Participants in Estonian War of Independence to be remembered with 100 seconds of silence

TALLINN – People who fought in the Estonian War of Independence will be remembered with 100 seconds of silence across Estonia at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 3.

The moment will mark exactly one hundred years since the start of an armistice between Estonia and Soviet Russia that was followed by the conclusion of the Treaty of Tartu on Feb. 2, 1920, spokespeople for EV100 said on Monday.

"On the day of those who fought in the War of Independence, we invite everyone to remember and offer gratitude in their thoughts during one hundred seconds to those brave people who after the declaration of independence were ready to defend the young state with a weapon in their hands," said Toomas Kiho, chairman of the steering group of EV100.

"The personal contribution of these people to us being able to live in free and independent Estonia today was very big," Kiho said.

The people who fought in the Estonian War of Independence will be remembered with 100 seconds of silence across Estonia at 10:30 a.m. on Friday. Church bells will ring and train whistles and ship horns will sound. After that candles will be lit and wreaths laid at locations connected with the War of Independence across Estonia.

A ceremony to remember those who fought in the War of Independence will be held by the Ministry of Defense at the monument to the victory in the War of Independence in Tallinn from 10:30 to 11 a.m. on Friday. Speeches will be delivered by Minister of Defense Juri Luik, representatives of Tallinna Reaalkool and the League of Estonian Corporations. Wreaths will be laid at the monument by Minister Juri Luik on behalf of the Estonian people and commander of the defense forces Maj. Gen. Martin Herem on behalf of members of the defense forces. In addition, wreaths will be laid by members of the diplomatic corps and members of the public. A commemorative speech will be read by the president of the Estonian Council of Churches, Andres Poder.