For the first time ESTO and the West Coast Estonian Days (LEP) will take place at the same time. The four-day programme includes some of the usual events, as well as new ones that will offer Estonians and visitors from both the United Stated and abroad a great time. In addition to the main programme, many events will also take place prior to the opening day on June 27.
The opening ceremony will include the Estonian National Ballet, performances by Hanna-Liina Võsa and Hando Nahkur, a song and dance festival, authors James and Maureen Tusty of “The Singing Revolution” screening their new film “Üheshingamine” and a business conference that will take place in the heart of Silicon Valley entitled “iEstonia.”
Many Estonian, American, and Canadian memory institutions and organisations will take part in LEP-ESTO: BaltHerNet, VEMU/The Estonian Studies Centre, The National Archives, Stanford University Library, Hoover Institute, the Museum of Occupations and so on.
On June 27th a conference will take place at the Stanford University Library. It will discuss Estonian foreign material collections, looking at their current status as well as future prospects for growth. Speakers will include representatives from the Baltic Heritage Network, VEMU/ Estonian Studies Centre, the National Archives and Stanford, Minister of Culture Rein Lang, and the Estonian National Museum Director Tõnis Lukas, as well as the undersecretary from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication Taavi Kotka. The Ambassador to the United States Marina Kaljurand and Foreign Minister Urmas Paet will also be in attendance. All representatives of Estonian associations and organisations abroad, as well as those interested in memory institutions are invited to take part in this free event.
The opening day of LEP-ESTO will take place on June 28th, where the EXPO will introduce Silicon Valley start-ups and Estonia business to several of the above mentioned memory institutions to inform those interested with information about their activities and collections. A mini-exhibition from the Museum of Occupations about Olga Kistler-Ritso an exile Estonia will also be on display. On June 30th, a short overview of the Stanford conference will take place in the morning, as well as give an opportunity for questions about collecting, preserving, using, and digitising archives.
LEP-ESTO will also include travelling history exhibits. On June 27, after the conference at the Stanford University Library, the exhibit “Karm kevad” will open in the Hoover tower. From June 29 – July 1, the exhibit “Kaks algust” will be on display at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
More information about all of the LEPESTO events can be found at www.lepesto2013.com as well as from Liisi Eglit (liisi.eglit@stanford.edu)