However, in 2019, it was the Estonians who dictated the course of events. October 27th will be forever written into Estonian sports history, as on this day, Tänak and Järveoja secured the World Rally Championship (WRC) title in Catalonia.

It is not often that athletes from a small country such as Estonia become world champions. It is even rarer for this to happen in a sport like rally which has a global reach. The winner of the WRC series is touted all over global news channels. But who cares about the world and the attention of other nations! In Estonia, probably even the government would not step down on a WRC weekend. At least not before the race is over, because everyone’s eyes are on Tänak’s competition.

The love of your people means a lot, but the athlete’s own will and emotion are the real keys to success. Although the championship title meant the fulfilment of one of his biggest life goals, Tänak’s emotions in crossing the finishing line in Catalonia remained subdued.

“At that moment it was difficult to realise what had happened. The tension which had built up did not just disappear after the finish line,” explained Tänak. “It was such a relief though. Regardless of whether there will be more titles or not, this one is ours forever.”

The biggest fan

“I am Ott’s biggest fan,” claims his father Ivar Tänak in one the scenes of the film ‘ Ott Tänak Ott Tänak is an Estonian rally driver. – The Movie’. His eyes fill with tears at the thought – after all, he has been next to the most famous Estonian sportsman since little Ott first sat behind the steering wheel, supported him on his way to the WRC series, seen days when it seemed to be all over, and then the climb out of the crisis. The father said those words about a year before his son became world champion.

It is unlikely that Ott Tänak Ott Tänak is an Estonian rally driver. would have become world champion in the autumn of 2019, had he not been blessed with such a dad. Aside from his father, the supportive men in his life include another rally legend in Estonia, Markko Märtin, and entrepreneur Oleg Gross Oleg Gross is an Estonian entrepreneur and a politician. .

Gross first saw Tänak drive over a decade ago and realised it was worth investing in the young man. His faith held strong even in the most complicated times when many believed that Tänak was not up to much more than demolishing cars. “Of course I believed in him, otherwise I wouldn’t have invested in him,” says Gross.

Märtin was able to identify that the young rally driver had the qualities of a future champion. Thanks to his experience and contacts, he knew exactly how to get a foot in the door of the rally world. In tandem, they moved higher and higher in the WRC circles. Still today, Märtin remains Tänak’s closest ally.

Ott Tänak Ott Tänak is an Estonian rally driver. is riding a new wave in Estonian sports. Whereas just a few years ago people complained that sport in Estonia was taking a backseat, today the difficult times seem to have passed. Regardless of the small size of the country, there are athletes the nation follows and supports: tennis players Anett Kontaveit Anett Kontaveit is an Estonian professional tennis player. and Kaia Kanepi Kaia Kanepi is an Estonian professional tennis player. , javelin thrower Magnus Kirt Magnus Kirt is an Estonian athlete who competes in the javelin throw. , decathlete Maicel Uibo Maicel Uibo is an Estonian decathlete. and – the favourite with young people – freestyle skier Kelly Sildaru Kelly Sildaru is an Estonian Olympic freestyle skiier. and, of course, Ott Tänak Ott Tänak is an Estonian rally driver. who has been continually visible throughout the year.

Tänak as a national treasure

Those who think that only petrol-sniffing slackers are interested in Tänak’s career are clearly mistaken. Tänak has become a national treasure. In addition to young speed-addicted fans, his world championship rallies are also keenly followed by female pensioners, for example.

Ivar Tänak frequently has to answer people’s questions regarding his son’s whereabouts. “We have a small car repairs shop and, in fact, all our customers inquire about Ott. Some people don’t have a clue about rallying and their questions can be strange. Then we're happy to explain things,” he says.

Understandably, people who visit his garage are drivers and hence more likely to be interested in the rally driver. But what about pensioners and other people who have no general interest in sports? Ivar Tänak has heard about people who have no interest in sports but sit in front of the television watching the rallies. “They even do it with their families,” he says.

A road full of twists

Tänak’s road to popularity has not been without its twists. For years, a reputation of failure followed him. With the help of his mentor Markko Märtin, he made it into the WRC series, but the first entry did not bring a breakthrough. First, he had to sink to the bottom and find himself in a situation in which the end of his career as a rally driver seemed more likely than its continuation. At the same time, he had to tolerate the

cursing of online commentators and the pessimism of the media. In 2013, Tänak did not participate in a single World Championship rally. If someone had said that in six years he would be the most popular athlete in Estonia and win the world championship title, they would have been considered crazy.

But Tänak believed in himself just like some of his faithful supporters. But in order to start moving upward, something had to shift in the young rally driver. The extremely bold youngster, who tended to just push hard on the gas pedal, needed to become a smart driver. He had to develop his interaction skills and become more open. Today we can say he has succeeded.

“I’d like to think that Ott has changed because of me,” says Janika, who met Ott Tänak Ott Tänak is an Estonian rally driver. in 2012 and has become his wife as well as mother to his two children. “Actually, I do not see the change because I don’t know what he used to be like. But I am sure that having a family has influenced him. As a rally driver, he no longer goes to competitions to act out. He has a lot to live for at home.”

Family always comes first for Tänak. Due to his busy schedule – competitions, tests, promotional events – he rarely has time to be home. But when it happens, quality time spent with his wife, son and daughter is a priority. Taking refuge in the domestic idyll is in sync with Tänak’s personality as someone who’d rather avoid public attention. During the rallies, he deals with obligatory duties that accompany racing, but in his spare time he tries to avoid them.

Ogier: Tänak was the right man to end my era

When Ott Tänak Ott Tänak is an Estonian rally driver. became the World Rally Champion, he ended the ruling era of Sébastien Ogier that lasted for six years. According to the Frenchman, Tänak was the right man to do this.

“He is extremely fast and made this year significantly less mistakes than the rest of us – this is enough to win the title,” said Ogier. “Tänak is currently the best rally driver in the world. He is World Champion. A talentless driver would not be able to pull it off. Tänak is able to demonstrate incredible speed at times and I like his style. Mentally it is very difficult to win your first title, but Tänak managed to do it. He did a great job!”

After his return to the rally elite, Tänak has proceeded to go a step further each season. His confidence returned with the help of Malcolm Wilson whilst driving in the M-Sport system. After making his way into the full team member, he reached his first rally victory in 2017 with co-pilot Martin Järveoja Martin Järveoja is an Estonian rally co-driver. . They took four wins a year later and this year, which culminated with the world championship title.

Two years ago, Tänak’s reputation was already so good that the Toyota rally team did everything in their power to hire him. From 2020, Tänak will be competing in Hyundai colours. In the WRC series, all team leaders wish he would sit in their car.

A special love

Rallying has always enjoyed a following in Estonia, but Tänak’s racing has taken interest in this sport to new heights. “Consider Rally Estonia if we didn’t have Tänak, people would not come along with such a large project,” says Urmo Aava, Estonian rally driver who competed in the WRC between 2002 and 2009. “For us, it is the most important thing that Tänak an

d Järveoja will be at the starting line with their WRC car.” Aava has no doubts that rally events would be organised in Estonia even if we didn’t have someone like Tänak in competition, but the level and interest would be much smaller. “If we took the top driver away from the Estonian rally, it would be like a Western without Clint Eastwood,” he says.

Estonian rally fans on WRC rounds have earned a legendary status. Even in the most distant places we can see the Estonian tricolour next to the racing track. In all European rallies, it becomes a sea of blue-blackand-white. News on Tänak’s activities are also very popular. Each action, each word of the idol is meaningful for fans.

The entire country was waiting for Tänak to become World Champion. The tough road full of twists brought the nation together. Whether Tänak’s popularity will bring a second, third or further titles remains to be seen.

Tänak’s unbelievable career

Tänak’s journey to winning the World Championship title is possibly one of the most exhilarating stories ever experienced in WRC’s history. The islander was unable to use the chance given to him by the M-Sport team in 2012. They finished only six rallies without major problems and the only beautiful moment of the season was his first podium finish, when they came third. Back then, Tänak’s co-pilot was Kuldar Sikk.

In 2013, Tänak was not offered a place in the WRC series and many believed that the Estonian’s career was over. Yet, in 2014 he got the chance to race in WRC2 with the R5 car of the DMack team. In addition, he raced in three rallies with the WRC machine. Raigo Mõlder became Tänak’s co-pilot.

In 2015, Tänak was back in the top of the WRC series, receiving a second chance from M-Sport. At the end of the season the Estonian came tenth, but he proved that he can race in a smarter way. After a terrific race in Poland he fought his way to the podium for the second time in his career by beating Jari-Matti Latvala in the last special stage and coming in third. In Mexico he survived the most frightening accident of his life when the car drove into a lake.

