Gallery: 106th anniversary of Republic of Estonia began with raising of national flag
This year's Independence Day traditionally began with the ceremonial raising of the national flag on Toompea.
Estonia's 106th Independence Day, February 24, started at 7:34 a.m. when the flag was raised in the Governor's Garden at Toompea in Tallinn.
President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar (Eesti 200) delivered a speech at the ceremony, Archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Urmas Viilma said a blessing, and Markus Andreas Auling, a student at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater, read out the Estonian Declaration of Independence.
Former presidents, representatives of constitutional institutions and the diplomatic corps, the Estonian Flag Association and the leadership of the Defense Forces and the Defense League were invited to the ceremony.
The flag guards of academic associations, patriotic organizations, and schools also attended the ceremony in the Governor's Garden.
The choirs of the Estonian Male Choir Association, and Tallinn Police Orchestra performed "Eesti lipp" ("Flag of Estonia", music by Enn Võrk, words by Martin Lipp), "Hoia, Jumal, Eestit" ("God Save Estonia", music by Juhan Aavik, words by Aleksander Leopold Raudkepp), "Jää vabaks, Eesti meri" ("Stay Free, Estonian Sea!", by Viktor Konstantin Oxford), and "Kodumaa" ("Homeland", music by Raimond Kull, words by Mihkel Veske)
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Editor: Kristina Kersa
