✔︎ "Pope: Estonia is a land of memory and fruitfulness."
- Vatican News
(see full list of articles under the heading "The Pope Visits Tallinn")
✔︎ Tallinnas Rannavärava mälestusmärgi juures mälestati täna parvlaeva Estonia hukku, millest möödub 24 aastat.
- Postimees | ERR
✔︎ "A Cossack will take everything that isn't nailed down.”
- Finnish President Sauli Niinistö in Washington
✔︎ The last bunker of the last Forest Brother has been found
- ERR
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- Aleksander Kaasik foto:
- 2014-2018 Archive:
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Friday 28.
September
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- Tallinnas meenutati parvlaeva Estonia hukku
(Postimees | ERR)
"Parvlaev Estonia uppus 28. septembril 1994. aastal sõites Tallinnast Stockholmi 989 inimesega pardal. Õnnetuses hukkus 852 inimest."
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- MS Estonia sinking (28. Sept. 1994) remembered in Tallinn
(ERR)
- Cultural autonomy for Russian community would separate East-Viru county
(Baltic Times)
"The idea to give cultural autonomy to the Russian-speaking community of Estonia, floated by MEP Yana Toom from the ruling Center Party, would lead to the separation of East-Viru county from the rest of Estonia and cannot be supported," opposition Reform Party MP Kristen Michal said on Thursday. "The Center Party's habit of saying different things in different languages is a pattern of behavior of the time of [Edgar] Savisaar, also today's message was given by Toom in Russian."
- Russian cultural autonomy needs serious consideration, says Yana Toom
(ERR)
“… cultural autonomy means nothing less than the separation, and certainly isolation, of Ida-Viru County, a region with, at nearly 75% of its population, in fact a majority of Russian speakers."
- Eesti saab uue ID-kaardi
(Postimees)
"Kaardil on mitmeid uusi turvaelemente. Näiteks on kaardil peal kood, mis võimaldab politsei andmebaasist tuvastada, kas kaart on ka tegelikult kasutuses. 'Kõige suurem muudatus on välimuse osas see, et ID-kaardile tuleb nüüd värviline foto nagu passidelgi. Ühtlasi on see turvaelement,' ütles Sau. Kaardil on ka läbipaistev aken ning silmale nähtamatu sekundaarne foto, mis tuleb ilmsiks vaid teatud nurga alt vaadates.”
- Contactless ID-cards to arrive in near future
(Postimees)
“… the cards have a new chip that allows contactless use in the future, once service providers start offering corresponding solutions – validating public transport trips for example. The new chip will retain the traditional interface and can still be used in ID-card readers."
- Estonia sues Gemalto over ID card flaws
(Reuters)
"The vulnerabilities to hacker attacks found in government-issued ID cards supplied by the Franco-Dutch company marked an embarrassing setback for Estonia, which has billed itself as the world’s most digitalised e-government."
"Gemalto, the previous producer of Estonia's ID cards, has called the Police and Border Guard Board's (PPA) decision to take the company to court unfortunate, and asserted that the PPA's €152 million claim is disproportionate in size.”
- Finnish President Sauli Niinistö in Washington at Brookings Institute
(Yle)
“… Niinistö was asked by a representative of the American military how to proceed when dealing with Russia. The Finnish President reportedly replied that the Finns have an old saying, "A Cossack will take everything that isn't nailed down", so the best course of action is to get things in order and secure them.”
- Niinistö kutsus USA-d üles naasma Euroopa liitlaseks
(ERR)
"Niinistö sõnul on ta teadlik sellest, et USA administratsioonis pole eriti hästi suhtutud Euroopa kaitsekoostöö aktiviseerumisse. President aga rõhutas, et Euroopa kaitsekoostöö eesmärgiks pole kuidagi NATO-t õõnestada."
- Estonia ranks first in the world in the national cyber security index (NCSI)
(Estonian World)
[The NCSI is located in Tallinn, Estonia: https://ncsi.ega.ee ]
- Fancy Bear, the Russian Election Hackers, Have a Nasty New Weapon
(The Daily Beast | others)
"Russia’s GRU has secretly developed and deployed new malware that’s virtually impossible to eradicate, capable of surviving a complete wipe of a target computer’s hard drive, and allows the Kremlin’s hackers to return again and again."
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- Moscow Officials Currently Preparing for Anschluss of Belarus
(Window on Eurasia)
"Moscow’s demand that Minsk agree to the opening of a Russian base in Belarus in order to continue receiving economic assistance (openmedia.io/kakix-ustupok-putin-trebuet-ot-lukashenko/) is an indication that Russian officials are now actively planning for the Anschluss of Belarus, Vikor Larionov says."
