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 | Speeches | | |
The President of the Republic closing the Home Decoration Year on August 24, 2002, at Avinurme24.08.2002
Honourable Mr County Governor,
Honourable Mr Municipality Mayor,
Dear Home Decorators and Guests,
The conception of home in the vocabulary of the Estonians has a very concrete content, but, at the same time, it bears social value judgements: home as the home of one's childhood, in broader sense, also home town or village, home region or community, homeland or Fatherland.
Taken together these conceptions mean to people dear and important things shaping their lives, notably their childhood and youth, and are a critical factor in the formation of a personality. This formation begins with the cradle and upbringing at home, with the school and the family traditions.
Songs about the home, both lyric and patriotic, always have been created. Many of those have gone to the heart of the people and become popular.
In Juhan Viiding's verse "Kodulaul" (Home Song), there is a line reading: "Without a sense of home we would be homeless." Home has to the Estonians a particular meaning centred on family, and that, over times, has joined different generations together and made our traditions continue. When the bond between times and generations gets lost, one becomes homeless.
We would like our new generation to be individuals both physically healthy and having high morals, who, while keeping pace with positive renewals also held in honour traditional values, who, in the name of success, career and avarice neither abandoned their home and family nor sold out their native country.
The young get a great deal of their value judgements from home and, in turn, at their homes pass them on to their own children. Because of that a home should not only be beautiful but also very fond of children and of high ethical standards.
Man embellishes his environment and the environment embellishes the man. That can be said both in the direct and in the figurative sense of the word. Shaping ones home includes sense of the beautiful, the old wisdom and new ideas, use of both traditional and new materials.
The appearance of public buildings such as museums and churches, health centres and production plants is important too, for the beauty of the environment of life means not only just one's little home garden.
Beautiful nature and beautiful buildings, new schools, clean streets, parks and flowers, beautiful homes and home gardens - all that creates a feeling of security and faith in the better future.
Thus, the fare-reaching goal of the home decoration movement should just be a more beautiful environment of life. While shaping it together, also society as a whole will become healthier, more harmonious and beautiful both physically and mentally.
With this in mind, I wish all of you strength and every success!
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