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Independence Restoration Day

Independence Restoration Day 2024, 2025 and 2026

Independence Restoration Day in Estonia is marked on 20 August each year to celebrate the day in 1991 when Estonia regained the freedom it had lost to the Soviet Union more than five decades earlier.

YearDateDayHoliday
202420 AugTueIndependence Restoration Day
202520 AugWedIndependence Restoration Day
202620 AugThuIndependence Restoration Day
Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates.

After Estonia’s long and ancient history that included Viking and Teutonic influence, in 1629, Sweden took control of mainland Estonia. In 1710, Russia forced Sweden to hand over Estonia as a part of the Treaty of Nystad. In 1918, after the Bolshevik Revolution, Estonia gained independence from Russia only to lose it again to the Soviets then, in 1941, to the Germans.

In 1944, Soviet forces again took control of, and began to ravage, Estonia. Decades later, a large majority of western countries declared that Soviet occupation of Estonia was illegal and Estonia finally declared independence, again, on 20 August 1991.

Previous Years

YearDateDayHoliday
202320 AugSunIndependence Restoration Day
202220 AugSatIndependence Restoration Day
202120 AugFriIndependence Restoration Day
202020 AugThuIndependence Restoration Day
201920 AugTueIndependence Restoration Day
201820 AugMonIndependence Restoration Day
201720 AugSunIndependence Restoration Day
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