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Thursday 27.
September
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- Answering the Call of the Bonfire: Estonia’s Poetics of Endangered Species
(Deep Baltic)
"Today, Ancient Bonfire Night is meant to warn us that the entire Baltic Sea ecosystem is in danger and under attack. And this time around, we are the very people threatening our sea. We are the 15 million who live along the Baltic’s shore in eight European Union member states as well as in neighboring Russia. And we are the 85 plus million people who live within the Baltic Sea’s drainage basin. The bonfires burn once a year to remind us that we are the problem – and that we may hold possible solutions. …”
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"Everyone should be worried that the Baltic Sea – the world’s youngest sea, which finally emerged from the last Ice Age about 10 to 15,000 years ago – may be the next sea that we degrade to such a point that we end up killing it dead."
- Teet Daaniel ujus esimese eestlasena üle La Manche'i väina
(Postimees)
"Teet Daanielist sai esimene eestlane, kes üle La Manche'i väina ujunud on. Läbitud distantsiks ligi 34 kilomeetrit."
- Estonia buys embassy building in Ottawa
(ERR)
"Sitting on a property of 611 sq m, the 309 sq m building cost €868,000. The building, which until now had been used as a residential building, was purchased in February. The building was built in 1875 and renovated in 1982, when an addition was also built during renovations. … until now had been used for residential purposes, is currently in average condition and during renovation will be built into a representative and office building in accordance with the needs of the embassy."
- Õigus või õiglus - maatüli laheneb jõumeetodil
(Lõuna Leht)
"Kuigi Eesti vabariigi esimesest ajast pärit kaardil on naabertalude vahel väga lihtne piir - sirglõik -, on piirivaidlus ometi kestnud juba 28 aastat."
- Estonia strengthening defense cooperation with UK in Baltic region
(Baltic Times)
- Maryland, Estonia’s historic connection grounded in security relationship
(WTOP - Washington DC)
"Jonatan Vseviov, Estonia’s ambassador to the U.S., tells WTOP national security correspondent J.J. Green that the relationship is anchored by security as well."
- Estonia is making it easy for people to get 'e-residency,' and it’s offsetting a dangerous demographic time bomb
(Business Insider)
- Ukrainian warships break Russian de-facto blockade in Azov Sea to create naval base
(Euromaidan)
"Ukraine is going to create a naval base in the Sea of Azov amid tensions with Russia in the region. On 23 September the Ukrainian Navy deployed two naval auxiliary vessels to the Sea of Azov. The event could have been routine if only the Kerch Strait, the only sea passage to the Azov Sea, had not been occupied by Russia since spring 2014 … Ukrainian naval expert Taras Chmut believes the Russian navy most likely didn’t expect Ukraine’s ships to risk passing through the Kerch Strait. “We seized the initiative,” Chmut said. “For the first time, we didn’t just react to the Russians’ steps, but started to set our own game rules.”
- Arrival of Two Ukrainian Naval Vessels in Sea of Azov Effort to Change Its Status
(Window on Eurasia)
“… if Kyiv does organize a naval base on the shores of the Sea of Azov rather than simply announcing that it intends to do so, that will be “a quite strong move” and will give additional weight to the Ukrainian view that the Sea of Azov must be viewed as international waters."
- Ukraine and Russia Take Their Conflict to the Sea
(Stratfor Worldview)
"Russia is stronger than Ukraine on the sea, but robust U.S. support for Kiev could alter the situation in the area."
- Whistleblower at Danske Bank was firm's Baltics trading head
(The Guardian)
"Howard Wilkinson headed the bank’s Danske Markets trading unit in the Baltics from 2007 to 2014 and confirmed his role in an email to Danish newspaper Berlingske, after he was named by Estonian media. Berlingske has published a series of revelations in the developing Danske Bank scandal, which may prove to be the largest money-laundering operation in history."
- Danske Banki skandaali nn vilepuhuja tahab Eesti ja Taani võimudelt kaitset
(ERR)
- Danske: anatomy of a money laundering scandal
(Financial Times - paywall)
- Dark Money Is Making Waves Across the Free Market
(CEPA)
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Wednesday 26.
September
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- Metsavendluse uurijad teatasid August Sabbe viimase punkri avastamisest
(ERR)
"Metsavendust uuriva rühma liikmed avastasid tänavu Kagu-Eestist punkri, mis tõenäoliselt on Eesti viimaseks metsavennaks peetava August Sabbe viimane punker."
