February 24: Independence Day in Estonia
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Estonia.
History Note
Estonia is located on the Baltic sea in northeastern Europe. Estonia and its neighbors Latvia and Lithuania are known as the Baltic states.
For hundreds of years, Estonia was largely controlled by powerful neighbors, including Germans, Swedes, and Russians. An independence movement grew stronger during the early 1900s. During the tumult of World War I and the Russian Revolution of 1917, Estonia declared its independence on February 24, 1918.
Estonia joined the League of Nations and began to grow economically. However, during World War II, the country was again caught between Germany on one side and the Soviet Union on the other. It was effectively absorbed into the Soviet Union during the war.
During Soviet occupation, Estonians expressed their opposition through song. Singing inspired them to pursue other forms of nonviolent protest that eventually led to Estonia’s renewed independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The country still observes February 24 as the Anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. And they still celebrate their culture through song.
This photo shows a scene in Tallinn, Estonia, during the 100th anniversary of Estonia’s independence in 2018. Photo by Don Huan / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
Lydia Emilie Florentine Jannsen (1843-1886), known by her pen name Koidula, composed the poem 'Mu isamaa on minu arm' ('My Fatherland is My Love'). It was set to music for the first Laulupidu, an Estonian song festival, in 1869. This festival, held every five years in Tallinn, now draws tens of thousands of singers.
Gustav Ernesaks (1908-1993) composed new music for the poem in 1944 during Soviet occupation. Though Soviet authorities tried to stop people from singing the song, the new version became the finale at each Laulupidu festival.
This video is from the 2019 session of Laulupidu.
Learn more about Estonia and the Singing Revolution at Homeschool History.
