The Esperantist of the Year (Esperantisto de la Jaro) is an honorary designation bestowed each year by the editors of the Esperanto-language monthly La Ondo de Esperanto (English: The Wave of Esperanto). The award recipient is selected by an international jury led by Halina Gorecka, the Russian publisher of the magazine. The Esperantist of the Year award was created in 1998. Source: Wikipedia (en)