Maryland

Culture

Estonian-Americans have both the Baltimore Estonian Society and the Washington Estonian Society to choose from, the latter of which - despite the name - has always had a significant membership in Maryland. The Baltimore Estonian School operated for decades in a building owned by the Baltimore Estonian Society; when that building was sold, students instead began attending the newer Washington Estonian School, located in Rockville, Maryland. The state also has the Baltimore-Washington Estonian Singers and Pillerkaar folk dance group.

Maryland is home to one of the most active and influential Latvian-American communities in the United States. Like the Estonians in the state, several institutions are named after Washington, DC to make it clear that they serve the broader metropolitan area despite being based in Maryland. One of these is the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Washington, DC (located in Rockville, Maryland), which has served as the community's gathering place for more than six decades. The Rockville Latvian Center is home to numerous Latvian institutions beyond the church, including the national offices of the American Latvian Association (ALA), the World Federation of Free Latvians (PBLA), the Washington, DC Latvian School, the Latvian Organizations of Washington (LOV), and the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Home for the Elderly (LELCHE). Other groups in the state include the nonprofit Daugavas Vanagi, Latvian academic fraternities and sororities, and other community groups that collaborate to organize cultural, educational, and social programming throughout the year.

The first Baltimore Lithuanian Community was established in the 1880s and the first Lithuanian Catholic church started in the 1890s. The Lithuanian Hall opened in 1921 in the Hollins-Roundhouse historic district in Baltimore and is still serving the Baltimore Lithuanian community today. A variety of organizations call the area home, including the Baltimore Lithuanian-American Community, Malunas Dance Group, Mituva Folk Dance Ensemble, Lithuanian Language and Culture Club, Inc., The Senior Club, Baltimore Lithuanian Athletic Club, The Amber Ladies Club, and American Legion Lithuanian Post 154 (which is believed to be the only American Legion Post authorized to bear such an ethnic designation in its official name).

Academia

The Lithuanian Hall contains the Baltimore Lithuanian Museum and the Baltimore Lithuanian National Library, the oldest functioning Lithuanian ethnic library in the United States.

Diplomacy

The Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC), which advocates on behalf of the Baltic American community, is based in Rockville, MD.

Economics

Organizations focusing on Baltic economic development include the Maryland Estonia Exchange Council, the Estonian American Fund for Economic Education, and the Lithuanian Trade Council.

Military

One of the most important connections between Maryland and the Baltics comes from the official partnership between the Maryland National Guard (MDNG) and Estonia’s Defense League (the equivalent of Estonia’s National Guard). The relationship officially began in 1993 as one of the 13 original partnerships in the State Partnership Program. In the years since, the two organizations have provided immeasurable benefits to each other. The MDNG helped train Estonia’s military personnel after they regained independence in 1991, which was a great assistance to Estonia’s eligibility to join NATO, which it did in 2001. In turn, Estonia has helped MDNG develop its cybersecurity capabilities. MDNG and Estonia’s Defense League now regularly participate in Exercise Locked Shields, a NATO-run cyber exercise conducted from NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia.

Sister Cities

The development of Sister Cities between Maryland and Estonia was spearheaded by a MDNG Command Sergeant who had traveled to Estonia. Today, Maryland has ten Sister Cities with Estonia: Narva/Bel Air, Paide/Westminster, Pärnu/Ocean City, Sillamäe/Havre de Grace, Tallinn/Annapolis, Tartu/Salisbury, Tõrva/Grantsville, Valga/Oakland, Viljandi/Cumberland, and Viljandi/Frostburg.