In 2016, Tänak raced in the WRC series for the DMack team. This was a true breakthrough season for the islander – he was in eighth place at the end of the season but he proved to be a mature and speedy driver. In Poland, the first rally win of his career slipped out of his reach in a dramatic way when his car tire burst towards the end of the race.

During the season, he made his way onto the podium twice by coming second in Poland and Wales.

In 2017, Tänak changed his co-pilot again and teamed up with Martin Järveoja Martin Järveoja is an Estonian rally co-driver. , again driving for the M-Sport team with Sébastien Ogier as a team mate. For the first time, it seemed that Tänak could really be the guy who could win the World Championship title. During the season, he stepped onto the podium on seven occasions and won the first World Championship rally of his career in Sardinia and a race in Germany. At the end of the season Tänak was third in the WRC series after Ogier and Neuville.

As a big surprise in the season of 2018, Tänak went to drive for Toyota, raising questions about how he would adapt to the new car. Is Toyota fast enough? The questions were answered in the opening rally of the season in Monte Carlo when the Estonian came in second. 

However, there were technical problems that prevented him from going for the title – during the Welsh rally he had to stop while leading and Tänak’s chase of the title was over. The season’s end brought a third place after Ogier and Neuville again. However, five rally wins and two podium places proved yet again that Tänak was speedy enough to win the WRC title.

The year 2019 turned out to be successful for Tänak and Järveoja. Six rally wins and two podium places with just one unsuccessful rally in Turkey were enough to bring home the historical World Championship title one rally before the season’s end!

As of 2022 Ott still keeps the driving wheel in his steady hands bringing glory to the Estonia.
 

Estonia is often praised for its digital society. They even say that to file an income tax return online takes about 30 seconds. Do you agree? Is there something other nations should learn from Estonia?

- No. In my experience, filing your taxes online in Estonia takes three minutes. ‘30 seconds’ is pure marketing hype. But all joking aside, and in all seriousness, the country’s digital prowess is truly impressive and affords Estonia a leading position on the world stage that it has very wisely leveraged for its advantage. I often tell people here in the US that living in Estonia is like living 5 to 10 years in the future, and they are almost always surprised to hear that until I begin rattling off the long list of things that are possible, and taken as normal, in Europe’s ‘best kept secret unicorn hatchery’.

In Estonia, you can easily get spoiled by the ease with which everything operates. I know I did, having living there for almost four years. It wasn’t until I moved back to the US that I really understood and appreciated that even when things are ‘slow’ in Estonia, they are still moving at light speed compared to nearly anywhere else on the planet.

And yes, there are many, many things that can be learned from Estonia, and I am glad that Estonia has made itself an open and accessible environment where people can come to learn, experience and better understand what is possible. Whether it is a governmental delegation coming to learn from the e-Governance Academy, or an entrepreneur coming on a startup visa to build their business, or a multinational company setting up a shared service centre – Estonia is a welcoming place with lots to offer.

Estonians have a straightforwardness and candour about them that I really appreciate and I find valuable in business and in life. In fact, I think it’s part of what makes the startup ecosystem so successful.

The threshold for BS is quite low, and people move with a bias towards action and doing, not talking and wishing. Many people might be surprised to hear this from an American, especially a New Yorker...

But I very much feel that I learned how to be an effective entrepreneur largely from my experiences living and working with Estonians. And today, working in a very public-facing role on behalf of the country, here in New York, I bring that same can-do, will-do attitude to everything I touch and am using all the country has taught me to help give back to the community and ecosystem as much as I can.

James, tell us about finding Estonia.

- To be honest, my wife is the reason Estonia first came on my radar. When we met in 2004, I had never really heard of the country, and definitely had no idea at the time how big of an impact it would have on the rest of my life.

My wife is Estonian, our son is fully bilingual and is a dual-national, and most of my closest friends are now Estonian. I also have no shame when it comes to climbing into a sauna and have been told my endurance for the heat rivals some locals. I’ve learned this is a very important skill in both personal and professional circles.

At this point in my life, I’m proud to say that I’m about as Estonian as you can be without technically being Estonian myself. I can even speak a little bit of the language. So it’s fair to say, I like Estonia and Estonians a lot.

Would you advise starting a company in Estonia and become an e-resident?

- As a long-time mentor with Startup Wise Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a London-based financial technology company founded by Estonian businessmen Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus. Guys (also known as a ‘mentosaurus’, because I’ve been there for so long), I’ve also been the de facto ‘first call’ for Estonian entrepreneurs coming to explore the New York market, for years.

The short answer is yes. The long answer is, it depends. Not every business needs a company around it. In the US you can often act as a sole-proprietor or independent contractor, purely as an individual. In other jurisdictions this isn’t the case, or your business requires more structure around it in order to make it a success.

It will also depend on where you work and live, and what sort of tax situation you find yourself in. The tax environment in Estonia is the most competitive in the world, ranked #1 by the OECD. It is also one of the least bureaucratic countries in which to operate, so I recommend it highly to everyone I speak to as an ideal place to set up shop, especially for those who want access to the EU single market in a simple, no-nonsense way.

But ultimately, every business and its needs are different, and deciding whether e-Residency and starting a company in Estonia is right for you is a decision you should make with your co-founders, your investors, and your accountant.

As the Director of US Business & Innovation for Enterprise Estonia Enterprise Estonia (EAS) is an Estonian governmental agency promoting and supporting innovation, export, tourism, foreign investments, and talent attraction.  , what is your main goal in that position?

- I officially joined Enterprise Estonia Enterprise Estonia (EAS) is an Estonian governmental agency promoting and supporting innovation, export, tourism, foreign investments, and talent attraction.  in the beginning of June of this year. But I applied for the position in the first place because I’ve already been doing similar work for years, and I wanted to do more.

In my professional life, I found I was also doing more and more to connect the startup ecosystems in both my homes, and in April of 2019 I organised the largest Estonian startup showcase in New York with about 20 teams and supporting organisations participating, with SAP and Google hosting us here in New York.

Now that I am onboard with Enterprise Estonia Enterprise Estonia (EAS) is an Estonian governmental agency promoting and supporting innovation, export, tourism, foreign investments, and talent attraction.  , and officially opened for business as of late October when we had the opening ceremony for the office with the Prime Minister joining us and officiating, my focus has expanded to be of help not just to the startup community, but the business environment as a whole.

It’s a new and exciting role for me that has already given me great insights into the broader needs of Estonian companies, and afforded me the opportunity to open my network, connections and experience to many more businesses and entrepreneurs than I could have before.

My main goal remains what it has always been – to help Estonian companies reach and expand into this market, and increase the economic ties between both homes. Today, working for Enterprise Estonia Enterprise Estonia (EAS) is an Estonian governmental agency promoting and supporting innovation, export, tourism, foreign investments, and talent attraction.  from the offices of the Consulate General of Estonia in New York, that means I mainly focus on trade. But there is a large component of investment, business diplomacy, and country promotion that is also an inseparable and valuable part of the mix of my daily work, which ultimately serves to open more doors for the companies I am here to help.

Many companies, startup or not, dream to enter the US market and successfully expand there. What should they keep in mind, if they want to be successful in the US?

- The most important thing to remember is that you will need help. The adage of, ‘if you want to go faster, go alone. If you want to go further, go together’, holds very true in this market. Look for trustworthy partners, rely on them, and use them to do more, faster. The USA is not a single market, there are 50 local markets here, each with their own features, rules and regulations. It’s too big of a market to do everything yourself, and you will need to find both borrowed networks that you can plug into, and more leveraged ways of working if you are going to make an impact.

Here in the US, and other markets, Estonian companies can rely on Enterprise Estonia Enterprise Estonia (EAS) is an Estonian governmental agency promoting and supporting innovation, export, tourism, foreign investments, and talent attraction.  and its network of foreign representatives, of which I am one. Additionally, either directly or with the assistance and cooperation of an Enterprise Estonia Enterprise Estonia (EAS) is an Estonian governmental agency promoting and supporting innovation, export, tourism, foreign investments, and talent attraction.  foreign rep, the Honorary Consuls network that is maintained by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also a tremendously valuable resource and asset for Estonian businesses looking to expand abroad. And last, but not least, foreign-born and expat Estonians are usually tremendously keen and happy to help Estonian entrepreneurs and individuals at home in any way they can.

It’s also important to come and experience the culture and the environment first-hand before making the jump into this market. American business culture is simultaneously similar and different to that of Estonia, and it’s very important to learn where those similarities and differences fall so that you can better navigate them and avoid some common mishaps.

