Speeches

President of the Republic at the opening of the Estonian National Museum building, 29 September 2016 in Raadi, Tartu

President of the Republic at the opening of the Estonian National Museum building, 29 September 2016 in Raadi, Tartu

Fellow Estonians,
Dear Friends,


The Estonian National Museum finally has a home of its own.

With the completion of this building, our debt to those individuals who cared deeply about the preservation of Estonian culture and language and who built a foundation for our independence has been repaid.

More than 100 years ago, vision and bold ideas from people like Jakob Hurt, Oskar Kallas, Villem Reiman and Jaan Tõnisson, and Kristjan Raud and Matthias Johann Eise paved Estonia's way to statehood. Alongside them stand countless legions of Estonians whose efforts to collect artefacts and folklore, much of it on a volunteer basis, helped furnish the museum with content.

The Estonian National Museum's new home is also a debt of gratitude to those who kept Estonia alive in darker, more difficult times and nurtured our hopes. In spite of the vagaries of history and others' dark designs on Estonia, we did not forsake our ideals and our determination.

29.09.2016

News

President Ilves: National Defence Council represents an important and substantial influence on national defence in Estonia

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves summoned a session of the National Defence Council for the last time as Head of State, with the headline issue to introduce the new security policy source document of Estonia.

04.10.2016

 

News in pictures: Estonian Association of Bakeries presents the presidential couple with bread made from freshly-harvested crops

News in pictures: Estonian Association of Bakeries presents the presidential couple with bread made from freshly-harvested crops

The representatives of the Estonian Association of Bakeries took a large loaf of bread, baked from freshly-harvested crops, to President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Ieva Ilves in Kadriorg today to celebrate national bread week.

04.10.2016

Photos

 

President Ilves congratulated Kersti Kaljulaid on being elected the new Head of State

President Ilves congratulated Kersti Kaljulaid on being elected the new Head of State

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves congratulated Kersti Kaljulaid, who was elected the next Head of State of Estonia by the Riigikogu with 81 votes.

03.10.2016