News

The director and actor Jaan Tooming, who considered Finno-Ugric ways of thinking important to Estonians, has passed away. Inspired by the work of Uku Masing, he reflected these thoughts in his theatre productions.

In January, the course Introduction to Estonia and Finno-Ugric Cultures was held as a part of Tallinn Winter School by Tallinn University. A six-day workshop …

This year, the Kindred Peoples' Day was celebrated the most powerfully in Mari El, with more than 300 events taking place in all districts and cities of the republic.

Fenno-Ugria organised a series of events in Tallinn and Tartu in October 2023 centred around the Finno-Ugric Day (a.k.a. Kindred Peoples’ Day), bringing together Finno-Ugric …

In October, Estonia celebrated its Finno-Ugric identity throughout the month. The celebration culminated in and centred around the Finno-Ugric Day, also known as Kindred Peoples' Day, on the third Saturday of the month, this year on 21 October. The celebration was held in the Estonian National Museum and attended by the President of Estonia, Alar Karis. His speech is translated into English below.

The theme of this year's Finno-Ugric Days is 'Courage', referring to difficult times and the courage to remain ourselves. A series of events in Tallinn and Tartu will bring together Finno-Ugric musicians, artists, writers and scholars. There will be an academic conference on Latvian indigenous peoples, a chance to listen to traditional music and listen to classical music. The month will end with hot club nights in Tartu and Tallinn.

As part of Tallinn University’s Summer School, the School for Finno-Ugric Bloggers took place on August 21-24. The results of the School were further discussed …

The seminar "How to conceptualise Russia" was organised by Fenno-Ugria in Maarjamäe Castle in Tallinn on 31 May. The seminar was supported by the Open Estonia Foundation/Active Citizens Fund and it took place within the framework of the project "Democracy School for Finno-Ugric communities in Estonia".

The crisis and traumas related to Russia's aggression in Ukraine affect not only representatives of Finno-Ugric minorities living in Estonia with Russian citizenship, but also Estonians: there is mutual learning. Estonians and Finns, as small nations and Finno-Ugric people, have been forced to adapt to very rapid social changes due to the changed geopolitical situation and the war, and that is not always easy. This was discussed at the OEF/Active Citizens Fund project seminar held on 13 May in Tapa.

On March 28, Jaak Prozes and Andres Heinapuu will give a lecture on the Finno-Ugric national movements from the end of the 1980s to the early 2000s and the Finno-Ugric World Congresses in the 1990s and 2000s at the Academy of the Finno-Ugric youth organisation MAFUN.

The festival reaches its apex on the third Saturday of October – this year on October 15th – the day that the national flags of Estonia fly in honour of our fellow kindred peoples living all around the world.

This is Estonia's fifth entry on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list and the first which is described as urgently in need of safeguarding.