Riigikogu conference rooms named after Estonian statesmen
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Riigikogu, three conference rooms at Toompea Castle were formally named after Presidents of the Riigikogu Otto Strandman, August Rei and Jaan Tõnisson on Wednesday, with bas-reliefs of the statesmen unveiled in each room.
"Up until now, all conference rooms of the Riigikogu were marked with numbers," Secretary General of the Riigikogu Peep Jahilo said according to a press release. "But there have been many noteworthy people in the history of our parliament, and on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Riigikogu, we decided to give these rooms the names of Presidents of the Riigikogu."
"All of these three great historical statesmen believed in education," Professor and MP Aadu Must (Centre) said at the dedication ceremony. "And education has ensured the national independence and continuity of Estonia."
Mr Must approved of the initiative of naming th rooms of the Riigikogu, and believed that it should continue, as there are several other persons who have contributed to laying the foundations on which the state of Estonia stands today.
Otto August Strandman served as President of the I Riigikogu in 1921 and State Elder from 1929 to 1931. Mr Strandman had also served as Prime Minister (1919), Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Courts and Minister of Finance.
August Rei served as President of the II Riigikogu in 1925-1926 and State Elder from 1928 to 1929. Mr Rei also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in from 1932 to 1933, and Prime Minister in capacity of the President of the Republic in exile from 1945 1963.
Jaan Tõnisson served as President of the II and the V Riigikogu, and State Elder from 1927 to 1928 and in 1933. Mr Tõnisson also served as Prime Minister from 1919 to 1920 and Minister Without Portfolio in the Estonian Provisional Government from 1918 to 1919.
The Riigikogu is celebrating its 100th anniversary this week. On 23 April 1919, the Constituent Assembly, the first representative body elected by the people in independent Estonia, convened in Tallinn for the first time.
This representative body acted as the Parliament, adopted the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of Estonia and the Land Act, as well as solved other issues of vital importance to the newly independent Republic of Estonia, laying the foundations for the republic.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
