Mart Saarma and his sister Riina wrote to the Ministry of Education. They want the former Elfriede Lender Gymnasium in Tallinn to regain its old name. Currently, the school is named Tallinn Central Russian Gymnasium.
Riina Saarma wrote that they have also submitted the same request to the Tallinn mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski and the council chairman Toomas Kruusimäe. The mayor and the council chairman supported their request, but the process has been delayed. Riina asked the ministry to support their request.
Riina and Mart Saarma believe that now is the right time to restore the school's name. Estonia is transitioning to Estonian-language education. They want the name restoration to happen before the start of the new school year.
Riina wrote that this name change personally affects their family. Their mother Valve Saarma and aunt Helle Simm graduated from Elfriede Lender's private gymnasium in 1938. Therefore, their request is an appeal from family members of alumni.
The restoration of the school's name has been discussed since the restoration of Estonia's independence. However, there are questions about whether a name change is enough if the school's content remains the same. A new school founder who would follow Lender's principles has not yet been found.
Elfriede Lender's Private Gymnasium operated from 1907 to 1940. The school was founded and led by Estonian educational figure Elfriede Lender. The school opened on September 9, 1907. Among the school's teachers were Gustav Ernesaks, Ernst Peterson-Särgava, and Marta Sillaots. In 1935, the school moved to a new building on Kreutzwaldi Street. Before that, the school was located in buildings on Maakri Street. The school operated until 1940, then it was renamed Tallinn 6th Secondary School. Today, Tallinn Central Russian Gymnasium is located in the same building.