THE MIRACLE OF AUGUST 20 ⟩ If a new Republic of Estonia had been created in 1991, we might have been in Ukraine's position today

Late in the evening of August 20, 1991, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia declared Estonia's national independence. In the photograph (from back to front), Chairman of the Supreme Council Arnold Rüütel is pictured alongside Vice Chair Marju Lauristin and Speaker Ülo Nugis. Photo: arhiiv

• The act of voting in favor of the decision has become more significant than how it was created.
• The choices were either to declare the Republic of Estonia or to restore independence.
• Despite significant disagreements, two representative bodies arrived at the only right decision.

August 20 is a special day in Estonian history. 33 years ago, a period of over 50 years of occupation came to an end. Estonia's independence was restored. Specifically — restored, Piret Tarto writes.

The Republic of Estonia, founded on February 24, 1918, had never de jure ceased to exist, and now, during an attempted coup in the Soviet Union, the historic moment had come to restore the state de facto.

Representatives of the two then-existing representative bodies — the Estonian Congress and the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia — reached an agreement on the content of the decision «On the National Independence of Estonia» during crucial negotiations at Toompea on August 19 and 20. The decision was ratified in the hall of the parliament at Toompea with a gavel strike by Ülo Nugis, the then-chairman of the Supreme Council of Estonia, at 11:03 p.m. It was an uplifting and solemn moment!

This could be the end of this article, wishing everyone a happy Restoration of Independence Day, if it were not for the unfortunate repetition of the half-truth and inaccurate portrayal in the public sphere year after year, suggesting that the mere 69 votes of the Supreme Council deputies alone brought us independence. It is odd that the act of voting itself has become important, while who drafted the decision and how during the tense hours of August 19 and 20 seems almost irrelevant. The role of the Estonian Congress has been completely forgotten. It is reminiscent of Vello Salo's comment about the creation of the universe: everyone examines and talks about the Big Bang, but no one cares about who pulled the trigger.

Events unfolded at lightning speed

I vividly remember the morning of August 19, 1991. My husband Enn and I were walking down Jakob's Hill in Tartu, happily holding hands. We were expecting a child. We had no idea about the world news. On Rüütli Street, we met an old friend, pianist Mall Sarv. Mall told us what had happened—the hardliners had seized power in Moscow. Shocked by the news, we immediately went to the Estonian Congress office in Tartu, located at Town Hall Square. From there, Enn called the office of the Committee of Estonia in Tallinn. Everything moved very quickly from that point. I sent Enn to catch the bus to Tallinn. On his way, he saw tanks and armored vehicles heading towards the capital from Pskov. I returned home alone and listened to the radio.

In Tallinn, Enn went straight to the office of the Committee of Estonia located in the courtyard at 5a Narva Road, where the board of the Committee of Estonia had gathered. Upon Marju Lauristin's invitation, Committee of Estonia Chairman Tunne Kelam, along with three vice-chairmen, Vardo Rumessen, Enn Tarto, and Sirje Endre, headed to Toompea. They first met in a small circle in Ülo Nugis' office. Representing the Supreme Council were Ülo Nugis, Marju Lauristin, and Arnold Rüütel. Later, Liia Hänni also joined them. The discussions then continued in room 115 of Toompea Castle.

Piret Tarto with her husband Enn Tarto, one of the vice chairmen of the Committee of Estonia, on August 23, 1991, at Toompea. Three days earlier, Estonia's independence had been restored. Photo: Tamara Jegorov

Enn later noted that this was the first time the group of the Committee of Estonia had entered Toompea Castle. On the same day, Estonian Congress leader Tunne Kelam and Supreme Council Speaker Ülo Nugis made a joint radio announcement for the first time, addressing the Kaitseliit (Defense League) volunteer corps and the public. The Estonian people were urged to remain calm and resolute and to protect strategic locations in Tallinn — the Radio House and Toompea.

The foresight of the decision-makers at that time allows us to securely define ourselves as a free nation today

Enn stayed at Toompea until the morning of August 20. After the principles of the decision on the restoration of independence had been established, he returned to Tartu but remained in contact with the leaders of the Committee of Estonia by phone. On August 20, further meetings continued between Kelam, Rumessen, and Endre with the Supreme Council members in a larger circle, still in room 115.

There were intense debates, with each side defending its views. There were also consultations with members of the Committee of Estonia. The fundamental debate was over whether Estonia's independence should be restored or declared. Both sides desired Estonia's independence, that much was clear. However, the Supreme Council's plan was to declare the Republic of Estonia (which might have sounded grand) and request diplomatic recognition for a newly declared state. The representatives of the Estonian Congress did not agree to this. The position of the Estonian Congress prevailed — that Estonia's independence would be restored based on legal continuity, and diplomatic relations with foreign countries would be sought accordingly. Thus, the positions agreed upon during the crucial meeting on August 19 remained in force.

Speculating on what might have been is not particularly rewarding, but if a new state had been created, we would likely have found ourselves today in a situation similar to Ukraine and Belarus, paying a steep price for the full right to self-determination.

At home, Enn told me everything that had happened at Toompea and what he had experienced. His impressions were immediate and fresh. He was particularly impressed by the fact that while the men were still arguing, three women — Sirje Endre, Liia Hänni, and Marju Lauristin — quietly drafted the text of the decision. A national agreement was born to form a Constitutional Assembly from representatives of the Estonian Congress and the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia and to hold parliamentary elections according to the new constitution in 1992.

Representatives of the Estonian Congress were indeed very necessary to ensure that the independence of the state that had existed de jure since February 24, 1918, could be reinstated, rather than a new state being created with all that would entail. The creation of a new Republic of Estonia as a result of the empire's collapse would have meant legal succession from the Soviet Union, remaining within Russia's sphere of influence, automatic citizenship for all residents on Estonian territory during the occupation, a completely different electorate, and so on. Speculating on what might have been is not particularly rewarding, but if a new state had been created, we would likely have found ourselves today in a situation similar to Ukraine and Belarus, paying a steep price for the full right to self-determination. With the restoration of independence, Estonia's natural place in the Western world was far easier to achieve.

What happened on August 19 and 20, 1991, was a great miracle, from which we as a nation and a state can draw faith, hope, and strength in the future. Despite significant differences, members of the two representative bodies, the Estonian Congress and the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia, reached consensus and made the only right decision. On August 20, Estonia's independence was restored.

God, protect Estonia!