21 August will mark the anniversary of the de facto restoration of Latvia’s independence

On 21 August this year, the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia will hold celebratory events to mark the 25th anniversary of the de facto restoration of the statehood of Latvia.

The celebration will begin at the main building of the Saeima at 10:00 with the first day of issue ceremony of the postage stamp and envelope dedicated to the historical events of 21 August 1991.

The celebratory events will continue with an ecumenical service at Dome Cathedral at noon. The central event of the 25th anniversary celebration will be the flower-laying ceremony at the Freedom Monument at 13:40, where Raimonds Vējonis, President of the State, and Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, will address those present, and Einar K.Gudfinnsson, Speaker of the parliament of Iceland, will congratulate Latvia on behalf of the speakers of the parliaments of the Baltic and Nordic countries (NB8). During the ceremony, the speakers of the parliaments of the NB8 countries, who are attending the 21 August celebrations upon the invitation of the Speaker of the Saeima, will sign the Guest Book of the Freedom Monument.

At 15:40 in Jēkaba laukums by the main building of the Saeima, a tree planting ceremony will be held furthering an established tradition: the speakers of the parliaments of the Baltic and Nordic countries together with the former members of the Supreme Council, who 25 years ago adopted the historical decision on the restoration of the state power of the Republic of Latvia, will plant ash trees and lilacs.

Later, at 18:00, a concert dedicated to the anniversary of the de facto restoration of independence will take place at the Dzintari Concert Hall in Jūrmala.

On 21 August 1991, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia adopted the Constitutional Law on the Statehood of the Republic of Latvia, thus restoring the de facto independence of the country and allowing it to return to the global arena as a full-fledged member of the international community.

The Law restored into force the Constitution of 1922 which upheld the values of Western democracy and the rule of law. Upon the adoption of the Constitutional Law, the laws of the USSR lost their legal force in the territory of Latvia and the process of international recognition of Latvia’s de facto independence began.

The ecumenical service, the flower-laying ceremony at the Freedom Monument, as well as the celebratory concert will also be broadcast on Latvian Television and Latvian Radio.

Saeima Press Service