EDITORIAL ⟩ Thank you, president Arnold Rüütel!

«Elvis. The one who lives forever.» – «Arnold... I just got here...» Illustration: Urmas Nemvalts

• Time determines whom our people remember in history and how.
• We cannot overlook the fact that Rüütel was a high-ranking Soviet official in the Estonian SSR.
• Rüütel's undeniable contributions to the Estonian people and the Estonian state cannot be ignored.

The generation of men who played a role in Estonia's re-independence is gradually passing into eternity. A year ago, Vaino Väljas departed, and on the very last day of last year, Arnold Rüütel followed. There is nothing we can do—time is merciless for us in this temporal life, yet, in its gentle way, it grants us eternal redemption.

Time determines whom our people remember in history and how. President Arnold Rüütel already holds an important place in the hearts of the people, as shown by his re-election as head of state (even if it was by the electoral college).

Perhaps the lasting image that will accompany Arnold Rüütel in our memory is that he was always with the people. The Aegviidu-Jäneda ski hike, held in a region previously visited by Konstantin Päts, was significant to him. During Rüütel's patronage of the hike, the concept of the presidential trail firmly took root in public consciousness. President Rüütel himself donned skis, and as long as his health allowed, he would always be seen skiing with the people amidst the snow-covered trees.

Thus, president Rüütel stood by his people through both difficult and easier times. Not everyone could flee Estonia, and not everyone could also be a freedom fighter. This, of course, does not diminish the vital role of the Estonian diaspora and dissidents in our re-independence.

Perhaps the lasting image that will accompany Arnold Rüütel in our memory is that he was always with the people.

Nevertheless, we cannot overlook that Arnold Rüütel was a high-ranking Soviet and Communist Party official in Soviet-occupied Estonia. He enjoyed the privileges of the nomenklatura, stood on the tribunes during «red holidays», and praised Soviet power at meetings. Meanwhile, dissidents fighting for Estonian independence suffered in Siberian prison camps. This part of his life must also be remembered, and it is up to historians to provide a fair evaluation of it.

However, the next image of president Rüütel etched into our collective memory is his speech at the podium of the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union in Moscow. There, he defended Estonia's steps toward sovereignty, as it was called at the time. Rüütel's upright and dignified figure withstood all attacks. Through this, he aligned himself with figures such as Alexander Dubček and Imre Nagy. While the leaders of Czechoslovakia and Hungary endured Soviet invasions that crushed their freedom movements (at the cost of their freedom or lives), Arnold Rüütel was far more fortunate. Although the likelihood of a bloody conflict became real in January 1991—and blood was indeed shed in Vilnius and Riga—Rüütel's personal friendship with Boris Yeltsin brought Yeltsin to Tallinn and temporarily eased tensions. For this alone, we can remember president Rüütel with gratitude.

Rüütel was also involved in the agreements between the Supreme Soviet and the Estonian Congress, which enabled the restoration of Estonia based on legal continuity. His contributions to Estonia's journey toward European Union membership are also worth remembering from his tenure as president of the Republic of Estonia. Thank you for your good deeds, president Rüütel!