In an ideal world, when looking for partners, referrals and references are absolutely the way to go. Business is about relationship-building and the ability to leverage existing trust networks is a tremendously powerful skill. You can of course do your research and go purely on the information provided to you publicly on the web, however, that is never a substitute for using real connections, from real people.

Would you name some Estonian startups that have potential in your eyes?

- There are lots of promising Estonian startups! Both in Estonia, and founded or co-founded by Estonians abroad. From those founded in Estonia, I can easily point to Zelos, Entify, Tutor.id Tutor.id is an Estonian-developed platform for tutors and learners to connect efficiently. , Consorto, Taddy, Modash Modash is an Estonian digital platform to find and work with influencers. , Mash Machine, and Lumebot just to name a few.

From those founded abroad by Estonians living here, definitely The Farmer’s Dog, Bolt Bolt is an Estonian mobility company that offers vehicle for hire, micromobility, car-sharing, and food delivery services. Scooters and Elip Solutions are the ones to watch.

Estonians have a natural knack for entrepreneurship and anytime I see an Estonian-founded or ecosystem-based company coming down the pike and heading for this market, I get excited and I know that great things are on the horizon for them.
 

Their seafront farm along with their house, barn, sauna, and boathouse were left behind. Many years later, Maria’s mother and aunt were thinking of selling the property – there were no buildings left, only some foundations remained that were hidden in the overgrown grounds.

A bit over ten years ago, Maria decided to pack her family into a camper van and drive towards her mother’s childhood home to see if there was anything they could do with the land. Surprisingly, they fell in love with the place and Maria started to rebuild the family farm with her partner in 2007.

I (the author of this article, Ronald Liive _ed.) found out about Tamander through Netflix’s “Million Pound Menu” in which one episode featured her as a potential investor looking for a new eatery to invest in. Since I also live in Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). , a few days later I found myself sitting next to her. Maria Tamander was more than happy to talk with Life in Estonia Life in Estonia Magazine appeared first in 2012. about her career and plans for the future.

From music videos to real estate

Maria started her working career in marketing and music videos by founding a production company in the early 1990s in Sweden. She moved to London in 1998 when her eldest daughter was born. She has created ad campaigns for Dolce Gabbana, Versace, Lancôme, Nokia, and many more notable brands. Her company also worked on the Spice Girls’ first music video “Wannabe”. She is active in the field up to this day.

Later she ventured into real estate. In 2014, she and two other families bought a building in London’s Paddington area that housed a pub called “The Cleveland Arms” with 166 years of history on the ground floor. She built the place up and ran the pub’s day-to-day business until last November. She has also invested in some small businesses in Estonia, the United Kingdom, and Sweden and maintained a perennial interest in handicrafts and helping young creatives, for example, her photographer-daughter Isla, a young jeweller named Jay, and many others.

Right before the pandemic hit the whole world, Maria and her sister Anna were looking for properties in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). to fix up so that she could rent them out and open a café or restaurant on the ground floor. Just like she did in London’s Paddington area. Her London pub is now a well-known place in the area. Due to the ongoing situation, she had to freeze everything and close the pub for a while. Some of the staff were let go.

A lampshade made of two old paintings, two photo drying racks Maria found in a closed art school outside London where they did a commercial, tissue paper, bleach and paint Maria and John together with their daughters Isla and Iona, and their new friends Olga Temnikova, Indrek Kasela and their daughter Vera

Retreats in Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). for creative people

She is currently offering a hospitality service in Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). through Airbnb but she’s got bigger plans for the place. Additional information about the property can be found at hylgeranna.com.

“We came here when the lockdown was in effect so we had to have a valid reason to come to Estonia. Our reason was the renovation works going on and preparations for receiving guests that were to arrive in May. We got special permission from the Estonian police and border guard. We are going to build an artist studio in an old Soviet military building, and some other houses as well,” says Maria.

If everything goes according to plan then they are going to start film and photography retreats in Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). from this autumn. She’s also keen on the idea of different workshops or retreats for people interested in production, art, writing, and other topics. Maria’s partner, world-renowned cinematographer John Mathieson (59) is also involved with the works and plans going on in Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). .

A sculpture that the couple’s daughters Isla (21) and Iona (16) made of the skulls of seals, foxes, deer, and moose they had been collecting in Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). over the years

Mathieson is a frequent collaborator with director Ridley Scott and was the cinematographer on “Gladiator (2000)”. He also worked as the director of photography on “Robin Hood” (2010), “X-Men: First Class” (2011), “Logan” (2017), “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” (2015) and many other Hollywood films. He was supposed to be in Los Angeles right now working on Marvel’s upcoming movie “Doctor Strange” but as the shooting was put on hold, he was able to enjoy his time in Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). .

“The writer’s retreat will start in autumn. It’s going to be run by a woman who organises the same kind of things in the UK. She and her partner, a scriptwriter from Los Angeles, are friends of ours. There is also going to be a poetry group,” says Maria.

The retreats will be multi-day events and they will be hosting a maximum of 10 people per retreat. Maria will provide all attendees with accommodation, food, and transportation.

Although they will be inviting their friends and people they have worked with to attend the retreats, the events will also be open to the general public so anyone interested may attend them.

The world is a small place

Maria has been flirting with the idea of staying for a full year in Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). . Although she has stayed there for a few months now and is planning to spend her whole summer there she is still planning to go back to London at some point this year.

“My parents usually come here mid-June and stay until August. My sister and her family would also come for a few weeks. We also have quite a few friends coming out here.”

Just by accident, during one of her stays in Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). a few years ago, she was greeted by a gentleman taking a stroll in the area. After starting to talk with him they became friends. At first, neither Tamander, her husband nor the gentleman wanted to mention their professions. However, once the friendship grew stronger and the barriers fell, it turned out that the stranger was a well-known Estonian, serial entrepreneur and investor Indrek Kasela (48); he is also involved with the arts and owns a cinema in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). .

Thanks to the new connection, Kasela has been able to talk Mathieson into giving talks at the Black Night Film Festival in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). . Kasela spent his childhood in the area where Hülgeranna is located.

An airway between Kuressaare Town in the westernmost island in Estonia, Saareemaa Island (pop.13,000). , the capital of Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). , and Bromma near Stockholm was supposed to have started this year but was postponed until next spring. Tamander sees that airway as a good solution for international tourists to come to Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). and for locals to stay well connected to big airports around the world.

To visit Saaremaa The largest island in Estonia(pop. 31,000). , you need to board a ferry by vehicle or you can fly from Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). and Kuressaare Town in the westernmost island in Estonia, Saareemaa Island (pop.13,000). . To get to Hülgeranna you need to drive from Kuressaare Town in the westernmost island in Estonia, Saareemaa Island (pop.13,000). centre for about 45 minutes.

But when you have been deeply involved in music, there is no complete way out. Hence it was logical that after the glamorous world of advertising and some experience as a press photographer, Kaupo Kikkas found his way back to music. The young man met the music manager Kevin Kleinmann who introduced him to some famous musicians. This step helped to slightly open the door into this world.

“It was really important, because I had my first photo sessions with the cello player Leonard Elschenbroich and violinist Nicola Benedetti, and I took some great photos. It is an unfortunate fact that you can show hundreds of pages of photographs of Estonian artists, but unless you have some photos of world-renowned musicians, your career will not take off.”

Albeit this significant step did not fast-track his career, it allowed the slow climb to start. Years of collaboration with Estonian cultural ambassadors like Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. and the Järvi family has helped to introduce Kaupo Kikkas’ name and work. His photographs of Pärt have been published in all continents and in most reputable publications in the world.

“Pärt is my mentor and greatest inspiration. His personality and the world behind his music has taught me more than life,” says Kikkas gratefully. “With such grandmasters, a photographer cannot intervene, direct or add his own strong vision because it dilutes their essence. Sometimes one needs to really prepare and get onto the right wavelength with a person in order to take their photos, but it is not so with Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. . It would just get in the way. The best way is to be in the same room as him and to get a glimpse of his heavenly honesty and authenticity. Nothing other than acceptance by him is necessary.”

One of five in Europe

Today Kikkas is one of only five people in Europe who are fortunate enough to have a career as a professional music photographer. His work often takes him abroad, but many leading classical musicians are willing to travel thousands of kilometres to his studio in central Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). in order to have him take their photographs. Needless to say that he has portrayed most leading musicians in Estonia.

“You have to earn the trust of musicians, it’s not something that just happens. Classical musicians have to be convinced that the best and most honest way to portray them is to do it without smoothing their imperfections. Opera primadonnas who are used to theatricality and make-up are different, of course. The editing to perfection of their portraits is something of a standard,” ponders Kikkas. “Many top names in the world of music are used to having a leadership role and they have a difficult time giving it up. But in photography, we are in a situation where I lead and I do it with confidence. People need to be approached gently because photography is an aggressive act and nothing good will come out of pouring oil into the fire. It is a very exciting psychological and chemical process between people.”

