Saeima of the Republic of Latvia

On Sunday, as part of the celebration of the 20^th anniversary of the de facto restoration of Latvia’s independence, several events will be held to commemorate the historic significance of 21 August and to honour the members of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia who supported the restoration of Latvia’s independence 20 years ago.

Celebrations of the anniversary will begin on 21 August at 10:00 with an ecumenical service in the Dome Church. In this service, which will be officiated by the leaders of all the major Christian denominations in Latvia, all inhabitants are invited to pray for Latvia.

People are invited to take part in the ceremonial laying of flowers at the Monument of Freedom; it will begin at 13:30 and will be attended by Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, other high officials of our state and representatives of foreign diplomatic missions. The ecumenical service and ceremonial laying of flowers at the Monument of Freedom will be broadcast live by Latvian Television.

At 15:00 local musicians will perform Latvian classical music at the ceremonial concert in the Latvian National Theatre. Members of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia and members of the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union who supported the restoration of Latvia’s independence in 1991, high officials of our state and representatives of foreign diplomatic missions are invited to attend this concert. It will be broadcast live by Latvian Radio on the Klasika channel, and at 18:40 it will be broadcast by Latvian Television on the LTV1 channel.

At 17:00 the speakers of the Baltic and Nordic countries’ parliaments, along with members of the Supreme Council who voted in favour of restoring Latvia’s independence twenty years ago, will plant new trees in Jēkaba Square by the main Saeima building.

During the day, the main building of the Saeima will be open to residents and guests of Riga. Everyone will have an opportunity to see the interior of the building, Plenary Chamber, representation rooms, as well as several thematic exhibitions.

More information on the events held in honour of the 20^th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitutional Law on the Statehood of the Republic of Latvia is available online at www.21augusts.lv.

On 21 August 1991 the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia adopted the Constitutional Law on the Statehood of the Republic of Latvia, thus restoring the de facto independence of Latvia and marking the country’s return to the family of democratic countries of Western Europe. With the adoption of the Constitutional Law, the laws of the USSR became null and void in Latvia. On the basis of the law of 21 August, other countries recognised the restoration of Latvia’s independence.

Saeima Press Service