Tallinn event revisits Estonia and Finland’s shared television history
Wednesday 28th October 2026 on 11:15 in
Estonia
Estonia and Finland’s shared television history will take centre stage at an event in Tallinn on October 29, including a revival of the quiz show Naapurivisa, ERR reports. The programme marks the centenary of broadcasting in both countries and the show’s 60th anniversary, and will be livestreamed on ERR’s culture portal.
The event at the Tallinn TV Tower will bring together cultural figures, journalists and media experts from Estonia and Finland to discuss the influence of Finnish television on Estonian society and the role of broadcasting past, present and future.
During the Soviet era, Finnish television brought Estonian viewers news, music, films, advertising and glimpses of life beyond the Iron Curtain. The event, titled “Foreign Soviet Era,” will look back at how this shaped generations’ worldviews and cultural preferences, and consider its impact on relations between the two neighbours.
The programme will open with remarks from Hannele Valkeeniemi, head of the Finnish Institute, and Kertu Saks, a member of the Tallinn TV Tower’s management board. Finland’s ambassador to Estonia, Hannu Heinonen, will also give a welcome address. Speakers include documentary filmmaker and producer Kiur Aarma, film director Jaak Kilmi, ERR board chairman Erik Roose, Yle strategy director Mika Rahkonen, journalist and communications expert Raul Rebane, and Tallinn University associate professor of media policy Andres Jõesaar. Saks will moderate the discussions.
A highlight will be a recreation of Naapurivisa, which first appeared on television in Estonia and Finland in 1966. The restaurant on the tower’s 22nd floor will be turned into a period-style television studio for the competition.
The Estonian team will include presenter and musician Reet Linna, media scholar Andres Jõesaar and Nova youth programme editor Katriin Lepik. Finland will be represented by journalist and former Yle news anchor Matti Rönkä, University of Helsinki student Jenna Karjalainen and Maija Elina Yli-Jokipii, a guest lecturer in Finnish at Tallinn University. Rebane and journalist Marjo Näkki, a media coordinator at the Finnish Embassy, will host.
The teams will speak in their native languages without interpreters, reflecting a feature of the original programme. The event will conclude with a musical performance by Reet Linna and Robert Linna.