesting hobbies and things to do and meet up with other Estonians living in Helsinki and surrounds.

 

“It turned out that the needs of the Estonians living in the Greater Helsinki area, who make up a sizeable group within the community here, are often overlooked. And it’s not just local Finns they’d like to speak to more and share their thoughts with either, but other people from Estonia as well.

 

“The feedback we’ve had from the participants so far has been good. The members of the support group said they’ve gotten more information about social and employment services. The families who took part in the cafés met up with other Estonians and saw new parts of Helsinki they could go to with their kids thanks to the project.

 

“If the project continues with the Estonians living in the Helsinki area, there’s definitely room for it to develop. First and foremost, we need to more clearly map their needs and wishes.”

Places still available in language and culture clubs

Calling all language enthusiasts! This is your invitation to get in touch with Atlasnet Mittetulundusühing, ImmiSchool - Uusimmigrantide Koolituskeskus, Keelepisik OÜ, Mitteldorf OÜ and Change Partners OÜ, who are organising Estonian language and culture clubs around the country.

The clubs are open to anyone who has passed an Estonian language examination at the B2 or C1 levels and provide an opportunity to continue learning the language, broaden your knowledge of Estonian culture, attend cultural events and meet interesting people.

The activities of the clubs are financed via the ‘Linguistic and cultural immersion’ sub-programme (5.2.2) of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund.

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion, Integration Foundation, telephone: +372 659 9069, e-mail: jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee

 

Afternoon tea for social studies teachers from schools in Ida-Viru County

Narva Advisory Centre is inviting all social studies teachers from schools in Ida-Viru County to an Estonian citizenship-themed afternoon tea at 15:30 on 1 February to introduce them to the ‘6 Steps to Becoming an Estonian Citizen’ brochure and talk to them about citizenship training.

For further information please contact: Anna Farafonova, adviser, telephone: +372 659 9036, e-mail: anna.farafonova@integratsioon.ee

 

Students are now being taught how to put together posts that grab people’s attention
 

How do you make video clips that really engage the audience? How do you put together posts that grab people’s attention? How do you take truly artistic photos? These are skills that 170 students from schools in Tallinn, Tapa, Valga and Ida-Viru County are now being taught. Of the 15 applications submitted in autumn to the ‘Promotion of media education in general education schools and institutions of vocational education’ project competition, eight were granted supported and are being implemented from January-April this year.

The students are taking an active role in creating media content and are being instructed by professionals on expressing themselves through a variety of media – photo reports, videos, short films, advertising posters and text.
 

• Students from Tapa Secondary School who are interested in the media are trying their hand at producing audio-visual programmes while learning how to follow best practice in journalism and take into account criticism within their own community.
   
• Students from Mustamäe Secondary School of Science in Tallinn are being taught how to express themselves in the media by renowned Estonian film producer Arvo Iho.
   
• The NPO Lasnamäe Hobby School is working with secondary school students from the Active youth club who speak Russian as their first language, who are learning to create content for a range of web platforms, how to behave safely in social networks and how to take proper photos for reporting and artistic purposes.
   
• The Waldorf School in Tallinn is running a project to show youngsters how visual communication can shine the spotlight on topics that are of importance to society.
   
• Students from Valga Gymnasium are adding to their knowledge of maintaining a school blog and running a school radio station as well as learning how to make effective advertising posters and visiting Tallinn University and the Baltic Film and Media School.
   
• Tallinn School of Service is organising a writing camp designed to foster the self-expression skills of its students as well as their ability to critically discuss texts and sources.
   
• Students of various disciplines from Ida-Viru County Vocational Training Centre are being instructed by professionals from the media in audiovisual workshops to create a teaching video showcasing their institution.
   
• The NPO VVS Media Grupp is working with students from Linnamäe Russian Lyceum and Gustav Adolf Grammar School in Tallinn, who are preparing two news programmes about school life and learning how to get involved in public debate via the media.
   