Over twenty years, the collection of photos taken of Estonian musicians alone had grown so large that this piece of cultural history needed to be preserved. This is how the book ‘Estonian Music Portrait’ was born. The photographer himself calls it a book of people and music. It was very difficult to select the photos that made it into the book. As an author, Kikkas first set down the criteria. The first people to be included were the ‘big shots’ – musicians who have become Estonia’s business card in the world, who deserve to be seen and who people also want to see.

“I wanted to balance those big players with young up-and-coming talents, who may not be so famous but who are on their way to a great career. Another important keyword was the people who are no longer with us, but whom I have had the honour to work with. Their creative heritage remains with us forever, but life has shown that people are forgotten and the creators become anonymous behind their creations. A book connects us with them visually. Emotionally their portraits are very lively and for some time they will have the impact of people who are still among us, not like the engraving of Ferenc Liszt with a large mole on the wall of the music history classroom.”

The emotional feedback from the book, which has received a lot of publicity, has been warm from the start. “As a realist, I understand of course that this is not a bestseller that can be sold in thousands of copies.”

The mysticism of the forest

Recently, Kikkas opened a personal exhibition called ‘Treescape’ at the Untitled Gallery in Rotterdam. This is a long-running successful project in which he combines photography and old planks of wood, discovering an indescribable world of the trees through his imagery.

“It all begins with walking in nature, discovering places, and thinking. Nature sends mystical signals which the brain catches on a totally different wavelength,” explains Kikkas, who normally calls himself down-to-earth. “In the forest, you try to shake off your daily worries and joys and await inspiration from the trees.

It is not possible to release everything, but my hand holding the camera has its own muscle memory and it starts to capture things which my heart or mind sense.”

The planks of wood that Kikkas collects in old farmhouses and on which he exhibits his photos, turn the ‘Treescape’ into a spacious object where the old wood and the images start to communicate with each other. “Many people say these are frames, but I see the wood as a three-dimensional way of mirroring some feeling. The photograph is a window into nature. In combination, they help people fly far away in their thoughts.”

The black-and-white graphic photos are often created using the double exposure technique, which provides a level of abstraction and takes them away from traditional nature photography.

Kikkas fondly recalls the opening of the exhibition where the audience held their breath listening to the photographer, watched and analysed the photos and afterwards came to share their emotions and experience with the creator. It was only possible to visit the gallery for a couple of days before the coronavirus crisis took over the world.

“Creating an exhibition is a huge undertaking which takes years and tens of thousands of euros. Therefore, I am very sad that ‘Treescape’ was only open for a week. The prevalent thought in Estonia is that being an artist is not real work and people often find it difficult to understand why art is so expensive. Fortunately, there is a gradual shift and people are starting to realise that buying art and thereby supporting the author is the only sustainable way to keep the world of art alive.”

“It is no secret that hobby artists tend to pay in order to pursue their hobby. Luckily, there is more talk about there being nothing negative in asking for money for your creation and there are more and more people who can afford this luxury called art. This helps us creative people to somehow survive during difficult times.”

Saved by nature

The emergency situation which has locked down the world has totally influenced Kikkas’ working life – he had only one work project in the normally densely packed April. In the beginning of the lockdown, he was certain that he could carry on with his existing projects, but in reality, he has received totally new ideas whilst spending a lot of time in nature. Those ideas are waiting to see the light of day.

Last year, Kikkas delivered a grand project entitled ‘Ansel’, which was inspired by his great role model, one of the most legendary landscape and nature photographers: Ansel Adams, who proved to the world that a landscape photo can be art.

In 2021, the next large-scale undertaking with the working title ‘Homo Deus’ should come into existence. This is inspired by Dr. Yuval Noah Harari’s work with the same title which questions what it means to be human, asking the most humane questions about history and placing them in an epic, not a directly personalised environment.

Many famous people in the world have stood in front of Kikkas’ camera, but there are many more that he would like to portray. “Just out of a sense of duty I would love to photograph Philip Glass and Steven Reich who have already reached high age and who I really admire and consider to be intelligent composers. Also, the musically very important cellist Yo-Yo Ma. It is

a dream of mine to be able to photograph my favourite film director Wes Anderson, whose films full of goodness are an endless source of inspiration for me.”

A sense of not knowing and uncertainty about the future is part and parcel of a freelancer’s life. This creates worry and as a person who tends to be a worrier, those times are stressful and full of anxiety for Kikkas.

“I care about what happens in the world, therefore I force myself not to think about all of this too much every day. Which does not mean that I manage to do it,” he laughs. “I truly care about nature and it offers the only thinkable balance to my work with people. I cannot imagine how I would have kept sane if I had to stay at home during these times or be responsible for the livelihood of many people. Nature has been my saviour.”

Her personal experience in the tutoring business led to the development of an online service that helps tutors to manage the business side of tutoring. Ordones developed the online tutoring platform Tutor.id Tutor.id is an Estonian-developed platform for tutors and learners to connect efficiently. and it has seen big growth in the past months especially in North and South America. Compared to the beginning of the year, the employee count has more than doubled. The company is looking to expand the business even more.

Interest in Swedish led her to study in Estonia

About ten years ago, Karen was keen on the Swedish language and was looking for a Master’s degree program she could attend in Sweden. While looking for options, she found the University of Tartu University of Tartu - Tartu Ülikool is an Estonian higher education institute. instead and was impressed at how they handled the process of relocating her as an international student. So, she chose Estonia over Sweden and landed at the University of Tartu University of Tartu - Tartu Ülikool is an Estonian higher education institute. in 2010 where she began the Baltic Sea studies with a concentration in business administration. By then she was interested in businesses and how to manage things.

“I had a great experience at the University of Tartu University of Tartu - Tartu Ülikool is an Estonian higher education institute. . It was not an easy program, which is good because I wanted to be challenged to learn new things. I liked the model of the University; you can use the credits as you wish. There were a few mandatory subjects but you could craft your own curriculum. In Brazil, you don’t get that chance. I liked the freedom,” says Ordones.

After her studies in Estonia, she moved back to Brazil in 2013 and started to work in a language school because of her interest in languages. As she is fluent in English, while only a fraction of Brazilians speak it, she chose English to be the subject she taught. Although she loved teaching, she was not happy with the slim pay she received.

“So, I decided to become a private teacher. Within three months and through word of mouth recommendations from students that were happy with me I had a hundred students. My business grew pretty fast,” she describes.

Apart from English, she started to offer lessons in Brazilian history and literature, the same subjects she was really good at school herself.

To manage the business she came up with a unique idea

According to Ordones, she had many challenges on the road and had to overcome a lot of problems through pain. The biggest obstacle was related to managing the business. How to get new clients, how to hold the ones she had, general management, sales, and marketing. As she comes from a family of two generations of teachers, she has had close, personal contact with teachers from the day she was born.

She saw an opportunity to use the degree she got from the University of Tartu University of Tartu - Tartu Ülikool is an Estonian higher education institute. . In early 2015, she had an idea for an online marketplace that would help out teachers and tutors. She named it Tutor.id Tutor.id is an Estonian-developed platform for tutors and learners to connect efficiently. after she moved back to Estonia to become an e-resident. Ordones saw the complex bureaucracy in Brazil as one of the reasons she decided to become an Estonian e-resident. To clarify, e-Residency does not give you residency in Estonia. Ordones’ personal life just happened to coincide with her becoming an e-resident.

Although there are other online marketplaces for tutors, Ordones was keen on building a new and better one that would simplify the managerial side of the business. Now, Tutor.id Tutor.id is an Estonian-developed platform for tutors and learners to connect efficiently. has helped to manage over 16 000 bookings and over 24 000 hours of lessons have been taken through the service. There are over 200 subjects available on Tutor.id Tutor.id is an Estonian-developed platform for tutors and learners to connect efficiently. and most of the tutors offer their first trial lesson for free. The student can set the price they are comfortable with, when they have time, and what age group they represent.

For example, if you have always wanted to learn Estonian, you can find Pille from Pärnu City in the SW of Estonia (pop.40,000). . She has a BA in English Language and Literature from Florida Atlantic University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tartu University of Tartu - Tartu Ülikool is an Estonian higher education institute. . She is willing to teach you her native language for 8 euros per hour. Polyglot Dalisa feels confident enough to teach you Spanish, English, and Estonian. She herself speaks four languages and is working on her fifth. Examples abound. Karen herself has taken tutoring lessons in Estonian.

