Estonian Presidents

General information about Estonia  Government: parliamentary republic  Head of state: President  Official language: Estonian  Population: 1,342,000

Konstantin Päts  Grew up in a farmer’s family  Graduated from Tartu University as a lawyer  Worked as a lawyer in Tallinn  Took part in establishing the Estonian Republic

How did he become the President?  Päts established an authoritarian rule after a coup in 1934  Päts was the only Presidential candidate and was elected in 1938  President in

Konstantin Päts  In 1940 the Soviet Union occupied the Republic of Estonia and Päts was forced to resign  Päts and his family were taken to Russia  During the next years he lived as a prisoner in Russia and died in a mental hospital in 1954

Konstantin Päts  He became the symbol of independence in occupied Estonia  The Presidential Chain was confiscated by the Soviet power and it is still in Moscow even nowadays  Päts’s remains were brought to Estonia from Russia and were not buried until Estonia got back its independence (in 1991)

Konstantin Päts Päts with his wife Helma At Tahkuranna

Lennart-Georg Meri  Because Meri´s father was a diplomat, he received his primary education abroad  Graduated from Tartu University as a historian  Spoke many languages  He became a famous writer and moviemaker who did research on the Finno-Ugric culture  Was the Prime Minister after Estonia regained its independence

Lennart Meri  President in (two terms)  Popular with intellectuals and young people  Signed a contract with the President of Russia to take the Russian army out of Estonia in 1994  After his death Tallinn airport was named after him

Lennart Meri Lennart Meri & the Ex-President of Russia Boris Yeltsin Lennart Meri’s stamp

Lennart Meri  He appreciated jokes and joked himself too  He was called the camel because he looked like the camel by Eduard Viiralt

Joke about Lennart Meri  The driver, President Meri’s Commission Officer and President Meri (“meri” means “the sea” in English) were driving along the coastline. The sea smelled badly. Meri asked what was smelling. At first the driver told that it was the sea, but then he was startled and corrected himself by saying “the open sea.” The Commission Officer, whose name was Mr. Avameri (“the open sea” in English), blushed as President Meri remained silent.

Arnold Rüütel  Farmers loved Rüütel because he studied and encouraged farming  Rüütel caused double feelings because he had been on a high position in the Soviet Union  He had good relations with Mikhail Gorbachev, the head of state of the Soviet Union, and helped to restore Estonian independence

Arnold Rüütel  President in  His wife Ingrid Rüütel is internationally known as a folklore specialist

Arnold Rüütel Rüütel with UN Ex-Secretary-General Kofi Annan Rüütel with Uspensky, the Russian Embassador to Estonia

Toomas Hendrik Ilves  Was born in Stockholm, Sweden in the family of Estonian emigrants  Lived and got his education in the USA  Came to Estonia when Estonia was independent again  Has been the Foreign Minister of Estonia

Toomas Hendrik Ilves  Collected over 70,000 votes in the elections for the European Parliament  Ilves became the President in 2006

Foreign visits

Toomas Hendrik Ilves  Restored his forefathers’ farmhouse which boasts doors painted in the pattern of the Estonian national dress and some guest-rooms named after other presidents (Päts & Meri)

The Soft and Furry  This is a TV show about Estonian politicians which criticises our politics  Our Presidents are also in the show Arnold Rüütel Ilves and the Rabbit The Pig The Wolf

Kadriorg Palace  The Presidential residence of Estonia

Thank you!