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On Thursday, 30 March, the original Saeima Presidium chair from the interwar period was returned to the Parliament in a ceremonial event. Zbigņevs Stankevičs, Metropolitan Archbishop of Riga of the Roman Catholic Church, handed over the chair to Edvards Smiltēns, Speaker of the Saeima.
In his address, the Speaker of the Saeima underlined that our parliamentary democracy and the Saeima are already more than a century old and the history of the Parliament is an important part of the general history of the Latvian state.
“It is our duty as the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia to cherish the history and traditions of the Parliament. May this eyewitness of the Parliament’s history remind us about the achievements of our predecessors and the fact that the story of this building is not about chairs, but rather freedom, independence, and democracy,” underlined Smiltēns, emphasising that the chair, just like many other important objects, was saved from destruction during the Soviet occupation only thanks to the initiative and understanding of patriotic people.
In the future, the original Saeima Presidium chair from the interwar period will be held in the Voting Room of the Saeima, where any interested visitors will be able to see it. Previously, the historic chair was situated in the St. Mary Magdalene's Roman Catholic Church in Riga, where it was placed during the occupation of Latvia and remained until recently. According to the accounts of contemporaries, Bishop Jānis Cakuls saved the chair from destruction during the refurnishing of the Parliament building (back when it housed the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR).
Previously, the chair was already displayed at the Saeima as part of various exhibitions dedicated to the Parliament’s history, including during the events dedicated to the centenary of the Saeima in 2022. From now on, the chair will remain at the Parliament building permanently.
Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saeima/albums/72177720307110171
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Saeima Press Service