In the past few months, Tutor.id Tutor.id is an Estonian-developed platform for tutors and learners to connect efficiently. has grown quickly with an active user count of around 5000. The general number of visitors to the website has skyrocketed but not all of the visitors end up signing up for the service.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the company decided to lift the normal fees they take from the tutors using the service. Although for potential new investors it would be great to show large sales growth numbers, Ordones sees that education is also a very altruistic area. Unpredictably, during the pandemic, the service has seen the most interest from Africa.

“We are happy to help both teachers and students during this difficult period. We are recommending that teachers lower their fees because a lot of people have no choice but to study at home. And they have done that,” said Ordones.

Thanks to the growth, the employee count has gone up from three to seven employees and the company is looking to hire more people.

According to Ordones, the unexpected growth and competitiveness of the job market in Estonia has caused the team to be scattered all around the world, with people working remotely from India, Brazil, Dubai, and elsewhere.

Looking for new investors, hoping to expand to Asia

At the moment, the company is in talks with potential investors and hopes to close the next round by October. Ordones hopes they can expand to Asia soon.

“The biggest tutoring markets are in Asia. It is a part of their culture to have a tutor. They spend 10% of their household income on tutoring on average, which is a lot.”

Ordones recognises that the biggest lesson she has learned was not to build a company with only junior professionals but to add seniors to guide the young talents. Now, the company employs senior professionals to lead the core areas (Development, Product and Marketing) to grow the business, and to provide faster results due to their industry expertise essential for startups that wish to be competitive in the market.

Tutor.id Tutor.id is an Estonian-developed platform for tutors and learners to connect efficiently. is registered in Estonia. Although from Brazil, Ordones is hoping she does not need to move her company to another country and can continue to benefit from Estonia’s streamlined tax system. “We are excited to continue disrupting the industry by empowering tutors to build their brand and grow their one-man (or woman) online tutoring businesses,” says Karen, full of optimism. They are planning to accelerate hiring with new investments.
 

Former teacher has it all in Estonia

Quite like Gabriela, Diana Cavalcanti, who has a PhD in software engineering, found herself in Estonia by coincidence. She was a teacher in the field of technology, dreaming of international experience as a software developer. Then, in 2018, she saw a video on YouTube about Brazilians who had travelled to Estonia.

“I knew nothing about Estonia or its employment market at the time, but got interested and started to research it,” explains Diana. Soon after, she started applying for jobs with Estonian companies, when finally, in November 2019, she accepted an offer from the company GameSys.

Gabriela Strautmann studied tourism in Brazil and has worked in the field of customer support for thirteen years now. In 2017, after having returned to Brazil from a four-year-stay in Ireland, Gabriela began to look for new employment opportunities abroad.

She quickly stumbled upon the company TransferWise and her mind was made – Gabriela, her husband, and 11-month-old baby were going to move to Estonia. “As a matter of fact, I did not choose Estonia but the company I wanted to work for. I targeted companies which I thought might offer more opportunities to grow,” she explains.

At TransferWise, Gabriela took on the job of Portuguese-language Customer Support Agent. It did not take long for her to be promoted to specialist, first, and then even further to Team Lead sometime after that.

Gabriela’s husband Pedro, who is a construction engineer, found a job shortly after moving to Estonia as well. “Pedro said he would send out his resume to a few places. The following week he already received three invitations for job interviews and was basically immediately employed as a construction engineer by an Estonian company,” Strautmann is happy to report.

What is it like for a woman to work in Estonia? Gabriela says that it is quite similar to Scandinavia. “There is gender equality,” she says. “You see men pushing prams on the streets, doing household work and fathers who stay at home with their children so that their wives can return to their careers.”

“At first, it was all new and unfamiliar. Estonia is not a place people usually go to. But I was not only looking for a job, I wanted new experience and to explore a new culture,” she explains.

Today Cavalcanti works as a software engineer and, overall, her experience has been positive: “I have everything here – a safe environment and a job I like and feel challenged by.”

Diana admits that there are mostly men working in her company today, but more ‘talented girls’ are set to join the company as testers and developers soon. “Women take on challenges and follow through. They do not want to fail, and they always try their best,” she claims.

What Diana likes most about living in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). , is the fact that the services here are of high quality but it is still a small and cosy town by world standards. In her spare time, she likes to enjoy Estonian nature and culture. Diana was surprised by the high level of public e-services, the fresh air and clean nature. In addition, life in Estonia is affordable, the architecture diverse, and the package terminals of the post service ‘very cool’.

What Diana misses the most, however, is getting more integrated in Estonian society. Currently, she worries about not easily meeting people and making friends.

Nevertheless, Diana has a clear and simple message for Brazilians come and work in Estonia, you will not regret it. Fortunately, more and more of her fellow citizens are discovering it.

Raquel Pontes: More time for personal life

Milena Nogueira Apolinário Armando, a supply chain professional from the state of São Paulo, took similar advice to Diana’s from a friend that visited her and her husband Fabiano in 2017. Her friend happened to live in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). at the time. This visit changed Milena and Fabiano’s lives.

“We wanted international experience, but we were not brave enough to leave our jobs,” admits Milena who already had 15 years of work experience at the time. Her friend’s detailed account of Estonia, however, made the couple very curious. “We thought, now is as good as ever!” she recalls.

Milena then applied for jobs in Estonia via Glassdoor and was hired as customer support by TransferWise. She arrived in Estonia two months later and became team leader within seven months. Milena’s husband Fabiano also quickly found work in the IT field in Estonia. Today, Milena has returned to her original area of expertise – supply chain – working for Jeld-Wen, a multinational industry in the building products sector.

“Here in Estonia, I can plan my own work and have more time for my personal life,” Milena says. She is currently the company’s Northern-European demand planner. Her main task is to lead the demand planning process. Together with colleagues, she analyses data from the past, market trends, competition activity, the status of economies, etc. to determine the company’s sales forecast.

“I really like living in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). . It is a beautiful town. We feel safe here. There is a great selection of bars, restaurants, pubs, cafes and, in addition, you are surrounded by nature. It is a privilege to live in the city and at the same time so close to the natural environment,” she says. Milena also likes the changing of the four seasons that she can experience in their full beauty in Estonia.

The only thing that bothers Milena, since she really misses her family, is the fact that there are no direct flights from Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). to Brazil. She has thought about moving closer to her homeland but changed her mind every time.

Milena says she recommends Estonia to Brazilians, but that the latter need to have an open mind since it is a fact that we are very different. “That being said, it is in Estonia where I feel more comfortable to work and where my intellectual freedom is respected.”

“I find it great that we are different, even opposites,” she says. “Estonians usually have a full plan ready to go, whereas Brazilians are always ready for surprises with a plan B up their sleeve. So, when we work together, we can move mountains,” she adds. In addition, laughter and humour are guaranteed.

Pipedrive employs more than 20 Brazilians

For the Estonian company Pipedrive, Brazil has been among the three largest markets over the years. It is therefore no wonder that they also employ many Brazilians who work in the Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). office. Among them, there are developers, customer support staff and Brazilian Portuguese language content producers.

Mariliis Beger, Communication Manager of the company says that the Brazilians in Estonia have a very unified and supportive community. As their hearts beat in the rhythm of football and they cannot live without good quality meat, they organise various joint football evenings and grill parties.

“The biggest cultural difference between Estonians and Brazilians is perhaps the fact that, at meetings, Estonians greet each other and proceed to the topics on the table, whereas Brazilians first talk about their families, weather and weekend activities. Only then does business become relevant. But, on the whole, they are very hardworking people and always put their hearts into everything they do,” says Beger.

Raquel Pontes, who has worked nearly two and a half years at Pipedrive as Content Manager of Portuguese language markets, found the job by chance in a Facebook group for translators.

“At first, Estonians and Brazilians are totally different people and it is complicated to see any similarities. Whereas it is common in Brazil to be friends after five minutes, sharing details of private lives; this does not easily happen with Estonians and this in itself is not bad at all. Estonians need time ‘to melt’ and, when you get to know people better, you’ll realise that they are in fact very warm and friendly people,” she says.

Bringing more women into IT

In Amanda Souza’s case it was her husband Victor Nogueira, a software engineer and game developer, who found work in Estonia first.

However, Amanda, who had worked for years as a software developer in Brazil, received an offer to become DevOps engineer at Veriff Veriff is a global identity verification service company founded and headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia. a mere two weeks later. To date, Amanda has moved on to the Microsoft Development Centre Estonia where she works as Site Reliability Engineer.

Increased interest on both sides

“I come from a very poor family where my mom had to work very hard in order to earn a tiny salary. I took the responsibility of taking care of my brothers,” Amanda says. Nevertheless, education was always a priority. “My mother always said that studying hard would give me the best chance to achieve success one day,” she recalls.

