At the Integration Foundation’s integration awards, the title of Spark of the Year was bestowed upon Einike Sooväli – a woman who, through her heartfelt work, has ignited the flame of integration in many people across Estonia. A significant part of the integration programmes developed at the Estonian Open Air Museum under her leadership is aimed at supporting the adaptation of newly arrived immigrants, helping new residents to better understand Estonian society, language, and culture.

Einike’s work is based on the conviction that the adaptation of newcomers begins with understanding how Estonian society has developed and why the people here behave the way they do. The Estonian Open Air Museum offers a unique environment for this. There, you can learn about Estonian history, everyday life, and customs in a way that is not merely theoretical, but based on direct experience and interaction.

A window into the souls of Estonians

Einike emphasises that it is precisely the knowledge of the historical background that helps newly arrived immigrants understand the everyday communication patterns and attitudes characteristic of Estonians, which may seem incomprehensible or even standoffish to those coming from elsewhere.

‘As our exhibition is very large and includes nearly a hundred houses from different eras, we can recount Estonian history from its beginnings to the present day. And not just talk about it, but also show it. This gives newly arrived immigrants a very strong start, because they begin to understand why Estonians are the way they are: why we don’t smile much, why we are cautious towards strangers at first, and why our relationship with religion is not a very close one,’ she explains.

What’s more, all activities take place in Estonian – with more or less body language – which means that language learning goes hand in hand with acquiring new knowledge.

Stepping out of your comfort zone

According to Einike, one of the most difficult challenges in helping newly arrived immigrants adapt is reaching those who do not consider learning the language and culture necessary and consciously avoid doing so.

Often, this attitude stems from a previous negative experience: the person tried to learn the language but did not see immediate results. ‘Estonian is difficult. Perhaps the course or teacher was not quite right, and people simply gave up. After all, you can actually get by in Estonia without learning the language: if you know Russian or English, you will be fine in everyday life.’

However, Einike urges all new Estonian residents to remember that a real change in a person’s quality of life occurs when they decide to truly contribute to society and begin to understand the Estonian language. ‘Believe me – a whole new world will open up. Life in Estonia is not as boring as it may seem when you spend it sitting at home. There are so many opportunities to do something fun.’

Life is short – welcome everything that is given to you!

Einike knows from her own experience how eye-opening it is to learn about local life in depth when moving to a new country.

‘When you move to another country, take in everything it has to offer. Life is short – no matter which country you end up in, try to gain as much new knowledge and as many new skills as possible. It will enrich you so much and give you invaluable experiences for the rest of your life,’ is her message to those coming from abroad.

Einike believes that it is particularly important for passive learners not to start their adaptation process with difficult language courses. It is much easier and more natural to start by learning about the culture: gradually start watching Estonian-language programmes and listening to the radio, visit language cafés, or participate in cooking and handicraft groups, for example, which also include Estonian members.

‘This way, the language begins to stick, and that way, it becomes easier to start learning it more consciously. First contacts and friends are made. You just have to start somewhere – and that first step does not have to be a giant leap,’ is her advice.

Partners of the Integration Foundation work hard every day to ensure that newly arrived immigrants living in Estonia receive the support they need and feel at home here. In this series of stories, we give them a voice to talk about the joys, challenges, and lessons learned in their work. This time, Janika Hango, CEO of the Tartu Welcome Centre, shares her thoughts and introduces the activities of the centre.

‘If this club met up every day, I would be here every day!’ said one participant at the weekly integration club organised by the Tartu Welcome Centre. This simple, heartfelt statement was the greatest recognition for the centre’s employees, reaffirming that this is a place where new Estonians feel at home.

The Tartu Welcome Centre was established in 2019 in cooperation between the City of Tartu, the University of Tartu, and the Estonian University of Life Sciences. The centre aims to support foreigners during their first weeks and months in Tartu, as well as in their subsequent adaptation and integration. Over the years, the centre has become more than just a place for practical arrangements. It has become a place of support where people can come to share their joys, as well.

‘Our team is united by our belief in what we do. We are fans and patriots of Estonia – we care about how our society functions and what its future will be like. In our work, this does not only mean providing information, but also explaining to newcomers the rules, values, and customs that apply in Estonia in a way that can be understood, followed, and comprehended,’ says Janika Hango, CEO of the Tartu Welcome Centre and Head of Adaptation and Integration for the City of Tartu, explaining the centre’s working principles. ‘We are helping to build a bridge between new people and the local way of life.’

A hub where different worlds meet

In its more than six years of operation, the Tartu Welcome Centre has had contact with people from more than a hundred countries. There are international students, employees, entrepreneurs, family members, and, in recent years, thousands of war refugees, primarily from Ukraine. Questions range from personal identification codes and registration of residence to finding a family physician, children’s education, and opportunities to learn Estonian.

To show where all of these people come from, there is a large world map on the wall of the centre. Red pins indicate the clients’ countries of origin. When a new country is identified, the person themselves can put the pin on the map, if possible.