The competition supported media projects to a value of up to 3000 euros, with the total amount granted coming to 17,712.91 euros. A list of the projects to which support was allocated can be found on the Integration Foundation’s website at https://www.integratsioon.ee/loppenud-konkursid?project_id=704. The projects are being financed by the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information please contact: Liilika Raudhein, analyst, telephone: +372 659 9841, e-mail: liilika.raudhein@integratsioon.ee

 
 

The Culture Friend 2017 competition begins

 

On January 15th, Minister of Culture Indrek Saar announced the start of the Culture Friend 2017 competition. As always, private individuals, institutions, companies and organisations will be honoured who have made a financial contribution or supported activities in the cultural field. 
 

According to Minister of Culture Indrek Saar, the Culture Friend competitions of the past few years have confirmed that there is close cooperation between companies and organisers of cultural events which benefits both parties. “During the year, it has been repeatedly asked which projects and whom the state should support in the cultural field. That’s why we are more than happy about the socially-motivated entrepreneurs and patrons who find that culture is the common field that we all cultivate together. The state totally acknowledges, supports and mediates the establishment of good collaborative relations,” the minister added.
 

Candidates can be nominated by all organisations involved in the cultural field, and, as an innovation, every cultural organiser can also make one proposal for recognition. The candidates for recognition cannot be the Ministry of Culture or the agencies in its area of government, their employees or the projects they have organised. Other state agencies and the organisations established by the state itself will also not be considered. Read more about the competition rules here.
 

To make a nomination, the electronic form on the Ministry of Culture website must be filled out. Organisations and people that have been nominated in previous years can be nominated again. Nominations can be made until 4 February 2018. 
 

The Culture Friends will be chosen from among the candidates, and three main prizes, i.e. Culture Friends of the Year, will be awarded. The Minister of Culture Indrek Saar will announce the winners of the competition at the traditional Culture Friend ceremony on 7 March 2018 at the Maarjamäe Palace Estonian History Museum.
 

The Ministry of Culture has been recognising culture-friendly companies and entrepreneurs since 2012. Last year, the Culture Friend of the Year title went to AS DNB Pank and Nordea Bank AB, the newspaper Postimees and Aare Kaarma. The list of previous Culture Friend award recipients is available here.
 

Attached is a photo of the Undefined Useful Object, designed by Kärt Ojavee, which is the traditional award given to the Culture Friends of the Year.  

Additional information: Meelis Kompus, Ministry of Culture, telephone: +372 5202 318, e-mail: meelis.kompus@kul.ee

 

 

 

Five reasons to attend the ‘KU-ку!’ Estonian language fair
Information session for Estonian speakers interested in volunteer work
New Estonian language clubs to open their doors in March
Registration for summer camps is open to young foreign Estonians until the end of March
We’re looking for a new base in Narva and managers for our Estonian Language Centres

We’re looking for organisers for a popular language-learning method for school kids
Survey: Activities of national minority cultural associations significantly support cultural integration of Estonian society
Narva folk music festival and start of the New Year of the Sun at the Flower Pavillion!
Rakvere Theatre to provide simultaneous translation for performances 
A gift for all families with children who return to Estonia

 

Five reasons to attend the ‘KU-ку!’ Estonian language fair

 

The Integration Foundation is inviting everyone to take part in the ‘KU-ку!’ family day, during which the latest opportunities for adults to study Estonian will be presented.

 

Events will be taking place as follows:

11:00-18:00 on 17 March 2018 at Narva College of the University of Tartu (Raekoja plats 2, Narva)

11:00-18:00 on 24 March 2018 at Tallinn Song Festival Grounds (Narva mnt 95, Tallinn)

 

Why attend the fair?

• Language learners are often unsure which way to go about studying a language or which training provider to choose. The fair will provide you with a good overview of the options available. You will also find out what the latest study materials are for Estonian and which ones are best suited to you.
• Consultants on Estonian language exams can help you complete sample exercises from the exams and offer advice.
• Online study environments and materials will be showcased and sample language café sessions will be run.
• The latest study materials will be on sale.
• There will be a prize draw on the hour, every hour. Plus there will be a café, and fun activities will be organised for children.

