Estonian culture — song festival, digital state, Finno-Ugric heritage. Nature culture, sauna, forest.
Language
Estonian — Finno-Ugric language, 14 cases. Close to Finnish. Russian (25% of inhabitants). English widespread.
Song Festival
Estonian Song Festival (since 1869) — UNESCO. 30,000 singers, 100,000 spectators. Singing Revolution 1988-1991 articulated independence.
Literature and Music
A.H. Tammsaare — Truth and Justice. Arvo Pärt — world-famous composer, minimalism, tintinnabuli. Veljo Tormis — choral music.
Digital Society
99% services online. e-Residency, e-voting, X-Road. Skype created in Estonia 2003. World digital state #1.
Cuisine
Verivorst (blood sausage), mulgipuder (potato and barley porridge), sauerkraut, kohuke (curd snack). Kringle, berry pies. Vana Tallinn (liqueur), Saaremaa beer.
Sauna
Smoke sauna — UNESCO. Sauna is sacred place. Every Estonian must know how to behave in sauna. In winter ice holes after sauna.
Modern Culture
Tallinn — UNESCO old town. Pärnu — summer capital. Tartu — European Capital of Culture 2024. Estonian films — Risto Nõmm, Veiko Õunpuu.