Free Estonian Word

Statement of the Estonian World Council   The Estonian World Council joins the foreign ministries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in protesting the most recent Russian attempts to revise history. A recent legislative initiative in Russia’s State Duma would revoke the December 24, 1989 declaration of the Soviet Union’s Supreme...

  Oswald Riisma was born in Märjamaa, Estonia on May 19, 1920 and lived to be 100 years old, passing away peacefully at his home in Boca Raton, Florida on July 15, 2020. Oswald was an entrepreneur in both Toronto, Canada and subsequently in Florida, USA. He arrived in Canada...

  At the end of this year, the Estonian Navy (Eesti Merevägi) will have at its disposal the first brand new warships of the entire period of re-independence.   They are currently being built on the island of Saaremaa. "Aktuaalne kaamera" (ERR News) reported on July 13th, that two military...

Helga Merits   Anatomy lecture.  Archive photo   Whatever will be will beThe future's not ours to seeQue sera sera After the Second World War, most students in Europe wanted to study either medicine or architecture.   They had seen so many lives devasted, so much destruction that they wanted...

SAVE THE DATE: On Friday, July 17, the Estonian Society in San Francisco, CA, is hosting a virtual screening of the 2019 Estonian start-up comedy "Chasing Unicorns (Ükssarvik)" for our local community. After the film, join the filmmakers for a Q&A about the film, which was shot in both Estonia...

Helga Merits   Girls at the Baltic University.  Archive photo by Helga Merits   Toilet paper seemed to have been the most sought after item to have in a time of a lock-down.   People were buying it in large quantities, afraid that they would not have enough while stuck...

As both chambers of Congress deliberate the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2021, the Estonian American National Council (EANC) and Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC) have been engaging with House and Senate staff to call attention to bipartisan Baltic Security Initiative amendments confirming U.S. support for Baltic security...

Helga Merits   The Baltic University in Hamburg, Germany, opened in March, 1946. Photo courtesy of Helga Merits   For us displaced persons, an essential part of our life is hope. Without hope, our life would be intolerable. Hope for our future, hope for a better fate of our native...

The European Union has confirmed that American citizens will not be allowed to enter its borders as the bloc begins to ease travel restrictions imposed earlier this year in response to the pandemic.   Travelers from America, as well as Brazil and Russia, have been barred from entry because of...

  In June 2020, we marked 80 years since the tragic events between June 15-17, 1940, when the Baltic countries were occupied by the Soviet Union and lost their independence.   The sacrifice, bravery and hope of the people of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, eventually led to their regaining independence...