The Chancellery of the Riigikogu has decided that the traditional morning flag-raising ceremony on Feb. 24, Estonia's Independence Day, will return to its original location in the Governor's Garden next to Toompea Castle.
The ceremony has been held in the courtyard of Toompea Castle, the seat of the the Riigikogu, for the last 17 years. Prior to that, it had been held in the Governor's Garden adjacent to the building from 1989-1999.
"People have taken beginning Independence Day with the raising of our blue, black and white flag so close to heart over the years that there is no longer enough room for us in the courtyard of Toompea Castle," spokespeople quoted President of the Riigikogu Eiki Nestor as saying. "Therefore I invite everyone to the flag-raising ceremony in the Governor's Garden, where you will have a much better view of the flag being raised on the Tall Hermann Tower."
The ceremony on the 24th will begin at 7:33 a.m. with the raising of the Estonian flag as the national anthem plays. Following this, the President of the Riigikogu will give a speech and the Archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELK) Urmas Viilma will read a blessing.
The flag-raising ceremony is traditionally attended by members of the Riigikogu and the government, representatives of constitutional institutions and the diplomatic corps as well as members of the color guards of patriotic and student organizations and the public.