And so it has. Now, in addition to her full-time job, Amanda actively participates in projects linked to bringing more women like herself into the IT world.

“At one point, during my studies, I changed my IT-course to nursing, because I believed the IT industry was only for men,” uncovers Amanda the reasons behind her mission. “But after a semester in nursing school, I decided to come back to IT and change this mindset,” she adds.

“Some mindsets need change to break down the unconscious gender bias and promote further equality of women in IT,” she says.

“I also joined Microsoft through a project which helps women to enter the field of IT,” adds Amanda. More women feeling empowered and entering the tech sector is definitely a welcome and globally growing trend in her opinion.

According to Work in Estonia’s Client Relations Manager Grete Soares de Camargo, a growing number of Estonian companies welcome skilled specialists, both women and men, to their teams. Brazilian IT specialists are a great example of those that have done really well here. “The cultural fit is quite good, Brazilians are hardworking but also great communicators,” explains Grete. “According to Estonian employers, the recruited specialists have proved to be skilled, flexible and ambitious professionals, while also approachable and easy to work with as people.”

“What is more, we have noticed that there is growing interest among Brazilian talent to find out more about Estonia, what it is like to live and work here. Good news travels fast, the positive experiences that professionals like Gabriela, Milena, Amanda, Diana and many others have had here definitely serve as examples and further inspiration to other capable talent from around the world looking for a new professional challenge, good quality of life and overall opportunities for themselves and their families.”

The Work in Estonia initiative is the connector that helps the talent and Estonian companies find each other more easily.

How long have you lived in Estonia?

It is a slightly complicated question, as I only started living and working in Estonian ‘officially’ in October 2021, though I had been living here on and off before then. 

I first came to Estonia in early December 2019 because I had been invited to give a talk at a conference at the National Library in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). where I was one of the keynote speakers. The first words that came to my mind when I was beginning to descend on the plane on a dreary day into Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). , were ‘grey’, ‘mysterious’ and ‘mythical’. I don’t know why these words came to me, but they often come back to me when I am walking or driving through somewhere in Estonia. 

What made you to stay in this grey, mysterious and mythical place?

My talk went very well, and during my time in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). I met someone who changed my life forever. It was clear on the very first meeting that there was a strong connection between us, and then things accelerated very quickly over the next few years. We were married in July 2022. 

The date when we first met is important because in late December 2019 there was also talk about some mysterious virus in China – the ‘Coronavirus’.  We started seeing each other both in the UK and Estonia, and in February 2020, when I was in Estonia, I had to catch the last flight back to London because things were about to get ‘locked down’. As soon as things relaxed a little a few months later, I took the first available flight back to Estonia in June 2020. During my stays in Estonia, I often worked remotely to do my job based which based in the UK.

Our relationship was a case of ‘Love developing in the time of the Pandemic’ I guess. 
 

What work did you do back then?

In the UK, I worked at the British Library, in London, which is one of the largest libraries of the world. I ran something called ‘British Library Labs’ which helped people to experiment and work with the library’s digitized collections such as books, maps, newspapers, manuscripts, TV and radio recordings, websites etc. My job was to try to connect people to the digital collections to perhaps answer historical research questions such as ‘Are there any geographical patterns to where specific political meetings took place in the UK in the nineteenth century’ or could a digitised collection be remixed to tell new stories, or to make new products such new fashion ranges inspired by historic digitised images.

What happened then?

When you meet somebody in your life, and they completely turn it upside down, you have some fundamental choices to make which can be quite scary, such as ‘How do you want your life to be now?’ What became clear to me was I wanted to build my home here in Estonia, and share my life with my partner, not just the romantic moments, but also the everyday stuff like going to the supermarket, cooking and eating together, these moments of actual living were just as important to me.

What were the other reasons to stay in Estonia?

Estonia isn’t a perfect country by any means but I think there are some positive things about settling here. Setting up a business here is relatively straightforward and the Settle in Estonia programme is an excellent way to get acclimatised into Estonian life - it not only offers Estonian Language lessons but many other courses on learning how to fit into Estonian life. Finding a job in Estonia was an interesting challenge though.
 

And how did you find a job?

In the UK, I worked largely in the public sector, mostly in education. So, I decided to send a lot of applications to jobs in similar sectors in Estonia. However, I wasn’t prepared for the response I got from employers. It was initially disheartening to get lots of rejections and often the reasons given were my lack of Estonian.

As I have a background in teaching and having taught English many years ago, I thought another option was for me to teach English in an Estonian school. Coupled with the fact that there is also a severe lack of teachers in schools in Estonia, I thought teaching might be an option for me. Whilst the salary isn’t that great and the hours are long (including preparation and marking), I would be doing a job that contributes to society, that is helping people and you get long summer holidays. Estonia is also meant to have very high rankings for the quality of education 15 year olds receive in school.

Eventually, I got a job in a vocational college in Rakvere Town in the NE of Estonia(pop.15,000). in Eastern Estonia at the beginning of the term in 2021. It was very difficult because all the government and school documentation as well as the IT systems are in Estonian. I, therefore had to rely quite a lot on translation software to get by. 
 

What were your experiences of teaching?

I was put into a classroom with children starting from 14 years old up to adults and it was a really interesting, challenging and at times a rewarding experience.  I can imagine for many of the students that had me in their first lessons, they might have initially thought that I might be an ‘alien’ of some sorts. Who was this strange ‘being’ that had appeared in the middle of Rakvere Town in the NE of Estonia(pop.15,000). , around 1.5 hours to the Russian border, teaching them English in a British English accent? 

I was born in the UK, but I have Indian heritage. People often ask me where I am from, when I say ‘England’ they look puzzled as if ‘how is that even possible’ even if it’s clear that I speak with a British accent. At the beginning of my teaching in school I had some unfortunate remarks from a small number of students about my ethnicity which I can only put down to general ignorance.

But did it go well?

Soon after, students realised that I genuinely cared about their learning and was able to teach most of them effectively. I think it helped that English is also a very popular subject especially amongst most young people in Estonia. My experience teaching in Estonia was a good experience. The teaching profession is very challenging wherever you go, in any country. I have a lot of empathy and understanding towards school teachers in Estonia. What I have discovered is that teachers do the best they can with the limited resources they have. 

In March 2022, there was the opportunity to start a new position at the University of Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). , which I decided to take. I am now a Senior Research and Development adviser, I help academics write proposals to get funding, usually from the European Union. This job is very different from my first job as a teacher in an Estonian School.

I am learning Estonian too, and it is a very difficult language to master, as many others before me would attest to.
 

What was the most surprising thing for you when you moved here?

There is a genuine cultural difference here, especially when it comes to communication. A lot has been written about it, but for example, it was very interesting to not immediately receive an answer to a question to an Estonian person. Often questions are answered with complete silence, especially when the answer is ‘yes’, this is often seen as normal. I initially perceived this as rudeness. So, I have learned that silence in Estonia to a question often means ‘yes’. 

When working in a classroom environment, I discovered that many students were very shy and didn’t want to communicate at all, even if they had a very high competence in the English language. I had been warned about it but to experience it was something different.

Finally, another surprise are Estonian winters. I think I have either been lucky, or unlucky to experience two quite ‘typical’ winters in Estonia. The initial beauty of the snow falling, with everything covered with beautiful virgin show is a sight to behold. Two months later, with a lot of the day in darkness, it has been snowing almost constantly and where some of the ice has turned black or grey is another more difficult and slightly depressing proposition. This and driving in this weather was a very new experience for me and I regret I hadn’t taken some ice driving lessons!
 

What about the summers?

I have been very lucky to experience three beautiful summers and three jaanipäev (midsummer days) here. Midsummer is a very big thing in Estonia, an important time for Estonians. I was very lucky to experience that with my partner’s friends outside Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). . There was a fire, food and drinks, very lovely indeed! Another highlight in the summer was swimming in lakes and I’m not even a great swimmer, wonderful, especially when you do it around 11 at night and it’s still light! 

The downsides are that there can be a lot of mosquitoes and pollen if you are in the countryside in the summer. This has been quite a challenging experience sometimes as I am not a fan of mosquitoes and have hay fever. I’m definitely a city boy, so generally I prefer Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). . 

Once jaanipäev finishes, there seems to be a countdown – every day, every beautiful day is precious and you must make the most of it, you have to be outside and be by the beach because winter is coming, the days are getting shorter. People often make jokes about that, but it feels there is this preciousness of every beautiful day in summer which needs to be treasured and not ignored. Summer is very short when compared to other seasons so that probably explains this attitude here in Estonia.

In summer, you have the spectacular blossoming of plants and flowers, but it is compressed – it happens in a very short space of time, blink and you will miss it! I didn’t understand the significance of that until the second summer here.

