Kukk gets own stamp

TALLINN - On April 13, at Stenbock House in Tallinn, on the 125th anniversary of Head of State Juhan Kukk’s birth, the State Chancellery and Estonian Post, Ltd. presented a postage stamp dedicated to him, the fifth in the Heads of State of the Republic of Estonia 1918-2018 series.

“Without a doubt, Juhan Kukk is amongst our great statesmen, and unfortunately his fate did not differ from that of the rest of our then statesmen,” Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said in his address. The presentation was also attended by Juhan Kukk’s grandson Toomas Juhan Kukk, who thanked the Estonian state and Estonian Post for the due appreciation of his grandfather’s services. For his part, Aavo Karmas, member of the management board of Estonian Post, read out an address as well. The presentation was also attended by Ene Ergma, president of the Riigikogu, and former President Arnold Ruutel.

In February, 1918, Kukk, together with Juri Jaakson and Ferdinand Peterson, wrote the Manifesto to All the Peoples of Estonia. As head of the task force for the Manifesto of Independence, Kukk also organized the printing of the Manifesto. Kukk was Estonia’s first minister of finance, then minister of trade and industry, president of the first Riigikogu and head of state from 1922-1923. Kukk performed the duties of the minister of finance during the difficult Estonian War of Independence and ensured its financing. During the period 1924–1926, he was president of the Bank of Estonia.
Imprisoned by the NKVD (People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs) at Nomme on Oct. 16, 1940, Kukk died at Kargopollag, Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia, on Dec. 4, 1942.

In the course of the heads of state of the Republic of Estonia 1918-2018 series, postage stamps will be issued for all the Estonian heads of state from the first century of independence to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. The next stamp in the series, dedicated to Friedrich Akel, will be released in September 2011.