In a speech at the 13th Youth Song Celebration "Holy is the Land" in Tallinn on 2 July 2023, Estonia’s President Alar Karis insisted on the need for unity in preserving Estonian language and culture, ERR reports. There must be unity in protecting and respecting all people who live in Estonia, he said. "We do…
Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that the thousands of young people who performed at the Estonian Song Festival (Laulupidu) in Tallinn on 2 July 2023 instilled faith that the country’s future is in good hands, Postimees reports. “Nothing can compare to this feeling; I tried to hold back tears several times,” she said. There…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has approved in first reading amendments proposed by parliamentary speaker, leader of the Lithuanian Liberal Movement (LLS) Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, that would provide for administrative liability for insulting the honour and dignity of people who provide public services, LRT reports, citing Novaya Gazeta. Violators will face fines of EUR 50-300 for…
Three people drowned in the Baltic Sea at the same time off the Latvian coast in Carnikava on 1 July 2023, DELFI reports. The three people — two young men and a 40-year-old woman — were swept away by strong waves and underwater currents. When rescuers arrived at the scene, the three persons were already…
The finals of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival’s choir competition took place on 1 July 2023, TVNET reports. The winner in the mixed choir competition was the youth choir, Kamer. In the women’s choirs competition, the grand prize went to the Ventspils Culture Centre’s Venda choir. In the men’s choir group, the grand prize…
Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) has seized business documents of Ukrainian company IC Construction over suspected embezzlement at its Estonian partner, NGO Slava Ukraini, ERR reports, citing Ukrainian news portal Zaxid.net. IC Construction’s office in Lviv was searched on 23 June 2023. CEO Roman Panasyuk said that the company has launched an internal audit….
The Latvian nation was born 150 years ago during the Latvian Song Festival, President Egils Levits said at the opening ceremony of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival procession on 2 July 2023, LETA reported. People from Latvia’s Kurzeme, Vidzeme, and Zemgale regions united into a single Latvian nation at the first Song Festival in…
The Latvian political activist, Valentins Jeremejevs, has released several videos in which he claims that 2,000 families in Latvia will be evicted from their homes due to the construction of the Rail Baltica railway, Re:Baltica reports. Jeremejevs’s most popular video on TikTok has been viewed by almost 150,000 people and on Facebook by 2,300 people….
Exiled Russian liberal opposition leader, economist Vladimir Milov, says Russians are not welcome in Latvia and advises Russian emigrants to leave the country, LSM reports. Speaking in an interview with LSM’s Russian service, Milov noted that the pro-Russian position of many Russian-speakers in Latvia leaves an imprint on all Russians. "Even if you are the…