Estonian Destinations: the Verdant Estonian Garden in Cleveland

The Russian Cultural Garden, the African American Cultural Garden, the Lebanese Cultural Garden. Partway through a stroll passing each of these gardens, you'll encounter the Estonian Cultural Garden, designed by architect Herk Visnapuu.

The centrepiece of the Estonian Garden is a sculpture created by local artist Clarence E. Van Duzer. It's a tall, tapered pillar with a segment cut out, with the silhouette of a leaf. Inside this gap are overlapping pieces of golden oak, cut and layered in the shape of a flame. Below this flame are the words “aga ükskord algab aega.” On its own, it's a bold phrase, the beginning of a hopeful prophecy about Estonia, placed there when Estonia was still not free.

These cultural gardens started to appear throughout Cleveland's Rockefeller Park in 1916, with the British Garden (originally known as the Shakespeare Garden) being the first that was built. The Estonian Garden was opened on June 19^th, 1966, a public statement by Estonian-Americans about recognizing Estonia's sovereignty during the time of occupation. In turn, the garden's place in the city was a sign of support and respect from fellow Clevelanders.