Stanford University Libraries Delegation Visits Estonia

Article
The world-famous Laulupidu singing festival caps a week of cultural activities and strategic partnerships.
July 24, 2025David Jordan

A group of people standing in front of a large audience at a concert venue.
Group photo of the song festival the day before opening night.

An adventurous group from Stanford University Libraries along with Stanford alumni and their families and friends journeyed to the 2025 Estonian National Song and Dance Festivals, a multi-day celebration of music, dance, tradition, and national pride. The Song Festival, or Laulupidu, was established in 1869 and now takes place every five years in the capital city of Tallinn. It was instrumental in the restoration of Estonian independence in 1991, as documented in the film The Singing Revolution by filmmakers Maureen Castle Tusty and James Tusty, and has been designated a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

The ongoing, long-term collaboration between Stanford University Libraries and the Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom prompted the trip. The Vabamu Museum was founded in 2003 by Olga Kistler-Ritso, an Estonian American ophthalmologist who came to the USA as a refugee after WWII, in partnership with the Estonian government. Vabamu supports Olga’s wish that Estonia never again be occupied by a foreign power. Vabamu's programs tell the story of the Estonian people’s struggle for freedom from the Soviet and Nazi occupations and celebrate the country’s astonishing recovery in the new era of freedom. Hundreds of historical items from the museum’s collections are viewable in The Aim is Freedom: A History of Occupations and Independence in Estonia, a digital exhibition on Stanford University Libraries’ Spotlight website.

“We are delighted to partner with Stanford to bring distinguished guests from the USA to Estonia every five years to participate in the Laulupidu festivities,” said Sylvia Thompson, Olga’s daughter, along with her husband, Andrew Thompson. “These events provide a wonderful highlight to a week of fun and learning about the remarkable capabilities, culture and courage to be found in Estonia. We hope the group was moved by the cultural experience, impressed by the potential of a digital society, and motivated to tell their friends and neighbors about this little country at the Eastern edge of the Western world that is a member of the EU and NATO and is essential to defend if we are to preserve our collective freedom.”

Man speaking on a balcony with a dozen people listening to him.
Visit with Prime Minister Kristen Michal at Stenbock House. Photo: Jürgen Randma.

The Vabamu Museum and the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the Stanford delegation to a weeklong program of curated presentations, formal and informal discussions, and cultural activities. Michael A. Keller, the Ida M. Green University Librarian, worked closely with the Thompsons to establish the collaboration with the Vabamu Museum in 2013. “Of our many partnerships with international libraries and museums, few have been as productive as with our friends and associates in Estonia,” said Keller.

The collaboration has led to the creation of the first Curator of Estonian and Baltic Studies position and a growing Estonian and Baltic Studies collection at the Libraries.  Added Keller, “Our project ensures the preservation of fragile materials and serves Baltic Studies scholars at Stanford and worldwide. Just as importantly, it demonstrates that research libraries can create goodwill among nations through mutual appreciation of histories and cultures.”

Among the partnership’s many collaborative efforts is attending the Laulupidu celebration every five years. Other activities this year included tours of Tallinn’s Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval cities; the Vabamu Museum; the Arvo Pärt Centre named for Estonia’s best-known composer; and the Kumu Art Museum. The Stanford group had opportunities to hike and enjoy spectacular natural beauty at the Estonian Open Air Museum of traditional farm and village life, and the ancient Kakerdaja Bog significant in Estonian folklore as a place of mystery, magic, and serenity.

Woman speaking on a stage.
Minister of Education and Research, Kristina Kallas, Keynote Address at the panel discussion at Vabamu Museum.  Photo: Raul Mee.

A key topic of discussion, and a nod to Estonia’s incredible transformation in the past 30 years, was digital governance. Estonia is recognized as one of the most digitally advanced countries, earning the moniker e-Estonia for its ability to govern and deliver all its public services online. At the Vabamu Museum, Stanford alumnus Luukas Ilves and his colleagues presented on Estonia’s advancement as a digital society, also the topic of the current Why Estonia? exhibition in Green Library’s Hohbach Hall. A symposium on the future of Estonia and its work on the next wave of digital innovation opened with remarks by former President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves followed by a keynote address from the Minister of Education and Research, Kristina Kallas, and a panel discussion moderated by entrepreneur Sten Tamkivi. The topic of digital governance was not far off when the Stanford group also met with Prime Minister Kristen Michal at Stenbock House, an impressive neoclassical building serving as the seat of government offices and sessions, and with the President of Estonia, Alar Karis, at a Rose Garden reception.

Reflecting upon Estonia’s freedom and digital governance, Ivo Lille, Chief Executive Officer at Vabamu noted, “The Song and Dance Festival week brought to Estonia such an extraordinary group of people - people who care, who lead, and who understand the urgency of protecting freedom and democratic values around the world. The presence of our guests speaks to the values we share across borders: freedom, dignity, and the desire for a better future. Vabamu was honoured to host them.”

Thousands of dancers performing at a concert venue in Estonia.
Estonian Dance Festival. Photo: Anh Ly.

Laulupidu and the performances in Tallinn during the first week of July were the highlight of the visit for many in the Stanford group. On Thursday, the group toured the amphitheater at the Song Festival Grounds and met with event organizers and choir director Valter Soosalu. On Friday, they attended the Dance Festival at Kalev Stadium, where they watched thousands of dancers in a dazzling display of synchronized folk choreography, colorful national costumes, and deep-rooted tradition. On Saturday, they witnessed the five-kilometer Grand Procession of costumed marchers through the streets of Tallinn and the ceremonial lighting of the Song Festival flame at the opening concert.

The Grand Concert on Sunday was a powerful finale of forty musical pieces blending the voices of choirs with wind and symphony orchestras. It is estimated that across the whole of Estonia, over forty thousand choir singers, orchestral musicians, folk dancers, and folk musicians performed locally or nationally and that over one hundred thousand spectators gathered to see the performances in Tallinn. Laulupidu indeed provided for the Stanford group lasting memories of the power of song bringing people together and a shared experience with their peers from the Vabamu Museum.

Kadri Paju, Global Manager at Vabamu, nicely summed up the week-long visit, “It is inspiring to see how the already strong collaboration between Stanford and Vabamu continues to deepen and how interest in Estonia is growing through programs like this. We hope to welcome more guests from Stanford very soon.“