Now we are in autumn and there is this general feeling that winter is coming. People seem to transition into a different kind of living, almost like a hibernation. Time is experienced differently, it seems to pass slower, you in fact slow down and sleep a bit more, wake up a little bit later.

What other experiences or local traditions have you taken over? Do you pick mushrooms?

I’ve actually never been mushroom picking, but I have been bear garlic leaf, apple and a little berry picking.
 

Is there anything you miss from the UK?

I miss the pub culture in UK. I used to live in London and pubs play a very important role in your life, especially socially. After work, you often go to a pub with your colleagues. Here in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). , it doesn’t seem to happen so much. 

Me and my partner have come up with the idea that the first Friday of the month starting at 18:00, we have an event called ShareNights, where we invite people to come and share some food they have bought, some drink and most of all themselves, i.e. their authentic self without the mask of work and their profession! I have tried to connect with the expat communities here but not with any great success. I have made a couple of friends through university and from my first Estonian Language course.

I really miss the diversity of living in London, I realise I took it for granted, the cultural diversity that was there, it just felt a normal part of life. Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). has some very small elements of that, but I find it is very small when compared to London. However, in comparison to the rest of Estonia, it is quite diverse. I would also include Tartu City in the west of Estonia (pop. 91,000). in that category and that’s probably because it’s a student city with many international students. 

Do you have any funny stories or jokes to tell?

Not that I can think of immediately, but I really like the fact that Estonian humour is very dark and dry. British people have a quite dark sense of humour too, so this makes me feel quite at home.
 

What other interesting things have you noticed here?

What I do realise that there are some cultural differences especially amongst Russian and Estonian speakers. We live in Lasnamäe Administrative district in the east of Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). (pop. 119,000). and many people there are primarily Russian speaking. I often wonder about their experiences growing up in or settling in Estonia. What cultural experience have they had, how have they been integrated into Estonian society? Or why are they not integrated?

I guess I have a strong sense of what it means to be integrated because I was born in the UK but I grew up in an Indian family. Integration was a constant theme growing up. It really felt that when I was at home, it was like as if I was in a ‘Little India’, more precisely a little Punjabi village – Punjab is a North Western region of India where my parents are from.

Many things in my parents’ house were not explained, they just ‘were’ even if I tried to get a reason. Such as why we usually ate Indian food, but on one evening a week we would have ‘dinner’, which was my mother’s attempt to make English food. Why there was often Indian radio, music or TV in the house and why various ornaments were there and why there were pictures of ‘gurus’ with long white beards put up in various parts of the house. It also smelt of Indian spices and fried onions. As soon as I left my parents’ house, I was part of British culture instead. This too also felt equally strange, contradictory, and difficult to actually define. I constantly felt trapped between these two worlds, often thinking I didn’t really fit anywhere.

Like our local Russians?

When I hear and see Russian speaking people here, I often have this overwhelming feeling of understanding a little of what it might be like for them. In the context of what’s happening in the world right now with the war in Ukraine, there are some interesting challenges for the Russian speaking population in Estonia. I wonder what it is like for Russian speaking children when they come home and their parents and grandparents who are watching Russian TV and news programmes that patriotically support Putin’s perspective on the war. I wonder how they feel when they see the Ukrainian flags flying everywhere in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). and when new Ukrainian children enter their classes. How are they coping with that?

I think of the long journey that the UK has had to make in terms of embracing cultural diversity, with its long legacy of colonialization. In some ways it has made great progress, in other ways it feels like progress has been very slow. When I compare Estonia’s journey, it feels as if it is lagging behind a lot, especially when I visit places like Narva City in the NE of Estonia (pop.54,000). and Sillamäe. They just feel like completely different worlds to the many other parts of Estonia I know.

Are you afraid that Estonia will be dragged into the war?

Estonia is my home now. I’ve never really felt so strongly before about the idea of people coming into my home and doing something that they shouldn’t be doing, for example something horrible to my partner. Right now that feels like a real possibility. It has started to create feelings in me which I’ve never felt before, namely a desire to protect my family. I recently inquired about joining Kaitseliit (Defence League) and it wasn’t because I felt nationalistic. Simply put, I feel this is my home, I need to protect it. If everybody just runs away, there is no home to protect. So there needs to be people who stay and protect their home and their land. That’s how I feel.

Whilst being in the UK I felt quite distant from a lot of things. I work with a Ukrainian colleague and I can’t really imagine what it must be like for him.

This year, you also participated at the Opinion Festival in Paide Town in central Estonia(pop. 10,000). .

Yes, I went to the one the previous year and this year I led a panel discussion on 13 August, 2022 entitled ‘Moving towards a more inclusive society’. It felt like it was all very nice, people having intelligent conversations about things, but I had this feeling, ‘what is actually going to change?’, ‘will there be any difference?’.

What would be the place in Estonia you would suggest people to visit?

I have an interest in museums and archives because of my previous work at the British Library in the UK. My favourite place in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). is VABAMU – the Museum of Occupations and Freedom. I love that place! One reason is because it’s where I was first met my wife. Secondly, I have visited it and it is beautifully curated with some lovely, clever and engaging exhibits. It was so human, it explained the humanity of people living in Estonia, fighting for their freedom. It tells the story beautifully, it is very moving and ‘people centred’ many museums are not like this one. I also like KUMU in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). , they have some fantastic and thought provoking exhibitions.

Outside of Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). I would say probably a place where many people wouldn’t go is to the National Archives in Tartu City in the west of Estonia (pop. 91,000). – Noora building. I was very lucky to visit it and see the archives in there. There is a lot of history there waiting to be discovered. They have some interesting KGB files there, of people who were arrested and imprisoned and sent to Siberia. Some of the reasons why they were there are trivial and quite shocking. 

Also, I would say: the National Museum (ERM) in Tartu City in the west of Estonia (pop. 91,000). is incredible. The building itself is just mind-blowing, visually, one of the most stunning buildings I have seen in my life. One thing I recommend: if you go and visit it, try to plan a couple of days because there is so much to see.
 

Richard, how long have you been in Estonia?

I have been here three years. We came to visit first for Laulupidu Estonian Song Festival (song festival) and then we moved here in October. It was surprisingly easy. My partner is Estonian, but we met in New Zealand. I moved to Europe for work at the same time when she was returning to Estonia. We originally planned to stay in England. I had a job at the time in London and we set up and tried to build a life in London and I kept finding a lot of challenges with visas, also many expenses. We came to Estonia just for a week, for Laulupidu Estonian Song Festival , for that experience. 
The week when we came, in the height of July, it was beautiful and sunny. I fell in love with the place, Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). . Out of curiosity we looked into how hard it would be to get a visa, and the process was so simple. It made a huge difference to me because it made me feel like this was a country that wanted me to visit it, as opposed to a country that wanted to put barriers up to make it very hard for you to move there. So, my first experience was so very positive. I got myself a D-visa, and we moved here, and we never looked back.

How about getting used to everyday life in Estonia?

I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t know too much about Estonia, in Australia I had never met an Estonian person in my life until I met my partner. I knew a little bit about the country, obviously, the history and geographic location, but I didn’t know too much. I was most concerned about winter. Basically, someone very early on told me that November is really tough, so when we moved here, I didn’t promise to live here for years, I promised to live here for one November, I’ll have a look at it, and I’ll say how I feel about it. Yes, winter is long and tough, and it is the biggest difference from Australia. But what I love about Estonia is that you get to live four seasons that are very different. In Australia we have a great summer, but then the winter might still be 15-20 degrees. There is no sense that spring is something radically different whereas in Estonia you get to October and October is almost a magic month. You go to places like Viljandi Town in southern Estonia (pop.17,000). and you see the leaves start to change, the whole landscape changes and what I love the most about living in Estonia is that we have parks here we love to visit. You could go to Kalamaja Park in winter, and it is unrecognisable to Kalamaja Park in October or Kalamaja Park in the height of summer. So, I love the fact that you get the four seasons’ experience, that feels very special. That links to the sense that life has cycles and changes. I feel more connected to nature in a place like Estonia.

Was it easy to find a job here?

It was not too hard. I don’t speak Estonian, I came freelancing for workplaces in Australia and the UK, so when I first moved here, I didn’t need a job. But I decided I wanted to get a job to be more connected to not only the society but also to help with my security in terms of residency and things like that. But it meant that I was limited to only looking for places where I can speak English. I think because the tech sector and the start-up sector in particular are booming so much in Estonia, we are doing so well, that big companies like Wise Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a London-based financial technology company founded by Estonian businessmen Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus. , Bolt Bolt is an Estonian mobility company that offers vehicle for hire, micromobility, car-sharing, and food delivery services. and Starship, all these companies expanded rapidly and I think there are lots of opportunities, especially if you have a data or engineering background. It is amazing!

