Manhattan Street to be Named After Legendary Estonian Diplomat Ernst Jaakson

Honoring Jaakson in New York City

Next week, New York City will officially name a section of East 34th Street in Manhattan “Ernst Jaakson Way” in honor of the late Estonian diplomat Ernst Jaakson. The ceremonial unveiling is set for Tuesday, 18 November, at 4:00 p.m. local time, led by Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and New York City Council Member Keith Powers. The chosen block—East 34th Street between 2nd Avenue and Tunnel Exit Street—is home to the New York Estonian House and lies just a few blocks from the Empire State Building. The co-naming coincides with what would have been Jaakson’s 120th birthday and symbolizes the city’s recognition of his extraordinary legacy.

Foreign Minister Tsahkna lauded Jaakson’s lifelong dedication ahead of the event. “Ernst Jaakson dedicated his life to Estonia,” Tsahkna noted, highlighting how Jaakson began his diplomatic service as a youth and only finally returned to his homeland in 1992 after decades abroad. Through turbulent times, Jaakson remained steadfast in preserving Estonia’s legal continuity and sovereignty on American soil during the Soviet occupation, ensuring Estonia’s voice was never silenced internationally. Tsahkna said it was “deeply symbolic that, on the occasion of Jaakson’s 120th birthday, his legacy will be honoured with a street bearing his name in the heart of New York”. For the global Estonian community and allies, the dedication of Ernst Jaakson Way is a celebratory tribute to a man who kept Estonia’s flag flying in exile for half a century.

Ernst Jaakson: Estonia’s Voice in Exile

Jaakson’s career in Estonia’s foreign service spanned 79 years (1919–1998), earning him recognition by the U.S. State Department as the longest-serving diplomat in the world. Born in Riga in 1905, Jaakson joined Estonia’s diplomatic ranks at just 14 years old and later moved to New York in 1932 to help establish the Estonian Consulate General. When the Soviet Union illegally occupied Estonia in 1940, Jaakson refused to abandon his post. He continued to represent the Republic of Estonia in exile from his New York consulate office for the next 51 years, even as his country disappeared from the map.

Throughout the Cold War, Jaakson tirelessly upheld Estonia’s claim to independence. He maintained close ties with senior U.S. officials and the Estonian-American diaspora (read more about Estonian in New York City - history and people in the Big Apple), becoming a living reminder that Estonia’s sovereignty had not been extinguished. Critically, the United States’ non-recognition policy of Soviet annexation (articulated in the 1940 Welles Declaration) enabled Jaakson to keep the consulate operating and continue issuing Estonian passports and documents as if the independent republic still existed.

These “Jaakson passports” were honored by many Western countries, a tangible sign that Estonia’s legal continuity endured despite Soviet rule. Even when few believed Estonia would ever be free again, Jaakson broadcast messages of hope (including via Voice of America) and served as an unofficial ambassador for a nation that, for decades, only lived on in exile.

Jaakson’s perseverance made him a revered figure among Estonians worldwide. For many, he personified Estonia itself during the occupation years, often being called “Mr. Estonia” and even “the conscience of Estonia,” as he kept the dream of independence alive when so many had lost hope. In the halls of Rockefeller Center where the consulate was housed, his modest office became a symbol of freedom – a place where the Estonian flag and state seal remained on display through the darkest times. Visiting Estonian dignitaries would sometimes stop just to gaze at the consulate door, moved by the knowledge that Jaakson was still inside steadfastly defending their nation’s sovereignty in absentia. His unwavering integrity and quiet resolve earned the respect of U.S. leaders as well; when he spoke, even presidents and secretaries of state listened, knowing they were hearing the voice of a principled diplomat representing a just cause.

With the collapse of Soviet rule, Jaakson’s faith was vindicated. In 1991, Estonia regained its independence, and the 86-year-old Jaakson was promptly appointed as Estonia’s Ambassador to the United States and its Permanent Representative to the United Nations, finally carrying the title of ambassador from a free Estonia. He presented his credentials in Washington and at the U.N., formally closing the chapter of exile diplomacy he had led. Even afterward, he continued to serve as Consul General in New York until his passing in 1998. By the end of his life, Jaakson had devoted nearly eight decades to Estonia’s service, an accomplishment unlikely to ever be equaled.

Today, Estonia remembers Ernst Jaakson as a legendary diplomat who embodied the nation’s unyielding spirit. His story—from a teenager filing documents in a consulate to a nonagenarian ambassador—illustrates the impact one devoted individual can have on the course of a country’s history. The inauguration of Ernst Jaakson Way in New York is both a celebration of his remarkable life and a lasting reminder of the ideals he championed. As Foreign Minister Tsahkna observed, Jaakson’s efforts “guaranteed that our allies never forgot Estonia’s independence nor considered it lost”. Now, on a busy Manhattan street corner thousands of miles from Tallinn, the name of Ernst Jaakson will forever signal that Estonia’s freedom was not lost—and that one man’s steadfast diplomacy helped ensure it would rise again‍. Find out about more spaces deemed as public spaces this year by the City of New York.