On Wednesday, Riigikogu chairman Lauri Hussar, together with artist Aapo Puk, opened a portrait painting of the previous Riigikogu chairman and current deputy chairman Jüri Ratas in the Riigikogu chairman’s gallery in Toompea Castle.
Hussar said that the portrait paintings exhibited in this gallery have Jüri Ratas the youngest chairman of the Riigikogu. “Ratas has been the chairman and deputy chairman of the Riigikogu and the prime minister. As an energetic, purposeful and firm leader, he still has a meaningful future ahead of him,” said Hussar. He handed over the blue-black-white national flag to Ratas, which flew in Pika Hermann’s tower during his tenure as chairman of the Riigikogu.
Aapo Pukk described the course of the painting process and said that the posing took place at the door of the Riigikogu hall. “Jüri is a warm, direct and open person,” said Pukk. He added that while posing, we talked about children, school, teaching, our country, parents, hobbies, God. The view of the Riigikogu session hall was chosen for the painting. A lectern and the chairman’s chair can be seen in the background. “It seemed important to me to show the interior design of the beautiful hall of the Riigikogu building,” said Pukk.
More than twenty years ago, the gallery of portraits of the chairmen of the re-independent Estonian Riigikogu was started here, in Toompea Castle. The first was the portrait of Ülo Nugis, opened in 2000, by the old master Evald Okas.
In 2004, the portrait of Toomas Savi, the chairman of the 8th and 9th Riigikogu, painted by Aapo Pukk, was opened. In 2011, Laurentsius painted a portrait of Ene Ergma, the chairman of the 10th, 11th and 12th Riigikogu. The author of the portrait of Riigikogu Chairman Toomas Varek painted in the same year is Orest Kormašov, and in 2015 Jüri Arrak made a painting of Eiki Nestor, chairman of the 12th and 13th Riigikogu.
The author of the portrait of Henn Põlluaasa was again Lauri Sillak, with the stage name Laurentsius. The painting was made in 2021.
According to tradition, all the chairmen of the Riigikogu during the regaining of independence have chosen an Estonian artist to paint their portrait.
