On 26 September 2026, an official ceremony marking the opening of the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine, headed by Honorary Consul Siim Nellis, took place in Tartu.

The ceremony was attended by Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Estonia Volodymyr Boiechko, Mayor of Tartu Urmas Klaas, Director General of the Department for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Erika Ellamaa-Ots, Rector of the University of Tartu Professor Toomas Asser, and Head of the Ukraine Centre at the University of Tartu Dmytro Khutkyy, as well as representatives of the leadership of the Baltic Defence College, local authorities, the Ukrainian community, volunteers, and Estonian friends and supporters of Ukraine.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Boiechko emphasized that the opening of the Honorary Consulate strengthens Ukraine’s presence in southern Estonia and creates new opportunities for developing bilateral cooperation at the local level.

“Tartu is a natural choice for the establishment of the Honorary Consulate. It is a centre of education, culture and innovation in southern Estonia. The city’s strong support for Ukraine and its sister-city partnership with Lviv have already created close and lasting ties between our communities,” Volodymyr Boiechko said.

The Ambassador thanked Estonia’s partners for their unwavering solidarity with Ukraine. He expressed particular gratitude to the City of Tartu and personally to Mayor Urmas Klaas for their support for Ukrainians, as well as for hosting a group of Ukrainian children for a summer camp in June this year.

Volodymyr Boiechko also highlighted Siim Nellis’s personal contribution to supporting Ukraine. Even before his appointment as Honorary Consul, he had been actively assisting Ukrainian defenders, including through the Saunas for Ukraine initiative, supporting Ukrainian cultural and volunteer projects in Estonia, and promoting economic ties between the two countries. In recognition of his contribution to supporting Ukraine, Siim Nellis was awarded the President of Ukraine’s “Golden Heart” distinction.

The Honorary Consulate will focus on supporting Ukrainians in the region, fostering new partnerships between universities, businesses and local communities, as well as deepening cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Ukraine and Estonia.