The Riigikogu invites to the National Flag Day ceremony and to the Tall Hermann Tower
On 4 June, Estonia celebrates the 141st anniversary of its blue, black and white flag. On this occasion, the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) and the Estonian Flag Association invite everyone to the flag raising ceremony that will take place in the Governor’s Garden at Toompea tomorrow at 7 a.m. From 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., it will be possible to visit the Tall Hermann Tower.
President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar and Chairman of the Estonian Flag Association Jüri Trei will speak at the ceremony. Bishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Ove Sander will say a blessing.
The raising of the flag will be accompanied by national anthem of Estonia. Jan Eduard Piigli and Loore Aruste from Kadriorg German Gymnasium and Adrian Georg Zurbuchen and Reiu Pärnamäe from Tallinn French School will assist at the raising of the flag.
The flag guards of the Guard Battalion, the Estonian Defence League, the Women’s Home Defence, Young Eagles, Home Daughters, Scouts, Guides, as well as schools, academic associations and patriotic organisations will attend the ceremony in the Governor’s Garden. The flag guards of the members of the Association of Flag Guards of Estonian Schools, which was founded at the beginning of this year, will also participate the ceremony.
The Estonian Military Orchestra and the choirs of the Estonian Female Song Society, the Women’s Home Defence and schools will perform at the ceremony. The choirs will sing “Hoia, Jumal, Eestit” (“God Save Estonia”; Juhan Aavik, lyrics Aleksander Leopold Raudkepp) and “Eesti lipp” (“Flag of Estonia”; Enn Võrk, lyrics Martin Lipp). The orchestra will be conducted by Teet Raik, and the choirs by Margot Peterson and Andrus Siimon.
The Tall Hermann Tower will be open for visiting from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tours will start every full and half hour. Free tickets showing time of entry to the tower will be distributed in the Governor’s Garden on a first-come, first-served basis. As the size of groups and the number of tickets are limited, we recommend to get your tickets as early as possible to secure a place on the tour.
A flag wall for taking festive photos will be put up in the Governor’s Garden. There will also be a coffee cart where you can buy soft drinks and sweet snacks.
The first blue, black and white flag was sewn in spring 1884. It was blessed and consecrated at Otepää parsonage in South Estonia on 4 June 1884. This year we celebrate the 141st anniversary of the consecration of the national flag of Estonia.
Riigikogu Press Service
Maiki Vaikla
+372 631 6456, +372 5666 9508
[email protected]
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