Honorary Consulate of Ukraine opened near Tartu: support for Ukraine and cooperation between communities

On 26 September 2026, the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine headed by Siim Nellis was officially opened in the village of Vahi, Tartu Rural Municipality. At the invitation of the Ambassador of Ukraine to Estonia Volodymyr Boiechko, Vladimir Palamar, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia, attended the ceremony.

The event brought together representatives of the diplomatic corps, local government, Ukrainian communities and volunteer organisations. Welcome speeches were delivered by Ambassador of Ukraine Volodymyr Boiechko, Mayor of Tartu Urmas Klaas, Mayor of Tartu Rural Municipality Jarno Laur and Erika Ellamaa-Ots, representative of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The national anthems gave the ceremony a special solemnity. Ruslan Trochynskyi played first the Estonian and then the Ukrainian anthem on the trombone, and those present sang along. The calls “Slava Ukraini!” and “Elagu Eesti!” expressed that day the mutual respect and solidarity of our nations.

Honorary Consul Siim Nellis has supported Ukraine for a long time. He leads the project “Saunad Ukrainasse”, whose team helps Ukrainian defenders with field saunas at the front. His new mission opens additional opportunities to support Ukrainians in Southern Estonia and to develop ties between communities, cultural and educational institutions and entrepreneurs of both countries.

The event was also an opportunity for working discussions with representatives of the Ukrainian community. Vladimir Palamar discussed current challenges facing communities and further cooperation within the Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia with Ruslana Dovha, head of the Ukrainian society and Saturday school “Kalyna” in Valga, and Oksana Kuts, head of MTÜ KOLO in Tartu.

A meeting with long-standing partner Kuido Kulm, who had recently returned from another humanitarian trip to Ukraine, focused on assistance to Ukrainian defenders and many years of volunteer cooperation. They remembered Johannes Kert, a friend of Ukraine and one of the initiators of the organisation “Vaba Ukraina”, with which the Association has cooperated since 2014. They also remembered Anna Maiboroda of the organisation “Patriot” and the joint work in support of the Ukrainian army.

Community life, unity and everyday work were the topics of a conversation with Father Silver Vitvitski, priest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Tartu.

The Association of Ukrainian Organizations in Estonia thanks Ambassador Volodymyr Boiechko and the team of the Embassy of Ukraine for the invitation and the organisation of the event, representatives of the Estonian state and local government for their support of Ukraine, Ruslan Trochynskyi for the moving performance of the anthems, and the “Saunad Ukrainasse” team and all volunteers for helping our defenders.

We congratulate Siim Nellis on the start of the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine’s work and wish him strength, inspiration and fruitful cooperation for the benefit of our communities and countries.