- The last bunker of the last Forest Brother found
(ERR)
"Members of a group studying the history of the anti-Soviet resistance movement of the Forest Brothers have apparently found the remains of a bunker in Southeast Estonia they believe to have been the last hiding place of August Sabbe who was the last known surviving Forest Brother. Sabbe died in 1978."
- Kindral Terras: Venemaa üheks strateegiliseks eesmärgiks on NATO ühtsuse mõrastamine
(Postimees)
"Tallinnas peetud Balti riikide julgeolekukonverentsil esinenud kaitseväe juhataja kindral Riho Terras ütles, et Venemaa strateegiline eesmärk on nii oma relvajõudude moderniseerimise kui ka NATO nõrgestamise läbi alliansi ühtsuse mõrastamine."
- Why Did Moscow Deport Pskov Residents from Near Baltic Borders in 1950?
by Paul Goble
(Window on Eurasia)
"Between 1944 and 1952, Moscow deported some 200,000 Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians to break the back of the Baltic resistance to the Soviet occupation of their countries. But in addition, the Soviet authorities deported a significant number of people from neighboring Pskov Oblast in the RSFSR. … On December 25, 1949, the USSR Council of Ministers ordered the expulsion of a variety of categories of people from the western regions of Pskov Oblast. Most of just over 1500 people from these areas expelled were peasants but some lower-ranking officials appear to have been swept up as well. They were dispatched to Krasnoyarsk Kray east of the Urals."
- European Language Day
(Euronews)
"As many as 65% of European citizens between the ages of 25 and 64 speak at least one foreign language, according to data published on the occasion of the European Day of Languages on Wednesday."
--
"The same Eurostat report, based on data from 2016, found the highest language proficiency in Sweden (97% of citizens speak at least one foreign language), Latvia, Denmark and Lithuania (96%), Luxembourg (95%), Finland and Malta (92% ) and Estonia (91%)."
- Learning a foreign language is a ‘must’ in Europe
(Pew Research)
“… the U.S. does not have a national requirement for students to learn a foreign language in school, the typical European pupil must study multiple languages in the classroom before becoming a teen. Studying a second foreign language for at least one year is compulsory in more than 20 European countries."
- Bio: Fiona Hill, Trump's top expert on Russia
(Yahoo)
"For nearly two decades, Hill has followed Putin’s trajectory, from the glum apparatchik presiding over the chaotic post-Yeltsin years to the modern-day czar who flouts international law and is suspected of hiding tens of billions of dollars in personal wealth abroad. That has earned her a top position in a White House split between those who admire the Kremlin and those who fear it. Between them stands a coal miner’s daughter, trying to negotiate a path both factions can countenance."
--
"Trump has bestowed considerable authority on a woman who has none of the usual markers of influence in the Trump administration. Hill is not a billionaire, nor a Fox News regular. She does not golf or tweet. In a city of partisanship and self-promotion, Hill eschews both. People who’ve known her for years profess not to know her political affiliation.”
—
"Hill is not a Russia “hawk,” a term that suggests a desire for war, but “a realist,” one who “doesn’t want to be duped by the Russians,” (a) former official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order not to jeopardize past or present professional affiliations. Hill, whom the NSC declined to make available for an interview, is also unlikely to be rattled by Trump’s tweets, or by the baroque shows of disloyalty that regularly emanate from the White House. “Her job is not to keep up with the craziness of D.C.,” the former official said. That may be why Hill has kept her job, even as many around her have lost theirs. …"
- German WWII wreck poses threat of eco-disaster in Baltic Sea off Poland
(DW)
"Experts say a German tanker that sank in the Baltic Sea at the end of World War II will sooner or later cause an environmental catastrophe. But getting authorities to take action is proving difficult."
- A Europeanized Nato? The Alliance Contemplates the Trump Era and Beyond
(War on the Rocks)
“… NATO is actually witnessing a return of European geopolitics that runs in parallel to the questioning of geopolitical priorities occurring in the United States. European allies clearly prefer continuity when it comes to NATO, but are also coming to realize that as power shifts, so too must institutions. If the big shift comes and the United States leaves NATO, Western Europe may scrape by, but Eastern Europe will pay the price with the loss of sovereignty. Averting this major shift requires a stronger Europe within NATO, not only in terms of budgets but also political influence. Yet it is not clear that the Atlantic allies are ready to recast their bargain and stick to it."
