The tradition of ESTO dates back to 1972, when Estonians living in exile around the world gathered in Toronto, Canada to celebrate their culture and heritage together. The primary focus of ESTO was to maintain Estonian language and culture abroad during the occupation of Estonia, when social and cultural interaction were outlawed by Soviet authorities. The large gathering includes a General Song Festival and a Folk Dancing Festival. ESTO has been held roughly every four years in cities around the world and the 1996 edition took place in both Stockholm & Tallinn. Estonian Air added large titles to one of its two 737 at the time.
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