 

Admission to the fair is free of charge.

 

The aim of the fair, which is being organised for the first time, is to bring adult language learners and companies and publishers providing language-learning services and resources together.

 

For further information please contact the Integration Foundation on 800 9999 or e-mail info@integratsiooniinfo.ee

 

Deniss Karabljoff: “There are so many cool-sounding words in Estonian!”
 

Deniss Karabljoff, the MC for the Estonian language fairs taking place in Tallinn and Narva, tells newsletter readers about his relationship with Estonian language, music and literature.
 

Hi everyone! My name’s Deniss Karabljoff. I was born in Tallinn at the tail end of the 1970s. I started learning Estonian as a kid, for which I’m eternally grateful to my parents, who put me in an Estonian-language group in kindergarten.
 

To me it’s very important that you’re able to speak the language of the country you were born in, and where you live and work, because it helps you learn things later on, improves your memory, gives you loads of new opportunities in terms of communicating with people and self-development and is very much added value when you’re doing business.
 

Estonian words that sound cool: mudilane, pistaatsia, mudima, lohakas, matka, kala, kalaburger, pisike, suka, siiski, sasi, külmovato (which combines the Estonian word külm and the Russian suffix -вато, like the Estonian suffix -võitu).

Women’s names that mean other things: Alla, Nina, Olga (very close to the word olgu), Katja (from the verb katma, meaning ‘a person who covers something’), Inna & Anna.
 

In my free time I do sport. I particularly like winter sports, including figure-skating, which I did professionally for almost 10 years.

I’m also closely linked to the local entertainment industry, which I’ve been part of for more than 20 years now, and which is why I have my own particular take on the Estonian music scene.
 

Estonia’s best bands and singers in my view are Smilers, Caater (Kalle Kukk), 2 Quick Start, Code One (Koit Toome), Anne Veski, Black Velvet (Sven Lõhmus) and Jüri Homenja. I also love Kreisiraadio (meaning ‘crazy radio’), the hilarious Estonian trio of Hannes Võrno, Peeter Oja and Tarmo Leinatamm. As for Russian music in Estonia, it’s definitely made inroads – more and more Estonians are listening to Russian stuff these days and going to Russian parties.
 

When I was a kid I loved reading Muhv, Kingpool ja Sammalhabe /Halfshoe, Mossbeard and Muff/, the traditional title given to the very successful collection of children’s stories by Estonia’s Eno Raud (1928-1996). They tell the story of the three eponymous characters and their adventures, who in Estonian are collectively known as the Naksitrallid (‘Three Jolly Fellows’ in English).

 

Information session for Estonian speakers interested in volunteer work

 

The Integration Foundation will be holding an information session for those interested in helping to improve the Estonian language skills of their fellow countrymen at 10:00 on 6 April in Tallinn (venue tbc).

 

If Estonian is your mother tongue or your speak it fluently and you are

• interested in supporting other people who live in Estonia linguistically
• a [language] school or kindergarten teacher
• an employee of a company or variety of organisations
• a library worker
• a volunteer
• a mentor
• a coach

then we look forward to showcasing the language café methodology for you and to you taking part in a sample café session.

 

Everyone interested is welcome to attend the information session. 

 

The language café methodology will be outlined by recognised professionals from the field of Estonian language teaching and teaching material authors Marju Ilves and Leelo Kingisepp.

 

The language café methodology has been honed over the last two years under the aegis of the Integration Foundation in order to improve advisory services related to learning Estonian. The cafés are designed to encourage people to communicate in the language. They provide an Estonian-language environment that encourages people to practise. Attendees also learn about other ways of studying the language independently and receive a boost to their self-esteem, helping them overcome learning-related barriers.

 

More information about the Integration Foundation’s advisory and information services and the language cafés can be found online at https://www.integratsioon.ee/noustamine.

 

Please register by 30 March by e-mailing advisor Olga Žukova at olga.zukova@integratsioon.ee.

