Postimees names ERM director Tõnis Lukas Person of the Year
Estonian daily Postimees announced on Friday that the winner of its Person of the Year title for 2016 is Tõnis Lukas, director of the Estonian National Museum (ERM), for his contribution to the completion of the museum's new building which opened in September.
Postimees Editor-in-Chief Lauri Hussar said that the completion of the new ERM building in Tartu's Raadi neighborhood last year marked the fulfilment of one of the great dreams of the Estonian people.
"This has been a dream that thousands of people have been working for," said Hussar. "This has been a dream fo which it has been said that it is the storehouse of the self-confidence of the Estonian people."
The editor-in-chief pointed out that Lukas' path toward the completion of the new building extended over more than a quarter of a century, beginning with when he led a march to Raadi as part of the events of the 1988 Tartu Heritage Days. The museum's previous exhibition house was completed under his guidance in 1994 as well.
Hussar also observed that the newly completed ERM building has shifted Estonia's balance point slightly southward from the country's capital and that the investment made in the building represents the biggest individual investment made by the Estonian state in Southern Estonia.
Since 1997, Postimees has awarded the title of Person of the Year to recognize outstanding persons and their achievements. Previous recipients of the title include film producer Ivo Felt, EstCube-1 student satellite project manager Mart Noorma, Estonian Maritime Museum director Urmas Dresen, Olympic gold medalist Gerd Kanter as well as former Minister of Foreign Affairs Marina Kaljurand.
Editor: Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS