The Churches of Tallinn, Capital of Estonia
Freedom of Worship allows Lutheran, Catholic, and Russian Orthodox
Tallinn is the capital of Estonia, one of the three Baltic countries that achieved independence from the former Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
The old town is a beautiful place just to wander around and walking is the best way to see all the churches of the various Christian denominations.
Charles’s Church – Estonian Lutheran Church
On the edge of the Toompea district in the south-western part of Tallinn, opposite the National Library, stands Charles’s Church, regarded as the centre of the Estonian Lutheran Church. This church derived its name from the previous church on the site, a wooden structure built in the late 1600’s during the reign of Sweden’s King Charles XI.
This church was burnt down in 1710 by the Russians and the site lay vacant for 150 years before the current church was built over a period of 20 years in the late 1800s. The interior seated 1,500 people and enabled Estonians to meet in large numbers at a time when the Russian overlords were being severe on any evidence of Estonian nationalism. To emphasize this point, the funerals of notable Estonians are still held in this church.
Heading along Toompea street towards the Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox Cathedral make sure to visit the Occupation Museum, which documents the times in the 20th Century when Estonia was occupied by either Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union. Do not miss the statues and busts of Communist notables in the basement - ignominiously situated right outside the washroom entrance.
Russian Orthodox Church – Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Walking towards the onion domes of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the visitor now enters the Toompea district, which has its own castle and lies on an outcrop above the Old Town of Tallinn. The Cathedral was built in the year 1900 and has a prime position opposite the Estonian Parliament.
An irony of this juxtapositioning is that only Russian is spoken inside the Cathedral. It is one of the few places in Tallinn where you will see old ladies seeking alms from visitors.
Dome Church – Lutheran Cathedral of Tallinn
The Lutheran Cathedral of Tallinn, or Dome Church, is further up Toompea street. A church first stood here in the early 13th Century and was gradually enlarged over the next four hundred years before a fire destroyed the interior in 1684. The church was renovated in two years and the baroque spire was added in 1778.
The Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox Cathedral
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