Eesti Instituut
The Eesti Instituut (also: Estonian Institute , German: Estonisches Institut ) is the non-governmental and not-for-profit cultural institute in Estonia .
Goal setting
The institute was founded in 1989 as a kind of shadow foreign ministry of the Estonian independence movement by Lennart Meri , who later became the first foreign minister and later the first president of the again independent Estonia.
Its tasks include disseminating information about Estonian society, culture and education at home and abroad, introducing Estonia's culture to other countries and cultivating cultural relationships with them, and teaching the Estonian language and culture-related content at foreign universities to promote. The institute is supported in these tasks by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its funds come mainly from the state budget, but publications are financed from various, mostly public, sources.
The institute is based on the long-established cultural institutes of other countries such as the British Council , the Goethe Institute and Scandinavian models.
activities
The institute is currently concentrating on cultural mediation activities. It publishes brochures, organizes cultural events and maintains websites, including the online encyclopedia Estonica and an events calendar. The institute organizes conferences, festivals, exhibitions and seminars on the culture of Estonia, answers questions related to Estonia and looks after translators, journalists, researchers, writers and lecturers. Abroad, it works closely with its country's diplomatic missions.
Publications
- Annual calendar of major cultural events in Estonia
- Assorted color publications reflecting Estonian life
- Estonian Art (every six months)
- Estonian Culture (every six months)
- Estonian Literary Magazine (every six months)
- Facts About Estonia
Branches
The institute has subsidiary offices in Helsinki (since 1995) and Budapest (since 1998). There used to be branches in Stockholm (1999–2011) and Paris (2001–2009). The main office is in Tallinn .
Web links
- Official website (English, Estonian)