What background do you have?

My background is more in communications, so my job that I have now is for a start-up called Salv. We build anti-money laundering technology, it’s amazing, important work. My first job with this company was copywriter. I came here as an English language writer, and I progressed to be head of research. But before that I worked with Wise Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a London-based financial technology company founded by Estonian businessmen Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus. as an anti-fraud agent. So, I found it, I don’t want to say easy in a way, you know, it sounds arrogant, but it’s quite possible to find jobs here if you have English language skills or if you have specialist skills.

You have also worked for newspapers, like Guardian in Australia, writing news about Europe.

I spent ten years as a journalist, originally as a television journalist, and then I moved over to print. When I came to Europe, I had an opportunity to write some European news wraps mainly based on the time zones, because in Australia if somebody had to do this shift it would be 3 am till 6 am. It would not be a pleasant shift. So, I was over here, and I used the time zones to write some summaries of big stories coming out of Europe or sometimes the United States. When Australia woke up they had a morning news digest put together. It was a lot of fun as a job because it kept you across politics, big news developments, but also sports, culture and so on. It also made me first wonder what the stories from Estonia were that the Guardian would be interested in.

And what were these stories?

Actually, there were quite a few big Estonian stories that I didn’t know about, such as the MS Estonia MS Estonia  was a cruiseferry built in 1980 at the West German shipyard Meyer Werft in Papenburg. disaster but obviously it was a big international story that was picked up. The focus on Estonia has become more keen in the international audience because of the context of what's happening in Ukraine. There was a very nice feature in the Guardian a few weeks ago about the Russian community here in Narva City in the NE of Estonia (pop.54,000). , Ida-Virumaa and the challenges facing Estonian-born Russians, being caught between this conflict. But more generally just some very nice stories about the women of Kihnu – the ancient singers and traditional folklore. That has been covered a lot in the Guardian. I think that there is a lot of interest about Baltic crafts and skills, but also about the business, technology sector, interesting start-ups and digital Estonia.

For you, what would be the most memorable thing connected with Estonia?

When we first came to Estonia, my partner told me that there is a beautiful museum close to Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). about a very famous Estonian composer. I had heard the music a little bit, but I didn’t know much about it. It was a very quiet day in October, the autumn was just starting, a lot of museums were going to close, when we went to the Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. Centre. It is a beautiful building, a really special experience, you put the audio guide on, and you are transposed by this beautiful music in your ears. As we walked around the centre, it seemed to be only us that day. We only saw one person, this old man, walking around the centre. And then I felt my partner grab my arm a bit tight. I kept walking on and then about five minutes later we passed the same old man and when we went to see a video and I learned the story about Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. , I’d realised we had already seen Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. . The old man was Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt is an Estonian composer of contemporary classical music. ! And he was the only other person in the centre that day. That felt very, very special. Can you imagine, you go to this museum to meet one of the world’s most important, influential musicians. He was still minding his own business and gave us a gentle nod. That was it! It was a nice feeling.

What other interesting things have you discovered while living here?

It feels a bit nerdy, but I lived in Germany for some time, and I learned about the Hanseatic Trade League – this big trade empire that started at the 13th century and I didn’t really think about it, until I realised when I moved here that Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). is Reval. Then I realised Reval was quite an important town in this Hanseatic Trade League. So when I came to Estonia I thought yes there will be history and culture but I didn’t really know too much about it. But when you go to Haapsalu Town in the west of Estonia(pop.10,000). (Hapsal), there is this beautiful castle from the 14th century, you go to Viljandi Town in southern Estonia (pop.17,000). (Fellin), there is this beautiful castle. Tartu City in the west of Estonia (pop. 91,000). or Dorpat – when you go to Tartu City in the west of Estonia (pop. 91,000). and learn the rich history and importance of that town. That type of culture and history just blows me away! I found it so fascinating and interesting that these central towns in Estonia, not just in the modern context, but for almost a thousand years have been key trade centres. So, history is something that I am very interested in.

Usually, most foreigners prize the Estonian nature.

I think that nature here is quite beautiful. We’ve been to places like Lahemaa, Lihula Small town in west of Estonia. , Karula national park. For example, as an Australian, you would never imagine elk or moose, or you would never think there could be bears in these woods. We stayed in an Airbnb in Valgamaa for Christmas and the host showed us the video he had captured on the security camera. And there was a lynx, just walking out of the forest, straight past the house. I certainly never thought I would see a lynx in the wild. That was very beautiful. During the same trip at Christmas, I learned a lot about Sauna culture. This isn’t something we do in Australia where due to the temperature every day is pretty much already a sauna. The idea of the intimacy and close experience you have in the sauna with a few good friends, maybe with some beers and I love the idea of jumping into the water, you know 0 degrees, -5, or whatever it is. Out of the sauna, jump in, then back to the sauna very quickly. I think I spent 25 seconds in the water. But again, that’s the cultural experience which is completely different to Australia.

Do you miss anything from Australia here?

I would say beaches. I miss beaches with proper surf. I went to Võsu rand and it is a beautiful beach, but you walk maybe a kilometre and the water is still up to your knees. So, I miss beaches, and I miss the diversity of fauna. In Australia we have kangaroos, we have wombats, many beautiful animals. Also, lots of animals which are trying to kill you but that’s a different topic. Maybe that diversity of nature I miss. But in honesty, when it comes to lifestyle, I don’t miss much because Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). is a modern city where you have a high quality of life. 

We had to make a decision, because we had a child recently, where do you want your child to be born – in Australia or in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). , Estonia. We chose here because of things like free public transport for residents, it being a very central city where you get around everywhere in ten minutes, knowing that everything works – buses are reliable and the public amenities are very good here – the medical support, the digital structure. In Australia I can’t go to the doctors and then check my own results a day later on a portal. There you wait several weeks and then you have to ring the surgery, maybe they can tell you, and if they can’t tell you, you have to go in for another appointment just to get your results, but it’s quite expensive. There are many things Estonia gets right and that makes it a convenient and enjoyable place to live.

Can you remember anything funny while adapting here, or some experience you would like to share?

I think there are a lot of funny things which have come up around language. Obviously, when you are learning a new language, it can be quite challenging. Apart from the fact that I’ve lived here three years, I still can’t say certain words. My partner and her mother and grandmother are still trying to teach me to say hall (‘grey’), but I can’t say it right. I have had moments in restaurants where I try to speak Estonian. I tried to order lohe one time. They said that we don’t serve lohe (‘dragon’), but we serve lõhe (‘salmon’). I had also problems with moonirull. The difference with köögi (‘kitchen’) and koogi (’cake’). I walked into a restaurant once and asked: Kas teil on kööki? ('Do you have a kitchen?') And they looked at me, quite uncertain. Also, little things like driving on the left vs driving on the right can be confusing.

It is perhaps more of a political conversation, but I am interested about the changing nature of Estonia, in terms of what the tech sector and the younger generation can enjoy compared with the older generation. 

There are many people in Estonia who have been living here for years and do not know anything about the local politics.

It is one thing that interests me because I work in a start-up, I work in the tech sector. One thing that really struck me when I moved here  is that there is such optimism about the country here. In Australia we have historical issues that we’ve not come to terms with. In Estonia you go to Laulupidu Estonian Song Festival and see all the flags and you see this great spirit of nationalism, a really positive manifestation of it. I’ve been inspired by the optimism of Estonian companies that think we’re going to solve big problems, we’re going to fix it, and then suddenly they become massive global enterprises – like Wise Wise (formerly TransferWise) is a London-based financial technology company founded by Estonian businessmen Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus. and Bolt Bolt is an Estonian mobility company that offers vehicle for hire, micromobility, car-sharing, and food delivery services. . And that optimism and attitude of “we can do this” is so motivating, compared to the UK, Australia, and the US perhaps, where sometimes you are more caught up in the negativity of what your country can’t do, or what you, as an individual in that country can’t do. One thing that worries me about Estonia though is the generational gap. Once there is the younger generation that can earn good money in start-ups and tech sector, you can go to Balti jaama turg and buy 8–9-euro hamburgers and things like that, there is also a generation that might be on Soviet era pensions and the rise in the cost of living may exclude them from certain activities. I think it is a bigger concern and hopefully Estonia can reconcile this. Fast expansion and growth while also making sure that all of its citizens can come along and continue to maintain a high-quality life. Because if you look at places like the UK which have become more unequal, a lot of nasty things have started to come out, like opposition to foreigners or hostility to expats from overseas. I don’t want to see that in Estonia, because there is so much opportunity for so many people here.