NordenBladet — Today at 1 p.m., the President of the Riigikogu Henn Põlluaas will open the travelling exhibition Riigikogu 100, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Riigikogu, in the Governor’s Garden. The exhibition presents the century-long history of the Estonian representative bodies, and covers the activities of the Estonian Provincial Assembly, the Constituent Assembly, and the Riigikogu.

Põlluaas said that the Riigikogu is starting its anniversary week with a homage to the one hundred years long parliamentary history. “The exhibition will remind us of the significant contribution of the Constituent Assembly and the Riigikogu to the building of the Republic of Estonia and its parliament,” the President of the Riigikogu noted. He invited everyone to visit the exhibition, which will remain open in the Governor’s Garden until 27 May.

The exhibition dedicated to the centenary of the parliament is designed as a street, with pairs of houses on both sides representing the decades in the history of the national assemblies. The exhibition is accompanied by texts and pictures in the styles of the time. Historical figures and events can be seen through the doors and windows.

The exhibition covers two long periods: the years 1917–1940, and 1991–2018. These are separated by a gap of 50 years, when the Estonian representative body was unable to convene. At the exhibition, this is represented by empty houses.

On 23 April 1919, the first representative body elected by the independent Estonian nation – the Constituent Assembly – convened in Tallinn. The Assembly was essentially our first parliament, passing the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of Estonia, and the Land Act, and solving other issues of vital importance for the Republic of Estonia. The decisions of the Constituent Assembly formed the foundation of the Republic of Estonia.

The exhibition area is 10.5 metres long, and 3 metres wide and high. The exhibition is transportable and lit by LED lamps. It has been designed by design agencies Identity and Ruumilabor, and built by design agencies Ruutu6 and Red Hat. The curator of the exhibition is the Parliamentary Information Centre of the National Library of Estonia.


Images: 6x Riigikogu fotoarhiiv/Erik Peinar
Source: Parliament of Estonia