During the day, the Conference Hall of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) will be renamed the 20 August Hall, and a commemorative plaque will be opened there. The festivities will culminate with the free concert “Voice of the Past. Sound of the Future” in the Governor’s Garden. The day before, an exhibition of the tapestries by Anu Raud, Christi Kütt and students of Viljandi Culture Academy, which is also dedicated to the anniversary of the restoration of independence, will be opened in Toompea Castle.
On 20 August 1991 at 11.03 p.m., the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia adopted the Resolution on the National Independence of Estonia, with 69 votes in favour. The state that was proclaimed on 24 February 1918 was restored. This year we celebrate the 35th anniversary of this historical event.
On 19 August at 5 p.m., President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar will open a joint tapestry exhibition “Woven from Heritage” (“Pärandist põimitud”) in the Art Gallery of Toompea Castle. The exhibition is dedicated to the anniversary of the restoration of independence and consists of works by Anu Raud, Christi Kütt, and students of the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy.
20 August events at Toompea
At 7 a.m., the flag raising ceremony will be held in the Governor’s Garden.
President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar, Prime Minister Kristen Michal and President of the August 20th Club Ants Veetõusme will deliver speeches. Archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Urmas Viilma will say a blessing.
The flag guards of the academic associations, patriotic organisations and schools will attend the ceremony in the Governor’s Garden. Chamber choir Avis Animi, Mulgi Mixed Choir, mixed choir HUIK!, mixed choir Noorus and chamber choir of Tallinn School No. 21, conducted by Kristjan Õmblus, Ode Pürg, Leiu Ryland-Jones and Roland Viilukas, and Tallinn Police Orchestra, conducted by Riivo Jõgi, will perform at the ceremony.
The event can be followed on ETV and ETV+.
At 9 a.m., ecumenical thanksgiving service will be held at St. Mary’s Cathedral at Toompea. At the same time, meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will take place in the Riigikogu.
At 10 a.m., flowers will be laid at the 20 August Memorial Stone.
Member of the August 20th Club Ants Käärma will deliver a speech at the ceremony, President of the August 20th Club Ants Veetõusme will lay the flowers. Memorial bouquets will also be laid on behalf of the President of the Republic of Estonia, the Riigikogu, the Government of Estonia, the 4 May Declaration Club of Latvia and the Signatories of the Independence Act Club of Lithuania.
At 11 a.m., the postage stamp dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the restoration of independence will be presented in the White Hall of Toompea Castle.
President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar, Chairman of the Board of Omniva Martti Kuldma, representative of the August 20th Club Aldo Tamm and designer of the stamp Jaan Saar will speak at the ceremony. The stamp depicts the legendary gavel stroke, colours of the Estonian flag and joyful people. The first day cover focuses on the Singing Revolution and the postmark on the Resolution of the Supreme Council on the National Independence of Estonia. All who are interested can acquire the stamp from Omniva’s tent in front of Toompea Castle from 3 p.m.
At 12 noon, the August 20th Club and the 15th Riigikogu will hold a joint formal sitting.
President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar, President of the Republic Alar Karis and President of the August 20th Club Ants Veetõusme will deliver speeches.
President of Iceland Halla Tómasdóttir, Speaker of the Saeima of Latvia Daiga Mieriņa and Andris Teikmanis from the 4 May Declaration Club of Latvia, and Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania Juozas Olekas and President the Signatories of the Independence Act Club of Lithuania Birute Valionyte will address the sitting.
Mixed choir HUIK!, conducted by Ode Pürg, will sing at the sitting.
The sitting will be broadcast by ETV and ETV+.
At 1 p.m., the naming ceremony and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque will take place in the Riigikogu Conference Hall, during which the hall will be named the August 20 Hall.
Vice-President of the Riigikogu Arvo Aller, representative of the August 20th Club Ignar Fjuk and member of the Riigikogu Jaak Valge will speak at the naming ceremony.
At 3 p.m., the free concert “Voice of the Past. Sound of the Future” will begin in the Governor’s Garden. At the concert, Estonian folk music will meet modern electronic musical language.
The concert will feature performances by SADU, NOËP, Puuluup, EiK, Duo Ruut, Sander Mölder, bagpipe quartet and percussions quartet. At the concert, the artists will open up a world that transcends stylistic boundaries, where traditional runic verse, folk instruments, drum machines, and electronic textures create an entirely new sonic experience.
The concert will be produced by Danel Pandre.
The concert can be followed on ETV and ETV+.