‘You can get help here’

‘People are often confused about where to start. We help them create clarity and order: where to start, where to go, what to ask. We meet them halfway – sometimes literally, by getting up from our chairs and going to the door when they arrive. This shows that we are there for them,’ Janika points out a small but important nuance.

She recalls that a young woman from India who needed an Estonian personal identification code started crying as soon as she arrived at the centre. She had already been sent from one place to another several times, and the tension caused by helplessness was expressed in tears. ‘We calmed her down, helped her fill out the application, and she received her personal identification code. A week later, she returned with a smile on her face and a fellow Indian in tow, saying, “You can get help here.”’

There are also those special standout moments when clients who have received support from the centre come back later just to share their joy: to show off their puppy or new family member, or to talk about their small but important victory, such as successfully renewing their residence permit in Estonian for the first time.

A personal approach, not just a number

Alongside the joys, everyday work unfortunately also brings along challenges. ‘Sometimes, it is necessary to explain to various parties why our work is important,’ Janika notes.

She emphasises that the provision of service at the centre does not end when the visitor’s question has been answered or a document processed. Clients are assisted in considering what to do next, where to go, and whom to contact. ‘This kind of human, supportive, and consistent contact is exactly what encourages people to return. This is a mindset that we ourselves follow and that should be systematically supported and disseminated,’ she adds.

‘Over the course of six years of operation, more than 12,000 people have visited our centre – a remarkable number, especially considering that we are personally committed to each visitor and our team consists of only three people.’

Cooperation creates opportunities

In addition to its founding members, the daily work of the Tartu Welcome Centre is also supported by cooperation partners. The city of Tartu is a contractual partner of the Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities within the framework of the EU-supported activity ‘Support for local governments in providing integration, including adaptation services’. Thanks to this project, the centre can offer people with a migrant background assistance in obtaining a personal identification code or registering their place of residence, and provide advice on everyday matters.

In cooperation with the Police and Border Guard Board, seminars for migration advisers are held once a month. In addition, Estonian language courses and adaptation seminars as well as language and integration clubs commissioned by the Integration Foundation are organised at the centre.

‘We are consciously moving towards a one-stop-shop solution – so that people have one secure place to turn to and obtain the necessary information,’ says Janika, highlighting the operating principle based on the needs of new arrivals. Our professional ‘superpower’ is combining empathy and systematic thinking. We do not focus solely on a to-do list. We also think about the things that people do not yet know how to ask, but that are really important to them – we provide the next piece of information before people are able to ask for it themselves.’

The article appeared in the newsletter of cooperation partners in the field of adaptation.

It’s 3 AM. Athens is still celebrating New Year’s Eve when, in the early hours of 1 January 2020, Umut Can Ağar— a Turkish-born professional—arrives home after a night spent with friends. He unlocks the door, grabs his suitcase, and heads to the airport. Ahead of him, like a blank page, lies the beginning of a new chapter: moving to Estonia. He knows only where he will start working in a few days’ time. Everything else is yet to be discovered.

Now, six years have passed since Umut turned that blank page and moved to Tallinn. Before relocating to Estonia, he had been living and working in Greece. “Things had become monotonous,” he recalls. “I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to grow. I was looking for opportunities — developing countries, fast-paced countries.”

At first, his eyes were set toward the North “I was just looking at the Nordics, to be honest. And I was like: ‘Okay, Sweden, Finland… Estonia? What’s that?’”

The answer turned out to be far more compelling than he expected. As Umut began researching the country, he discovered a small Baltic state rapidly gaining global attention for its startup ecosystem. The success stories of Wise, Bolt, and other fast-growing tech companies suggested that Estonia—despite its size—could offer room to grow, both professionally and personally.

Looking back, Umut laughs that his decision was almost an experiment in contrast. “In Greece, I had a really lively social life. The weather was amazing. The food was great,” he says. “And I asked myself: ‘Where is the country where they don’t have this?’”

A Leap into the Unknown

An explorer by nature, Umut holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering and brings with him a strong background in voluntary work. Over the years, he had worked as an Erasmus+ project coordinator and with several NGOs in Turkey and Greece. New environments and unfamiliar cultures were not something he feared—they were something he actively sought out.

While still living in Athens, he began applying for jobs in Estonia and eventually received an offer. “My first job here was as a customer support agent,” he says. What followed was a period of rapid growth. “I had the opportunity and I worked to be a Team Lead, then Operations Lead, Site Lead, Head of a Department, and so on.”

From the Loud South to the Quiet North

Umut’s first impression of Estonia was far from a fairy tale. It was January, and the weather was unforgiving. “I really don’t like that type of cold where it’s not properly cold but slushy,” he says. “Sometimes it snows, then it melts. It’s not the nicest weather. And I arrived right in the middle of that.”

But instead of withdrawing, Umut did what felt most natural to him: he put himself out there. During his first year, he actively sought opportunities to meet people and understand the country. “I joined every event I could find: pub crawls, free walking tours—anything you could imagine.”

