Tens of thousands of Estonians were forced to leave their home country Estonia in WWII, especially during the Great Escape of September 1944, in order to flee from the returning Soviet forces. Many of them are living abroad today, with their children and grandchildren, who are a vital factor for keeping the Estonian expat communities and culture alive. In addition to making an effort to retain the culture today, it is also important to collect and preserve the memory and cultural heritage of the past. For the future generations, this material is an important source of knowledge about WWII and the following decades in exile.

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Published: March 19 2014

Estonian Honorary Consul Michael Chan of Phoenix, Jim and Linda Abbott, James 'Ilo' Becker, Josiah Becker, Jess Williams and Tatum Wright, Peter and Ann Boyer, John Willis, Melissa Kula, Steve Martinez, Linda Becker, Hilja Hõplus-Martinez, Julius Becker, Janet and Erik Arro, Eda and Rees Fischer with Mari, Estonian Embassy First Secretary Oleg Dmitrijev, Susan Kuljus, Haili Grossthal, Ilmar Kuljus, Evan Grossthal, Darlene Grossthal, Uno Kula, Geoffrey Grossthal, Marina Rynning, Rumanian Honorary Consul Ileana Orlich & Anton Orlich (her son), Peter Vaga-Feldmann. There were four (Levon Aslanya, Michael Liddy,  Guido and Dottie Tihkan) who missed the group photo making for a total of 36 participants this year.

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Published: March 11 2014

Become more involved in your Estonian American community! The Estonian American National Council will be holding its elections for members of the new XXI Council this spring, and is actively looking for candidates! Members are elected for four years and meet at least once a year to review past activities and to vote on the upcoming year’s budget and activity plan. The annual meeting will take place Sept. 27-28, 2014, in Stamford, CT.

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Published: March 11 2014

An appeal from our Ukrainian friends in America. Please call/write/email the White House to express support for Ukraine against Moscow's aggression and the invasion of the territory of a sovereign nation.

Remember Georgia in 2008, Ukraine in 2014. Which country is next?

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Published: March 11 2014

ERR News -  The US announced that the Ukrainian crisis has moved it to more than double the number of fighters on the Baltic Air Policing mission.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel confirmed the plan on Wednesday, March 5, according to Reuters.

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Published: March 11 2014

…the emergency telephone number you know as 911 is häda/abi/number 112. How are children in laste/aed (kindergarten) taught to remember this important number? They make it out of packing snow and paint it red.   Photo: Riina Kindlam

There’s an expression in Estonian, that if you want someone to really understand and remember something clearly you make it “puust ja punaselt / punaseks” – in other words, carve it out of wood and paint it red, so you won’t forget.

11. veebruar is 112 day in Europe and children all over Eesti are urged to make a memorably large version of the number in their schoolyard and talk about how to make the call in an emergency.

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Published: March 06 2014

Attending the February 21, 2014 official opening of the Estonian Honorary Consulate in St. Petersburg, Florida: Estonian Consul General Sten Schwede, Pinellas County Commission Chair Karen Williams-Seel, President & CEO of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce Chris Steinocher, Estonian Ambassador to the United States and Mexico Her Excellency Marina Kaljurand, Estonian Honorary Consul Lisa Ann Mets, and President & CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership Peter Betzer.     Photo: Kalle Kaljurand

Her Excellency Marina Kaljurand, Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to the United States and Mexico, and The Honorable Sten Schwede, Consul General of the Republic of Estonia in New York City, traveled to Florida’s west and east coasts on February 21, 2014 and February 24, 2014 to officially open two Honorary Consulates of the Republic of Estonia.

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Published: March 06 2014

The eestlaste muistne vabadus/võitlus aka 13th century Northern Crusades era look became so popular, these two cubs-in-training or mini-hundud Suvi Mari (4)and Tuuli (5), wore them to their kindergarten class.

This sparked their teacher Aire and soon the whole class was making and wearing the historic and stylish headgear.

Forget the fascinator, this too, is fit for a ball.

Text and photos: Riina Kindlam, Tallinn

If you're going to the kontsert and presidendi vastu/võtt (reception) to celebrate the 96th Anniversary of the Republic of Estonia on 24. veebruar, you must first travel to Pärnu, where they are being held at the Pärnu Kontserdimaja this year.

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Published: February 25 2014