Estonian Institute
Encyclopedia
The Estonian Institute is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation aiming to promote Estonia
n culture abroad. The institute was founded in 1989 as a shadow foreign office for the Estonian independence movement by Lennart Meri
, later the first foreign minister and first president of Estonia
after the Soviet occupation
. Current director of the institute is the son of the president, philologist and Finno-Ugric
specialist Mart Meri.
Over the years the Institute has published dozens of information booklets and periodicals about Estonia, compiled web pages, organised festivals, exhibitions, conferences and seminars, received journalists, researchers and lecturers, translators and writers, opened culture and information centres in other countries, granted scholarships, despatched lecturers of Estonian language and culture to universities abroad and supplied the study centres with relevant material.
Presently, the Estonian Institute's main areas of activity are publishing diverse brochures, organising cultural events abroad and maintaining several web sites, which include the online encyclopaedia Estonica and the Estonian cultural events calendar Culture.ee. The Estonian Institute also organises conferences, festivals, exhibitions and seminars about Estonian culture, replies to Estonia-related queries, and receives translators, journalists, researchers, writers, and lecturers.
(since 1995)], Stockholm
(since 1999)]and Budapest
(since 1998)]. The main office is in Tallinn
.
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n culture abroad. The institute was founded in 1989 as a shadow foreign office for the Estonian independence movement by Lennart Meri
Lennart Meri
Lennart Georg Meri was a writer, film director and statesman who served as the second President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001. Meri was a leader of the Estonian independence movement.-Early life:...
, later the first foreign minister and first president of Estonia
President of Estonia
The President of the Republic is the head of state of the Republic of Estonia.Estonia is a parliamentary republic, therefore President is mainly a symbolic figure and holds no executive power. The President has to suspend his membership in any political party for his term in office...
after the Soviet occupation
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Current director of the institute is the son of the president, philologist and Finno-Ugric
Finno-Ugric languages
Finno-Ugric , Finno-Ugrian or Fenno-Ugric is a traditional group of languages in the Uralic language family that comprises the Finno-Permic and Ugric language families....
specialist Mart Meri.
Activities
The task of the Estonian Institute is to spread information about Estonian society and culture in other countries, further cultural and educational links and organise the teaching of Estonian language and culture outside Estonia.Over the years the Institute has published dozens of information booklets and periodicals about Estonia, compiled web pages, organised festivals, exhibitions, conferences and seminars, received journalists, researchers and lecturers, translators and writers, opened culture and information centres in other countries, granted scholarships, despatched lecturers of Estonian language and culture to universities abroad and supplied the study centres with relevant material.
Presently, the Estonian Institute's main areas of activity are publishing diverse brochures, organising cultural events abroad and maintaining several web sites, which include the online encyclopaedia Estonica and the Estonian cultural events calendar Culture.ee. The Estonian Institute also organises conferences, festivals, exhibitions and seminars about Estonian culture, replies to Estonia-related queries, and receives translators, journalists, researchers, writers, and lecturers.
Publications
Locations
The Estonian Institute has offices abroad located in HelsinkiHelsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
(since 1995)], Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
(since 1999)]and Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
(since 1998)]. The main office is in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
.