Many are still reminiscing about Summer 2025 in Estonia with happy and moving memories about ESTO 2025 and the XXVIII Song and XXI Dance Celebration “Iseoma”.
The Estonian American National Council (EANC) – Eesti Rahvuskomitee Ühendriikides (ERKÜ) is proud to support such meaningful events in various ways. As we continue to find ways to strengthen our community and empower young Estonians across the United States, EANC awarded Ms. Amelia Talluri with the EANC Youth Stipend to the ESTO 2025 Youth Congress.
Amelia Talluri, 22, is originally from Massachusetts where she graduated from the Boston Estonian School and was active in the Boston Estonian community. She earned her BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and just started her Ph.D. studies in Chemical and Systems Biology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Below are Amelia’s memories of her experiences this summer as a youth delegate at ESTO 2025.
The nine days I spent as a delegate in the youth congress of the ESTO 2025 festival were packed with excursions, conferences, tours, and performances across three different cities.
In Stockholm, we met at the Estonian House, which was the first one I had ever been to. I had never even heard of “houses” before, but it was amazing seeing how Estonian culture and language can exist so brightly in a different country. The first tour was to the Forest Cemetery, where I met other youth delegates and listened to stories of the Estonians buried in the cemetery and their impact on the community’s growth within Stockholm.
Afterwards, we attended a chorus concert in the Katarina Church, which was a beautiful experience to see separate choirs come together to sing. The next day, we attended ESTO’s Opening Concert in Skansen, one of the highlights of the program. This was the first time I had seen such an Estonian performance, and it really made me reminisce about my time at Boston Estonian School when I learned to sing and dance with the other students. The passion and love that each performer had for Estonia shone through, and for many other youth delegates, this was also a feature of the whole festival.
After this, I was fortunate to represent the United States at a dinner hosted by the Estonian Embassy in Stockholm. I was able to mingle with the other invited delegates and introduce myself to others who were also attending. On our last day in Stockholm, I attended an eye-opening seminar, “The Great Escape 1944”. This marked a newfound interest that lingered as we traveled to Narva the next day, and for the rest of the trip. Many Estonians left their country in 1944, and it was interesting to see and learn how some of the current youth delegates were a product of this.
In Narva, we attended the Youth Congress, which was led by an introduction from President Alar Karis and continued by an array of guest speakers. I was truly moved by the speakers’ words, insights, and encouragement to learn Estonian, inspiring me to continue practicing after my travels back home. We paraded to the Opening of Narva City Days and attended a theater performance, “Narva – The City We Lost”. Almost every time I visit my family in Estonia, we make a trip to Narva, yet I never understood why the city was so different. This theater performance gave me not only historical context, but a heartbreaking feel for the city and its people. The performance, along with our visit to Sinimäed the next day, was when I learned that Estonians fought for both the German and Soviet armies. For some reason, that had never clicked for me before, but how astounding that Estonians could be fighting other Estonians, for another group’s purpose? For the rest of the day, we received and escorted the Song Festival Flame and attended the ESTO Song concert in Hermann Castle. The next day, we made our way to Tallinn, spending the day in Ida-Virumaa, where we attended a networking event for security, development, work, business, and tourism. While this was not exactly relevant to me because I am already enrolled in grad school, I shared the opportunities with my younger brother, who may be interested.
In Tallinn, we started by attending the Global Estonian Diaspora Networking Day (Üleilmsete eestlaste võrgustike päev) at the Kultuurikatel, where I got to learn more about student organizations and fraternities abroad and network with different people. I met two women from Vaba Eesti Sõna who took and shared my picture along with the other delegates from the States. The next day was personally my biggest challenge, which was the International Congress of Estonian Organizations: Our Collective Memory (ÜEKN Rahvuskongress: Üleilmne eestlus ja ühismälu). I was asked to speak at a roundtable before the festival had started, and while I was thrilled at the opportunity, I was terrified to speak broken Estonian in front of a large crowd. It all went well, and I was able to share my experiences with dual identities while achieving a milestone – speaking in Estonian in public. We ended with the ESTO Gala Night, and the next day with a workshop and a visit to the memorial ceremony at the Memorial to Victims of Communism.
Overall, my experience as a youth delegate instilled a new motivation to learn more Estonian and strengthen ties with my culture. I saw a world of connections because it is true that multilingualism opens doors. I want to continue learning more about Estonian history during World War II and how it has impacted my family and others. I became motivated to join a community of Estonians as I continue the next few years living in the Bay Area, and I hope to join the San Francisco Estonian Choir. Most of all, I am proud to be Estonian, to sing and dance, and to be a part of a nation that has always vouched for peace.
The Estonian American National Council is the elected central council of Estonians in the United States, and is a registered 501(c)3 charity. Donations from you, our supporters in the Estonian American community, enable EANC to help make important programs and initiatives such as these possible. Your contributions, large and small, all make a difference. Aitäh!
