A recent visit to Tallinn and Tartu on June 16–18 by representatives of the Kazickas Family Foundation – Neila Baumilienė, Executive Director in the United States, and Monika Zavistanavičiūtė, Acting Executive Director in Lithuania – highlighted the growing importance of these connections and the role of sustained engagement across the Baltic region.

The visit, held at the invitation of H.E. Gitana Skripkaitė, Ambassador at Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the Republic of Estonia, focused on presenting Dr. Joseph P. Kazickas’ memoir, Odyssey of Hope, and introducing the KFF’s work to the Lithuanian community in Estonia and international audiences. It also provided an opportunity to deepen relationships with academic and cultural partners in Estonia and to explore new areas of collaboration.

Meetings in Tallinn and Tartu brought together representatives of diplomacy, academia, and the Lithuanian-Estonian community. At the Lithuanian Embassy in Estonia, discussions centred on diaspora engagement and ongoing priorities for community outreach. With support from Bradley Woodworth, Head of the Baltic Studies Program at Yale University, KFF also met with Estonian Yale postdoctoral alumni to exchange research perspectives and consider future academic cooperation across the Baltic region.

In Tartu, conversations with Lithuania’s Honorary Consul Birutė Klaas-Lang focused on heritage language education and the role of diaspora institutions in maintaining cultural identity. In Tallinn, a gathering of the Lithuanian-Estonian community brought together around 30 participants for a presentation and discussion on the legacy of Dr. Joseph P. Kazickas and Alexandra Kazickas and the Foundation’s ongoing initiatives.

The program also included a meeting with the Director, exhibition curators, and Education Project Manager of the Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom in Tallinn, the largest private museum in Estonia dedicated to the country’s recent history, as well as a visit to the Memorial to the Victims of Communism, offering a moment to reflect and honor the victims of the Soviet regime.

The visit underscored the continued relevance of Baltic cooperation in a period marked by regional uncertainty, highlighting shared priorities in education, cultural exchange, and diaspora engagement.