What surprised him most was the quiet. Compared to Turkey or Greece, Tallinn felt almost surreal. “Sometimes the streets were completely empty,” he says. “I don’t remember ever seeing empty streets before in my life.”

He recalls one evening from his first year in Estonia. He had gone to a small café hosting a live band presenting their new album—with free entry. In Greece, he says, such an event would have meant crowds spilling into the street. “But there were only three tables with people. One was mine. Another had three people. The third had a few people who clearly knew the band personally. I was blown away. There’s a free concert and no crowds? That didn’t make any sense.”

Years later, Umut admits Estonia has changed him. “Now I’m more Estonian,” he says, laughing. “I see a concert and I think: ‘It starts at nine o’clock. It’s in the Old Town. It’s minus six degrees outside. I have work tomorrow…’ I start finding reasons not to go. This is me now.”

Knowing Where and How to Ask

One of the biggest turning points in Umut’s adaptation came through the Settle in Estonia programme and the networks that followed. He completed the A1 Estonian language course and nearly finished A2, but the real impact went beyond language learning.

“At one event, I met someone from the Settle in Estonia team,” he says. “They told me there is this website that I can go and check for further information. From that website I found other websites. There I found different opportunities, different consultations, different everything. It was an eye-opener.”

Umut admits that his Estonian language skills are still not where he would like them to be—enough to order coffee, but not for deeper conversations. However, moving through the language-learning system connected him with professional networks and public services. He describes, for example, particularly positive experiences with the Police and Border Guard Board regarding residence matters, and with the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund while getting career consultations. He also received helpful guidance when exploring the process of founding an NGO.

“They were all really helpful. They explained everything, answered all my questions, and always replied to my emails. Once I got into that professional network, I received exactly the support I needed.”

The key, he says, is knowing how to ask. “In Estonia, people are helpful, but you really need to be specific. If you know what to ask or who to ask, you get amazing support. But if you’re like: ‘Hey, I would like to learn more about this,’ they will just give you a Google link.”

Living Like a True Estonian

For a long time, Umut managed comfortably in English—as many immigrants do. In Estonia, especially among younger generations, this is rarely a barrier. But over time, he realised that English is enough to survive, but not to fully belong.

“If you really want to get the best out of this country, you need to learn the language,” he says. “Not because you need it to do your taxes—everything is digital and easy—but to actually understand the culture and everyday life. Otherwise, it’s just work and home. You’ll get by, but you’ll miss out on a lot.”

Some things that once seemed strange have now become his favourite parts of life in Estonia. Mushroom picking, for example, has turned almost into a ritual. “I love nature and forests,” he says. “It’s therapeutic. You forget your phone, your worries, everything. Especially in September and in October after the rain, you go into the forest and it’s a different climate. The quietness of nature is unbelievable. You just walk and you hear your crunching steps. That’s so beautiful.”

And then there is the sauna.

Umut’s first sauna experience took place deep in the forest, while visiting a ranger during a friend’s documentary project. “There was a wooden house in the middle of nowhere. We ate deer and boar meat. Then the ranger prepared the sauna,” he recalls.

“You sit in an 80–90-degree sauna for ten minutes, then step out into the snow, jump into an icy lake, and look up at a clear, star-filled sky. It felt like a movie scene—incredibly euphoric.”

Looking Ahead

Today, Umut sees his future in Estonia—at least for the coming years. “Professionally, my experience has been really good,” he says. “If you’re curious and proactive, there are opportunities. But if you come here and wait—sorry, no one will come to you.”

Ideally, he hopes to find a role that allows him to stay based in Estonia while travelling regularly—combining movement with the stability he has built in Tallinn.

Umut’s Advice for Starting Fresh in Estonia

1. Be proactive—opportunities don’t always come to you

Reach out, ask questions, and don’t hesitate to contact people directly. Even if you feel unsure or slightly out of place, a simple email or message can open unexpected doors.

2. Be patient and manage your expectations

Things don’t always move at your preferred pace, whether it’s a doctor’s appointment or a reply from someone you’ve contacted. In Estonia, people tend to plan ahead and respect each other’s time. If one option doesn’t work for you, look for another—and don’t let a delay discourage you.

3. Arrive with an open mind and stay curious

Let go of expectations and discover Estonia as it is. Explore beyond the bigger cities, accept the climate and local habits, and allow yourself time to adjust. What feels uncomfortable at first often becomes part of the charm.

4. Always take your vitamin D

Vitamin D (and a hot sauna) help you get through the cold, dark winters.

The Settle in Estonia Programme is a free educational programme provided by the Estonian state which is intended to help the foreigners who have arrived in Estonia to adapt and become accustomed to local life more easily. We offer courses for people who have come to live or study in Estonia and have lived here for less than 5 years. For example, war refugees to whom Estonia offers international or temporary protection, as well as people who have come to Estonia to work or do business here or relocate with their family member. The adaptation program The Settle in Estonia Programme is free for participants. We offer language training and other courses to help you cope with everyday life in Estonia. Read more and register: https://integratsioon.ee/en/kohanemine. The adaptation programme is co-funded by the European Union and the state budget.