 

The information session is being funded via the European Social Fund project ‘Terms and conditions of the provision of support for activities promoting integration in Estonian society’. Admission is free.

 

New Estonian language clubs to open their doors in March

 

We’d like to invite all language enthusiasts to come along to our new language clubs in Narva, Sillamäe, Kohtla-Järve, Jõhvi and Tallinn to hone their Estonian skills. Apart from language-learning, the clubs also give participants the chance to broaden their knowledge of Estonian culture, attend cultural events and meet interesting people.

 

To register, contact the companies organising the language clubs directly:

 

• Register with Change Partners OÜ online at https://keeleklubid.weebly.com/uued-klubid.html
• Register with Keelepisik OÜ online at http://www.keelepisik.ee/meist/keeleoppe-klubiohtud/
• Register with ImmiSchool - Uusimmigrantide Koolituskeskus online at http://www.immischool.eu/keele-ja-kultuuriklubi.html
• Register with Mitteldorf OÜ online at https://klubiuudised.wordpress.com/kontakt/
• Register with Atlasnet Mittetulundusühing online at http://www.atlasnet.ee/klubid

 

The clubs are open to anyone who has passed an Estonian language exam at the B2 or C1 levels.

 

The activities of the clubs are financed via the ‘Linguistic and cultural immersion’ sub-programme (5.2.2) of the ‘Activities supporting integration in Estonian society’ project of the European Social Fund.

 

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee

 

 

Registration for summer camps is open to young foreign Estonians until the end of March
 

This jubilee year we’re inviting more young foreign Estonians between the ages of 13 and 18 than ever before to take part in the language and culture camps being held in Estonia.
 

Five camps are planned for 2018:

Camp 1: 25 June-5 July at Venevere Holiday Village

Camp 2: 9-19 July at Venevere Holiday Village

Camp 3: 23 July-2 August at Venevere Holiday Village

Camp 4: 24 July-3 August at Sammuli Holiday Village

Camp 5: 6-16 August at Venevere Holiday Village

We recommend that applicants choose a camp based on their language skills: beginners attending Camp 1 or Camp 3, those at intermediate level attending Camp 2 or Camp 4 and those at advanced level or fluent attending Camp 5.
 

Parents have until 31 March 2018 to register their children for the camps on the website of the Integration Foundation at https://www.integratsioon.ee/keelelaagrisse-reg2018
 

Those accepted to attend the camps will be notified by e-mail by 15 April 2018.
 

Language and culture camps for young people with Estonian roots are supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Research via the ‘Countrymen programme 2014-2020’ and as part of the ‘Estonia 100’ project of the Government Office.
 

For further information please contact:

Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion | Telephone: +372 659 9069 | E-mail: jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee

Marina Fanfora, Coordinator | Telephone: +372 659 9068 | E-mail: marina.fanfora@integratsioon.ee

 

We’re looking for managers for our Estonian Language Centres in Tallinn and Narva

 

Would you relish the challenge of setting up a brand new unit of the Integration Foundation? Putting together a team and leading it? Establishing a network of experts in the field and shaping the image of the unit among the public? If you feel these are just the sort of challenges you’re looking for, keep reading!
 

• Job advertisement for manager of Estonian Language Centre in Tallinn  https://www.integratsioon.ee/uudised?news_id=1073
• Job advertisement for manager of Estonian Language Centre in Narva https://www.integratsioon.ee/uudised?news_id=1074

 

We’re looking for a new base in Narva
 

We require around 600 m2 of space in Narva, where both the Integration Foundation and its new Estonian Language Centre will be based from 1 January 2019.
 

Offers can be submitted until 15:00 on 22March 2018.
 

The competition documents can be found online at https://www.integratsioon.ee/kaimasolevad-konkursid?project_id=715

 

 

We’re looking for organisers for a popular language-learning method for school kids

 

The Integration Foundation launched a competition on 22 February to find partners for the organisation of family studies in 2018. Applications are welcome first and foremost from non-profit organisations and schools.

