Foreign Minister Tsahkna receives historic Estonian flag relic in Sydney
During his official visit to Australia, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna received a historic Estonian flag relic at the Estonian House in Sydney on March 10th. The flag, which is over 80 years old, will now be taken to the Estonian National Museum in Tartu.
The flag was rescued in Estonia around 21 September 1944, when a young Estonian man, Eugen Vilder, climbed to the top of the flagpole at Kadriorg Palace together with a young soldier and saved the Estonian flag from falling into the hands of Soviet forces. The Estonian flag flew in Kadriorg in 1944 for only a few days during the government of Otto Tief. It is not known who had raised the flag on the Kadriorg Palace flagpole for that brief moment.
„Eugen Vilder’s act of rescuing the flag is yet another story that is quintessentially Estonian, showing how important our national symbols — such as the blue, black and white flag — have always been to us throughout history. The young man took a great risk in taking the Estonian flag down from the mast and, in order to save it, wrapped it around his body, concealed it beneath his clothing, and carried it with him when he fled the turmoil of war from Tallinn together with his mother and younger sister,” Tsahkna said. „The flag eventually made its way to Australia in 1949, via Germany. Eugen Vilder kept the flag in his possession until his death in 2021, and it was discovered at his home in Australia by his heirs last August.” Today the flag was ceremonially handed over to Foreign Minister Tsahkna, who will take it to the Estonian National Museum in Tartu.
