A Festive Day in Tallinn
August 20, 2026
Photos: Office of the President of Estonia and Ken Mürk/ERR.
The second day of the state visit to Estonia.
The Icelandic and Estonian presidential couples arrive at the flag ceremony this morning.
A recording of the President of Iceland's address at the reception hosted by Alar Karis can be viewed on Estonian television's website.
Learn more.
Today, the presidential couple took part in celebrations in Tallinn marking 35 years since Estonia regained its independence. This was the second day of the presidential couple’s state visit to Estonia at the invitation of the country’s president, Alar Karis, and his wife, Sirje Karis. To mark the occasion, the President of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir, delivered an address at the Estonian Parliament and at President Karis’ Rose Garden reception in the early evening. Both events were broadcast live on television.
The presidential couple’s schedule began at 7:00 a.m. with a flag-raising ceremony in the garden beside Toompea Castle, which houses the Prime Minister’s Office and Parliament. The Estonian flag was raised atop the castle tower. Among those who delivered addresses were President Karis, Prime Minister Kristen Michal, and Speaker of Parliament Lauri Hussar. Five combined choirs also sang Estonian patriotic songs.
The next stop was a memorial to the victims of Estonia’s communist era from 1940 to 1991. More than 75,000 people were imprisoned, forcibly deported, or killed during that period, and their names are inscribed on the black “Walls of Remembrance” that form the centerpiece of the memorial. Surrounding it is a an apple orchard, symbolizing the Estonian people’s unwavering desire for freedom and vitality.
The presidential couple then visited the Tallinn TV Tower, which was inaugurated in 1980. In addition to serving its original purpose, it has become a symbol of Estonia’s struggle for independence. On 21 August 1991, a handful of television technicians, through ingenuity and courage, managed to prevent Soviet soldiers from reaching the top of the tower and stopping broadcasts from there. The presidential couple learned about the tower’s history and also enjoyed its unique views over Tallinn and the Baltic Sea.
The fourth stop of the morning was the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds. It is the venue for a national choral festival that has been held every five years since the nineteenth century. The grounds also played a role in the peaceful “Singing Revolution,” a term used to describe mass singing events held in various locations in connection with the Baltic states’ struggle for independence from 1987 to 1991. Iceland’s presidential couple, President Karis, and Tallinn Mayor Peeter Raudsepp greeted the Estonian Radio Girls’ Choir, which performed a concert there, and joined the girls on stage for a song.
At noon, the presidential couple and their delegation attended a ceremonial meeting of the Estonian Parliament and the August 20 Club. The club is made up of politicians who approved the declaration of independence in 1991. Among those who addressed the meeting were the club’s chair, Ants Veetõusme, President Karis, Prime Minister Michal, and Speaker of Parliament Hussar. They expressed their profound gratitude to the Icelandic people for having been the first to recognize Estonia’s declaration of independence at the time. The President of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir, also addressed the meeting saying, among other things:
“Estonia’s story resonates deeply with us Icelanders. We know how precious independence is. We know that sovereignty is not merely a matter of legal status, but also lies at the heart of identity, dignity, and hope. Earlier today, I visited the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds. It is a reminder that the course of history is not always changed by force. Sometimes historic turning points occur because people have the courage to raise their voices together.”
The President said she was moved by the gratitude Estonians showed toward Iceland, the Icelandic people, and Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson, then Minister for Foreign Affairs, for taking the initiative in recognizing Estonia’s independence. At the same time, she praised the courage of the Estonian people and the members of the August 20 Club. “As I look around this chamber, I see people who played a key role in restoring Estonia’s independence. Your generation regained the freedom of the Estonian nation. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that future generations grow up in a society worthy of that gift. Freedom is never inherited automatically. It must be renewed, generation after generation, through courage in times of uncertainty, through dialogue rather than division, and through hope instead of surrender.”
In the evening, Halla Tómasdóttir addressed guests at a well-attended reception traditionally hosted on this day by the President of Estonia, Alar Karis, in the garden of his official residence. Among other things, she spoke about the importance of nurturing younger generations and giving them the opportunity to shape the future together with older generations. Around 2,000 guests attended this splendid garden party, including both Iceland’s business delegation and its official delegation.
On the third and final day of the presidential couple’s state visit to Estonia, they will attend a ceremony at Iceland Square in Tallinn, which will be reopened following extensive renovations.
Here on the website is a selection of photographs from the presidential couple's visit to Estonia.
Learn more
Other news
August 27, 2026
President meets with Speaker of the Ukrainian Parlament
Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, on an officialvisit to I...
August 27, 2026
President meets with Speaker of the Ukrainian Parlament
August 22, 2026
Culture Night Draws Over a Thousand Visitors to Bessastaðir
Traditional attire featured prominently at the open house.
August 22, 2026
Culture Night Draws Over a Thousand Visitors to Bessastaðir
August 22, 2026
Education, Technology and Innovation in Focus
A fruitful state visit to Estonia.
August 22, 2026
Education, Technology and Innovation in Focus