Eesti in brief - 2013-04-04

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves wrote on Twitter that he expects Russia to apologize over deportations, Estonia Public Broadcasting reports. “64 years ago today the NKVD tore over 20,000 Estonians from their homes and deported them in cattle cars to Siberia. No one has apologized,” Ilves wrote in Twitter. “Estonia still awaits an apology from those who otherwise claim legal successor status to the USSR,” he added. Estonia this year commemorates the 64th anniversary of the March deportations. On March 25-29, 1949, Soviet occuppying powers deported more than 20,000 Estonians to Siberia.

This year’s festival of Estonian composers, to be held in Tartu in June, will be dedicated to Arvo Part. Part’s works will feature in all the concerts in the event’s main program. In addition the festival, being held from 6-9 June, will offer a Part-themed workshop and film program. Headline acts will be the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Curious Chamber Players of Sweden, and Estonia’s Kuberstuudio and Vox Clamantis with a joint program. The concerts, held in St. John’s Church of Tartu, will present a wide range of contemporary Estonian music including eight premieres, among them new works by Helena Tulve, Andrus Kallastu, Tonu Korvits, and Timo Steiner. Besides the main program, the 12th edition of the festival will feature daytime music recitals, composers’ workshops and a night university.

American ambassador to Estonia Jeff Levine festively opened the first sandwich store of the fast food chain Subway in Estonia, Postimees Online reports. The first venue opened on Estonia Blv. in central Tallinn. Subway is represented in Estonia by OU Footlong, which belongs to Henry Ots and Ats Raigla. Footlong wants to open another store in Tallinn this year and expand to Tartu, Parnu, Narva and other larger Estonian towns in the future.

The Estonian Riigikogu approved the amendments to the medicines law, as a result of which it is now allowed to sell and buy medicines via the Internet in Estonia, Postimees Online reports. The holders of general pharmacy operating permits get the right to operate long-distance sales of medicines for human healthcare as well as veterinary purposes. Both over-the-counter and prescription medicines for humans can be sold long distance, but in case of prescription medicines, the prescription has to be an electronic one and recorded in the prescriptions center. The sale of prescription medicines used for veterinary purposes will be restricted since there is no digital prescription for these medicines.