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The Pope
Visits Tallinn
_____________
- Pope: Estonia a land of memory and fruitfulness
(Vatican News)
"In his meeting with state and civil authorities and members of the Diplomatic Corps on Tuesday, Pope Francis recalled how that for centuries Estonia was known as “the Land of Mary”. He remarked, that it is a name that is not simply part of the country’s history, but also part of its’ culture. Thinking of Mary and Estonia, the Pope continued, “reminds me of two words: memory and fruitfulness.”
--
“To be a land of memory, explained Pope Francis, is to keep remembering that what you have attained today is due to the efforts, the hard work, the spirit and the faith of your predecessors.”
--
The Pontiff noted the suffering and tribulation that the people had to endure at different times in history. “Struggles for a freedom and independence that was constantly disputed or threatened”, he said. Nonetheless, he added, “in the last twenty-five years or so, since you once again took your proper place in the family of nations, Estonian society has taken “giant steps” forward” in the fields of innovation, press freedom, democracy and political freedom."
--
 |
| Vatican Media via Reuters |
- Pope Warns Estonians Of 'Existential Ennui'
(RFERL)
“… 'existential ennui' can set in when societies lose their cultural roots and put their faith in technological progress alone. In his September 25 speech in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, the pope also praised the country’s social and economic transformation since the five decades of Soviet occupation ended."
"Pope to Estonian Authorities: Blaze New Trails for Future Generations, You Can Always Count on Catholic Church’s Support.”
- Paavsti missa tõi Vabaduse väljakule üle 10,000 inimese
(Postimees | ERR | Delfi | Vatican News)
"Teie olete oma ajalooga näidanud, et tunnete uhkust olla eestlased. Te lausa laulate sellest sõnadega "eestlane olen ja eestlaseks jään" ning et "see on uhke ja hää". Kui ilus on seda ühe rahva suust kuulda! Kui ilus on olla vaba ja iseseisev! Mingem siis koos pühale mäele, Moosese mäele, Jeesuse mäele, ja palugem teda – nii nagu ütleb ka selle külaskäigu moto –, et ta ärataks üles meie südamed, et ta annaks meile Püha Vaimu anni, et tunda oma ajaloo igal hetkel ära, kuidas olla vabad, kuidas saada osa headusest ja olla pühad; kuidas võimaldada Jumalal lasta kasvada – siin Eestis ja kogu maailmas – oma pühal rahval, oma preestrite rahval," lõpetas Franciscus oma pöördumise."
—
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"Pope Francis on Tuesday concluded his September 22 to 25 pastoral visit to the Baltic nations celebrating an evening Mass in Freedom Square in the Estonian capital Tallinn."
"Estonians remember Marian roots, look to Pope’s visit.”
"In the culmination of his one-day visit to Estonia, Pope Francis, the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church, celebrated Holy Mass in Tallinn's Freedom Square. Over 10,000 attended.”
- Pope says he understands danger to Baltics, pledges support
(Delfi-Lithuania)
"I am perfectly aware that the three Baltic states are always in danger. Always. The fear of invasion, the whole history reminds you of that, and you are right to say that it's not easy to be a bridge, but this game is being played every day, through culture, dialogue, but that's not easy. The duty for all of us is to help you. And not just help but be close to you, be close through one's heart," the pope said."
- Pope Francis visits tech hub of Europe and gets an Estonian digital ID card
(EFE - Spain)
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"Pope Francis becomes the 37,647th e-resident of Estonia."
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- Paavsti lugu ilma paavstita ehk suurürituse telgitagused
Robert Kõrvits
(Radar | Postimees)
"Kolm nädalat enne paavsti Eestisse tulekut hakkas «Radar» kaameraga jälgima inimesi, kes seotud aasta tähtsaima väliskülalise Eesti visiidiga.”
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[A 'behind the scenes’ look at the preparations that were made for the Pope’s visit.]
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Monday 24.
