Introduction

On the tour of ‘Traces of the Soviet era in the Old Town,’ participants will be acquainted with the buildings of Tallinn’s Old Town, which hide stories about the darker side of Estonian history and Soviet-era cultural life from 1940 to 1970. At the heart of this is the question of how free an individual can be in a dictatorial society.

 In the first half of the tour, stories will be heard about the former NKVD headquarters on Pagari Street and about the March bombing. The second half will be focused on the relationship between culture and power, when it comes to Stalinist architecture, cinematic art and the work of writers and artists under censorship. Participants will also learn about an ominous plan to demolish the buildings of the Old Town.

The tour begins at the KGB Prison Cells (Pagari Street 1) running along Pikk Street towards Harju Street and ends in Freedom Square. 

Duration: 60-90 minutes
Maximum group size: up to 25 people