 

Family studies are designed for school children who want to tangibly improve their Estonian skills. To this end, students whose mother tongue is a language other than Estonia spend 10 days with an Estonian-speaking family, talking to children their own age, in the course of which their language skills improve almost without them realising. 

 

Jana Tondi, the Head of Language and Cultural Immersion with the Integration Foundation, says that applications for the competition should include a family studies programme, a daily schedule and a budget, plus the CV of the project manager. “The application should highlight how the organisers plan to fill the time of the kids taking part,” she explained. “That means what sort of visits and excursions will be arranged, who they’ll be meeting and how all of this is designed to help improve the kids’ Estonian skills. It’s up to the project manager to find host families for the studies as well.”
 

Those interested in applying are welcome to attend an information session to be held from 15:00-16:30 on 6 March 2018 at the Tallinn office of the Integration Foundation (Lõõtsa 2A, 8th floor). Please register for the event by e-mailing marina.fanfora@integratsioon.ee by 5 March.
 

The total budget for the competition is 100,000 euros, with the maximum amount of support that can be sought for a single project being 35,000 euros.

 

The deadline for the submission of applications is 11:00 on 22 March 2018.

 

The competition is being financed from the state budget by the Ministry of Culture.

 

For further information please contact: Jana Tondi, Head of Language and Cultural Immersion, telephone: +372 659 9069, e-mail: jana.tondi@integratsioon.ee

 

 

 

Come and enjoy the fantastic music at the Narva folk music festival!

 

The ‘Play the concertina!’ folk music festival, which starts at 14:00 on 11 March at the House of Nations in Narva (Kreenholmi 25), will bring together concertina players and other folk musicians.

 

The concertina is the most popular instrument in folk music today. That said, it is not the only instrument that will feature in the festival, which aims to offer all sorts of amateur Estonian collectives the chance to perform at a joint party. The organiser of the festival, Svätogori Association of Slavic Culture director Alla Matvejeva, says this year’s festival is special because 2018 is the Year of European Cultural Heritage.

 

For further information please contact: Alla Matvejeva, Director of the Svätogori Association of Slavic Culture in Narva | E-mail: alla_matvejeva@mail.ru

 

 

Mark the start of the New Year of the Sun on 18 March at the Flower Pavilion!

 

The ‘Ajdan’ Azerbaijani Cultural Centre of Estonia invites everyone to the Flower Pavilion (Pirita tee 26) at 18:00 on 18 March to join in the celebrations marking the start of the New Year of the Sun, otherwise known as Novruz Bayramı or more generally in Eastern tradition as Nowruz.

 

• There will be performances by students from Azerbaijani and Tatar Sunday schools as well as Kabardian, Cherkesh, Bashkir and Uzbek collectives and singers.
• Guests of honour will be renowned Kazakh opera singers Shimkent Urelhan Seilbekova and Erlan Zhandarbai.
• There will be an exhibition and an Eastern fair.

 

Admission is free.

 

Nowruz was added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage on 21 March 2009, while a year later the United Nations named 21 March International Day of Nowruz.

 

For further information please contact: Nijazi Gadžijev, Director of the NPO ‘Ajdan’ Azerbaijani Cultural Centre of Estonia | E-mail: info@azeri.ee

 

Survey: Activities of national minority cultural associations significantly support cultural integration of Estonian society
 

 

The Integration Foundation has conducted a survey on the impact of participation in the activities of the cultural associations of the national minorities living in Estonia on their attitudes, ethnic and national identity. The survey also gathered feedback on how effective the current support system for national minority cultural associations is.
 

The survey involved the leaders and active members of organisations promoting and preserving the cultures of national minorities, people who have taken part in the activities on these organisations, and those who demonstrate a keen interest in national minority culture and national culture.
 

The opinions of almost 300 people were collected via online survey. In addition, six focus group discussions were held with the leaders of national minority cultural associations: two in Tallinn, two in Ida-Viru County, one in Tartu and one in Pärnu.
 

The results of the survey show that the activities of national minority cultural associations make a significant contribution to the promotion of cultural integration in Estonian society.  According to the respondents, knowing the culture of your origins creates a bridge to discover other cultures and learning to respect them.
 

