November 1917. Estonian soldiers demonstrate in support of the democratically elected Estonian Diet. The Diet had been disbanded by the Bolsheviks but it had given Estonians the taste of freedom. The convulsions that rocked the Russian empire in 1917 provided Estonians with an opportunity to realise their dream: on February 24, 1918 Estonia was declared an independent democratic republic. After the War of Independence (1918– 1920) life prospered successfully until the loss of statehood in 1940, when Estonia was occupied for the first time by the Soviet Union.
This is an exhibition of the history of the Republic of Estonia. It shows that, despite occupation from 1940 to 1991, t he concept of an independent Estonia survived amongst its people and amongst the many Estonians who had been forced into exile. Many Western powers never recognised the Soviet occupation of the Baltic countries. The determination not to forget independent Estonia showed itself through military resistance, through maintaining the Estonian language and culture, through the preservation of its environment and through memories passed from one generation to the next. Much of this activity had to be secret, but in the late 1980s it could emerge through the Singing Revolution.
The exhibition focuses less on moments of tragedy and concentrates more on continuity, whether this is expressed in the preservation of traditions, in cultural life or in celebrating the achievements of Estonian sportsmen. This is a story that spans ninety years from the days when much of Europe was in the turmoil of the Great War to a Europe of open borders and shared values. It is a story of how the Estonian people never stopped thinking of freedom.
Republic of Estonia The exhibition was compiled by the Estonian Institute. The Estonian Institutes wishes to express gratitude to all the archives, museums, and collectors who helped us in preparing this exhibition.