Vabamu is committed to fostering critical thinking and media literacy among Estonian youth. Despite having one of the highest media literacy rates in the world, young people in Estonia must still be equipped to identify disinformation and understand its implications. Engaging in discussions is vital to empower them to become informed citizens and to ensure a more resilient society.

“The museum lesson and online course help young people understand why freedom and truth are important,” explains Nikolai Ostašov, Content Manager of online platform Noorte Vabamu, which provides educational courses and study bites for Estonian youth and teachers. “Through examples from Estonia’s recent history and the Cold War, we learn how propaganda, censorship, and disinformation campaigns affect people’s behavior—both in the past and today.”  

In this actively engaging museum lesson we discuss how technology has shaped the development of propaganda and disinformation from the mid-20th century to the present day. We explore which events have influenced the creation of disinformation, how people have perceived it, and what the ethical implications of using disinformation are.

There is also a practical workshop where young people can use their smartphones to learn about analysis and fact checking strategies that help them better verify the reliability of sources and claims presented in the news.

But that’s not all! Thanks to the support of the Estonian Internet Foundation schools in Ida-Virumaa have the opportunity to order a free Vabamu museum lesson “Disinformation Strategies Through Generations” to their school.

Lets check what are some comments from students and teachers after this museum lesson:

“The disinformation lesson was very educational and useful—it helped understand how propaganda works in a broader worldview.” – Mait, from Järveküla School, 8th grade

“The more people can identify disinformation, the safer the country is.” – Hugo, 8th grader from Tallinn Mahtra Primary School.

“I liked the lesson conducted by Nikolai because it was very well-prepared, and the activities changed at a good pace. Students were also given practical advice on how to verify the reliability of information obtained from the internet and recognize credible sources, as well as how to avoid disinformation.” – Vahur Kurvits, history and social studies teacher at Ida-Virumaa Vocational Education Center.

The museum lesson is available in three languages – Estonian, Russian and English.

In 2025 the students’ free visit to “Disinformation Strategies Through Generations” museum lesson is supported by the Estonian Ministry of Defence and Estonian Internet Foundation.