Free Estonian Word

On August 20, 1991, Estonia formally declared the restoration of its independence, which it had lost in 1940 during the Soviet takeover. It’s been 35 years since that day, and it presents an opportunity to revisit that moment. It didn’t happen out of the blue. There were many forces at...

The Estonian Cultural Garden hosted a Victory Day/Midsummer event on June 28, 2026. We had special guests: Latvian – President of the Latvian Association of Cleveland, Haralds Mazarins, Lithuanian – Honorary General Counsel of Lithuania, Ingrida Bublys, Ukrainian – President of United Ukrainian Organizations of Ohio, George Jaskiw, Estonian –...

During the First World War, the Kingdom of Italy entered the war in 1915 and soon found itself faced with the dilemma of prisoners. It was not the first time that prison camps had been set up, such as in Caserta, Campania, where Turks from the Libyan War were held....

Maarika Lepik is now women's world champion in double-bit axe throwing after reaching those heights in Bollnäs, Sweden. Double-bit axe throwing is a precision target sport which has its roots in North American logging camp history. Competitors stand several meters away from a wooden target and throw a symmetric, dual-edged...

Kallid eestlased, head Eesti sõbrad Ameerika Ühendriikides. Dear fellow Estonians, dear friends of Estonia in the United States, Today marks the conclusion of my five years as Estonia’s Ambassador in Washington – together with it, twelve years that I have, across three postings, devoted to work for Estonia here in the...

On July 14-15, the Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) joined the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) to meet with over a dozen congressional offices, committees, and Members of Congress to seek continued support for legislative priorities. In addition, JBANC organized a July 14 briefing in the U.S. Capitol...

Over the years, many of us have accumulated old photos, albums, and pictures on our phones filled with memories of past Scout and Guide camps, Estonian Sport Days and the annual ESTO Ski gathering. All too often, these memories fade into the background, with no easy way to preserve or...

On June 10th, the New York Estonian House proudly joined New York Music Month for the very first time with BALTICS NOW — an evening celebrating the contemporary sounds of the Baltic States in the heart of Manhattan. Audiences experienced three outstanding artists representing the diversity and creativity of today’s...

Recently, I participated in the 30th Biennial Conference of AABS, the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, held May 28-30 at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. It was the ninth AABS conference I’ve attended. Many Estonian scholars from various disciplines were there, along with those from Latvia, Lithuania, the...

Midsummer, known in Estonia as Jaanipäev, is celebrated in remarkably similar ways on both sides of the Gulf of Finland. The idyllic setting includes a bonfire beside a lake or pond, new potatoes and grilled meat, a few refreshments, a sauna, folk or dance music, sunset, and romantic fortune-telling rituals...