Active participation in national minority cultural activities:

• contributes to the formation of strong, positive ethnic identity – people perceive significantly less danger in regard to their own language and culture and also feel that there is a place in Estonia for other cultures;
• increases interest towards Estonian culture and all other ethnic cultures represented in Estonia, which promotes the cultural integration of Estonian society;
• favours more active involvement in Estonian society, including higher turnout at elections;
• promotes greater interest towards events occurring in the cultural life of Estonia and of the places in which people live; and
• sees participants placing greater value on Estonian citizenship and associating it with a greater sense of security in the future.

 

The survey was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture.
 

If you have any questions or require further information, please contact: Marianna Makarova, Head of Research, e-mail: marianna.makarova@integratsioon.ee

 

Rakvere Theatre to provide simultaneous translation for performances 

 

Rakvere Theatre, with the support of the European Social Fund, has purchased 40 tablet computers with which theatre-goers will be offered simultaneous translation into Russian.  The software for the translation system was created in cooperation with (and has been successfully implemented at) the NO99, Vanemuine and Von Krahl theatres. 

 

Simultaneous translation is currently available for two performances: See kõik on tema /It’s All Because of Her/, designed for younger audiences, and the legendary drama Lendas üle käopesa /One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest/. The translation is presented as subtitles on the tablet screen. 

 

Belarusian writer Andrey Ivanov’s play It’s All Because of Her tells the story of the tumultuous relationship between a mother and son in the Internet age. The mother is played by Tiina Mälberg, a stalwart of Rakvere Theatre who has been acting on its stages for 25 years. She also played the titular role in the 2017 Estonian film Ema /Mother/, which won the Best Film award at the Austrian Film Festival.
 

The son is played by the young and very talented Imre Õunapuu, whose performance has been praised by critics for its believability. The target audience of the play is parents and their teenaged children aged 14 and over. Performances with simultaneous translation will be taking place on 14 March, 12 April and 3 May at 19:00  on the small stage of Rakvere Theatre.

 

The other play for which the theatre is offering simultaneous translation is writer Ken Kesey and dramatist Dale Wasserman’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The play is set in a mental institution in the United States in the 1960s. Main character Randle McMurphy (played by Üllar Saaremäe) is not merely some hooligan who ends up in the madhouse rather than being sent to prison – he’s a reprobate who always lands on his feet. Unexpectedly he meets his match in the form of ruthless Nurse Ratched (Ülle Lichtfeldt), who rules the secure psychiatric ward with an iron fist.
 

The first performance of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest with simultaneous translation will take place on 15 March. Further performances at which translation will be available will follow on 3 April and 4 May at 19:00 on the main stage of Rakvere Theatre.

 

Anyone wishing to make use of the translation software should contact the theatre’s box office at kassa@rakvereteater.ee or on 329 5444. Should anyone wish to attend a performance on another day with a large group, feel free to contact the theatre to find out what options are available.
 

Everyone is welcome!

 

 

 

A gift for all families with children who return to Estonia
 

To mark the centenary of the Republic of Estonia, the company Eesti Pusle OÜ is presenting all families with children who return to the country with an Estonian history-themed 1000-piece puzzle. All large families who apply to the Integration Foundation for support to move back to Estonia will receive the gift.
 

The puzzle provides a comprehensive overview of local history, from the hunters who arrived here following the retreating ice to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.
 

It came about primarily as a result of the designers’ interest in Estonian history and heritage, which led them to want to take others on an entertaining journey along the country’s timeline. Thus was the Great Estonian History puzzle born, looking at all of the key events in the recent and more distant past of the country, with enlightening texts and delightfully illustrated by Eero Alev.
 

People of all ages are sure to learn something new from the puzzle. Young history enthusiasts will gain a good initial overview of important periods and events on which to further build their knowledge, while older members of the family who are more au fait with Estonian history will enjoy the finer, more hidden details.
 

For more information see http://eestipusle.ee/