Kick off your shoes, raid the snack drawer — the first Global Estonian newsletter of 2026 has landed, serving big diaspora thinking and enough delicious cultural goodness to keep your evening scrolling justified.
This issue opens with Marin Mõttus, Estonia’s Ambassador at Large for the Diaspora, basically saying sleepy January absolutely is not — the world is shifting fast and Estonia’s more visible on the global stage.
The headlines you will repeat to your friend (and ponder over)
Because Global Estonian always serves a delicious buffet:
- Niina Petrõkina has done it again — she’s retained her European figure skating title. (Remember the Winter Olympics are starting soon!)
- Estonia’s population fell by over 7,000 in 2025 — a stat that sits behind a lot of the “how do we stay connected?” thinking.
- Animal of the Year 2026: hedgehogs (plural!). They’re here with a message: be kind to nature… and also to small spiky introverts.
- Vastlakukkel season is back — which means time for cream buns, pea soup and sleigh rides on snow or grass.
- And for Eurovision-curious readers: all 12 Eesti Laul 2026 songs are up on Jupiter for your annual “I’m just listening casually (obsessively)” phase.
- Film night, anyone? Jupiter has a stack of excellent Estonian films you can watch for free — the perfect excuse to make cream buns and invite friends over. (To use Jupiter abroad, you’ll need a registered account.)
The bits that feel very “Australia, hi”
Here’s where we perk up in our blue-black-white corner of the Southern Hemisphere:
- Preserving Estonian memory in Australia — a video story featuring Maie Barrow and the work of the Estonian Archives in Australia.
- Grants alert: applications for Estonian cultural heritage projects abroad close on 4 February 2026 — Australian Estonian organisations, this is your gentle-but-firm “put it in your calendar” moment.
Dates to circle (before you forget again)
📅 30 January – Estonian Literature Day
📅 17 February – Vastlapäev (Shrove Tuesday)
📅 24 February – Estonian Independence Day
Ready for the full scroll?
Eesti keeles: https://bit.ly/GE-01-2026
In English: https://bit.ly/GE-01-2026-ENG
