General Johan Laidoner Equestrian Monument

The General Johan Laidoner Equestrian Monument stands on the Castle Hills of Viljandi and commemorates the commander-in-chief of the Estonian forces in the War of Independence. The equestrian statue by sculptor Terje Ojaver is a rare kind of memorial in Estonian public space, centred on a statesman on horseback. Laidoner, who came from Viljandi County, was also the town's first honorary citizen. The monument introduces the history of the defence of Estonian independence and Viljandi's links with that period. The statue stands outdoors and can be viewed on a walk around the Castle Hills. It is a separate memorial, not another name for the Order castle ruins or the suspension bridge.