The Nordic and Baltic peoples have long been known for their deep respect for nature and progressive environmental values. From the earliest days of the modern green movement in America to today’s youth-led climate strikes, individuals with Nordic and Baltic roots have played remarkable roles in U.S. environmental movements. Their engagement ranges from shaping historic moments – like the very first Earth Day – to energizing today’s climate activism and forging transatlantic partnerships for a sustainable future.

At just 12 years old, Ragnar Nigul is already accustomed to punching above his weight – both literally and figuratively. The Estonian-American middle schooler trains in TaekwonDo six days a week and has the medals to show for it.

The Foundations for Estonian Arts and Letters has opened its 2025 Young Artist Stipend: a one-time $2,000 grant for U.S.–based creatives of Estonian heritage (ages 18–35) working in music, performance, folk culture, literature, or visual/applied arts. Applications are due September 1, 2025.

When you think of a solo instrument in classical music, the bassoon might not be the first to come to mind. But Estonian-born bassoonist Martin Kuuskmann has spent his career turning this unsung instrument into a show-stopper. With charismatic performances that The New York Times has praised as “dynamic… amazing… gripping…,”

The landscapes of the Nordic and Baltic regions are undergoing dramatic transformations under the pressure of climate change. In Iceland, for example, volcanic activity long shaped a restless terrain – but now global warming is accelerating changes in even more profound ways. “Nature’s creativity has meant that the Icelandic language must also be nimble,” writes Andri Snær Magnason, an Icelandic author, in a recent New York Times guest essay about his homeland.

Estonia’s Foreign Ministry has announced that the European Union is already working on a new (19th) package of sanctions against Russia, underscoring the bloc’s determination to keep increasing pressure over the war in Ukraine. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stressed that the EU will not stop at “halfway measures” – every new sanctions round reinforces the message that “Ukraine is not alone, and Russia will not go unpunished.”

At the turn of the 20th century, Riga – now Latvia’s capital – was booming. Railway lines, shipyards and factories had made it one of the Russian Empire’s richest cities, with its population surging by 88% between 1897 and 1913 (to about 530,000). Much of Latvia in this era was an industrial heartland serving the vast empire, and Riga’s harbor and machine works funneled enormous wealth into the city. This prosperity spawned a building boom: from 1910–1913 some 300–500 new buildings per year rose in Riga, mostly in the then-fashionable Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) style.

Estonia’s journey to reclaim independence in 1991 – after half a century under Soviet rule – is often remembered for the courage and unity of the Estonian people. Mass singing demonstrations, human chains across the Baltics, and shrewd political moves defined this “Singing Revolution.” Less known, however, is the covert but crucial support from neighboring Finland. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Finland acted as a supportive “big brother,” quietly funneling financial aid, training, and resources to help Estonia rebuild its state – all while maintaining a delicate balance with the Soviet Union.

Every five years, Estonia’s Laulupidu and Tantsupidu turn Tallinn into a sea of song and swirling folk costumes—but the chorus echoing across the city is only part of a larger Baltic story. From 19th‑century national awakenings through the peaceful “Singing Revolution” that toppled Soviet rule, mass choral and dance festivals in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have kept language, identity, and freedom alive. This richly reported feature dives into that shared heritage, showing how three small nations still unite hundreds of thousands of voices—and remind the world that a people who can sing together can also change their destiny.

From its 1972 exile roots in Toronto to this summer’s tri-city spectacle spanning Stockholm, Narva, and Tallinn, ESTO has been the heartbeat of the global Estonian diaspora. Explore its storied past—and why ESTO 2025 is the ultimate cultural homecoming for North American Estonians.