September
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- Interview: Yulia Tymoshenko
(Washington Post)
"We cannot accept peace on Putin’s terms.” - Former prime minister of Ukraine
- Putin’s invasion has backfired as the people of Ukraine push back against anything Russian
(Miami Herald)
"Slowly, the never-ending conflict is altering attitudes here, leading to what a perceptive Atlantic Council report has called “the geopolitical divorce of the century”: the separation of two countries that have been part of the same empire for centuries. Trade between Ukraine and Russia, whose economies have been intertwined since the Middle Ages, has plunged, replaced in Ukraine by trade with Europe and the rest of the world. India, not Russia, is now the largest buyer of Ukrainian food. Ancient religious links between the two countries are dying, too: The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has now formally split from Moscow. Even personal ties are fading: With travel now limited by bans on direct flights between the two countries, Ukrainians are less likely to live and work in Russia, and more likely to go to Poland instead. …"
- Resolving Ukraine’s Orthodox Church Crisis
(Carnegie Moscow)
"The history of relations between the Moscow and Kyiv churches in many ways resembles relations between the countries themselves. If Kyiv was, to quote the ancient Russian chronicles, “the mother of Russian cities,” then the Kyiv metropolitan was Russia’s most senior bishop."
- Why Ukraine is breaking from Russia’s Orthodox Church
(Open Democracy)
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Russia
“Trust No One"
_____________
- Beijing Commentators Not Impressed by Russia’s Vostok-2018 Exercise
(Window on Eurasia)
"Numerous Chinese state media outlets including even CCTV devoted attention to the fact that their Russian colleagues in the course of the exercise used exactly the same tactics that Soviet commanders had used 37 years ago, an indication that Russian operational art has not advanced since then."
- Russia's protest spirit breaks as pension law passes
(DW)
"The streets around the State Duma building in the center of Moscow may have been quiet, but the vote taking place inside has shaken up the country for months. On Thursday Russia's lower house of parliament voted to adopt a third and final reading of a pension bill that will gradually raise the retirement age by five years to 60 for women and 65 for men."
- All roads lead to Moscow
by Vijai Maheshwari
(Politico-Europe)
"The Russian capital is becoming more European, even as the Kremlin’s foreign policy isolates it from the rest of the civilized world.”
—
"Under Moscow’s popular Mayor Sergey Sobyanin — who was reelected to a second term this September — billions have spent on “Europeanizing” Russia’s forbidding capital. Roads have been narrowed to create wider pavements; there are new parks, bike lanes, city bikes for rent on almost every street corner. There are beanbags and benches outside many shops and museums; craft beer spots and hipster cafes called “Little White” or “Los Angeles” have mushroomed across the city."
--
"The Russian capital, which was grimy and dangerous in the 1990s, looks spotless. It is cleaner and safer than some European capitals. Unlike Ukraine’s capital Kiev, which is mostly white, Moscow’s more like Paris or Berlin, with its fair share of Muslims, Chinese, Indians, Central Asians and other people of color. ..."
- How Programmable Calculators and a Sci-Fi Story Brought Soviet Teens Into the Digital Age
By Ksenia Tatarchenko
(IEEE)
"In the 1980s, the USSR’s unlikely computer-literacy campaign nurtured a generation of techies."
- Film Review: ‘Putin’s Witnesses’
(Various sources)
"An extraordinarily revealing portrait of Vladimir Putin's ascension to power at the turn of the century. … The events of the film begin on December 31, 1999 when Russia was acquainted with its new President Vladimir Putin. The film is based on unique and strictly documentary testimonies of the true causes and consequences of the operation "Successor", as a result of which Russia ended up with the President who still rules the country. The protagonists of the film are Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, Vladimir Putin, and the Russian nation, as always being a silent witness of its own destiny."
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- Propaganda 101: A New Russian Meddling Tactic Hiding in Plain Sight
(New York Times)
"USAReally is based in Moscow and has received funding from the Federal News Agency, a Russian media conglomerate with ties to the Internet Research Agency, the “troll farm” whose employees were indicted by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, for interfering in the 2016 presidential election.”
"Its founder, Alexander Malkevich, is a Russian journalist with little previous experience in American media. Its domain was registered through a Russian company, and its formation was announced in a news release on the Federal News Agency’s website. The project, originally known as “USAReally, Wake Up Americans,” was intended to promote “information and problems that are hushed up by major American publications controlled by the political elite of the United States,” according to the release. Today, USAReally’s website depicts the United States as a democracy in decline, riddled with crime and divided by partisan rancor."
- Russian troll sites infiltrated Donald Trump subreddit as recently as this month
(The Verge)
"In June, the cybersecurity firm FireEye found significant ties between USA Really and Russia’s Internet Research Agency, a notorious troll farm named in a recent Mueller indictment. USA Really is operated out of the same St. Petersburg office as the IRA, and much of the technical work on the website was done by employees of the Federal News Agency, which has been linked to both the IRA and the Kremlin."
- Alexander Malkevich: Russian Troll or Clumsy Publicity Hound?
(Foreign Policy | others)
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