SOVIET GHOSTS in TALLINN | Communism Tour in Estonia's Capital 🇪🇪
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- Exploring Tallnin’s communist history by visiting many of the soviet era landmarks including Patarei Prison & the brutalist bunker-like Tallinna Linnahall. We’ll talk WWII, KGB & the effects of Soviet occupation.
🇱🇹 🇱🇻 🇪🇪 See all of my videos from this trip here → bit.ly/InTheBaltics
Welcome to my tour of communist Tallinn and the many sights and sounds that capture the brutal period between 1940 when Estonia was annexed to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and 1991 when they declared their independence. I also talk about the horrific period between 1941 and 1944 when German forces occupied the area.
We’ll start by discussing the history of Soviet occupation and how things turned out the way they did. This involved enforced deportations, invading forces and a mass uprising called the Baltic Chain which saw people form a human chain from Vilnius in Lithuania, through to the Riga in Latvia and onto Tallinn in Estonia.
I’ll show you some Soviet memorabilia and then take a walk around Harju Street Park (Harju Tänava Haljasala) which was once a mediaeval neighbourhood in the city centre that was destroyed by Red Army bombing during World War II. Scores of civilians were killed and hundreds of residential properties were destroyed. We’ll then take a look at the former KGB headquarters on our way down to the seafront.
Next up is the former KGB jail and Sea Fortress called Patarei Prison (Tallinna Keskvangla) which has recently opened back up to the public. Its mission statement is to highlight the crimes committed to innocent Estonians during Soviet rule. I was able to walk around the prison cells, read clear and informative signs explaining the events that happened there, and even visit death row - the scene of many gruesome killings.
From a distance I could see the Viru Hotel - a place where foreigners would stay when visiting Tallinn during communist times, perhaps not surprisingly it was bugged with the control room being part of a KGB museum on the hotel’s top floor. I also talked about the Tallinn TV Tower (Tallinna Teletorn) which is located about six kilometres from the old town and was built in 1980 to improve telecommunications throughout the city.
This leads on to the events of 1980 and the Olympic Games held in Moscow, Russia. It was decided that the sailing event at that Olympic would be held in Tallinn and that a new venue officially called the Lenin Palace of Culture and Sports would be built. The Tallinna Linnahall is a remarkable sight to see and a great example of brutalist architecture left over from the Soviet period.
Chapters
📖 00:00 Intro
📖 00:39 History of Soviet Occupation
📖 03:20 Red Army Bombing of Tallinn
📖 05:09 Tallinn’s KGB Headquarters
📖 06:35 Patarei Prison (Patarei Sea Fortress)
📖 07:52 Inside Patarei Prison
📖 12:33 Patarei Prison Courtyard
📖 14:12 Tallinna Linnahall
📖 19:58 Tallinn TV Tower
📖 20:20 Bugged Hotels & KGB Museum (Hotel Viru)
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Soundtrack
🎵 Frostbite by Yellowbase
🎵 Spectral by Myysk
🎵 We Go Together by OTE feat. Cal Dune
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🎵 Music by Epidemic Sound. Get a FREE month here → bit.ly/2LB53FZ
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As with many other places in central and Eastern Europe, much of the 20th century history was cruel and dark….”eerily cold inside”…Don’t know about you but I believe those prisons are literally haunted by ghosts. Seems like you were the only visitor at that time, even more eerie….Beautiful editing…very informative…I forever feel sad when seeing before and after pics/ videos of places that have been destroyed as a consequence of war. Thanks again Matt. ZZ
Thanks for watching, glad you found the video interesting. I know what you mean about the feeling of past atrocities haunting those buildings - such a dark history, you can't help but to feel bad for all the people affected. Fascinating day, I learnt so much myself.
Some things about Linnahall or the V. I. Lenin Palace of Culture and Sports as it was originally called. When the building was built, it was special as it allowed the people to access the sea, all the rest of the coast was fenced up as "port area". The port has shrunk considerably as all the cargo has been moved to a different port, hence why there is so much empty space in the coastal areas still, that are now slowly being developed. Linnahall crossed a railway line that went to the port, that is why there is a "hole" under the building. It primarily acted as a concert hall / auditorium sorts, where also some Estonian Communist Party events were held for example. The main entrance to the concert hall is from the rooftop on the city side. Also from the roof, you have some stairs that lead down to an ice rink, that was located in the frontal bit. The seaside entrance, the glass one, was a some kind of sleezy restaurant/pub in the 1990s, that had some arson attacks and whatnot. There was also a bowling alley inside the building.
Hello Sprilly, thanks very much for the information - very interesting to read. I hadn't realised that the coast was fenced off and used as a 'port area'. I really enjoyed visiting and found this particular building quite fascinating. Thanks again!
Very interesting and also very timely with all that is going on there in Eastern Europe right now!
Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes a very difficult time but they are doing us proud. Thanks for watching.
Great video - both informative and entertaining! Keep it up!
Much appreciated! Thank you 😀
A very interesting video. I spent a couple of days in Tallinn in early 2017. The only time I ventured out of Old Town was an evening walk in the snow to the Lenin Palace of Culture and Sport.
Thank you, it’s a fascinating subject and there’s plenty to learn. That evening stroll sounds good, bet Tallinn looked amazing in the snow!
Cool video 🙏🙏🙏🏴🏴🏴🏴
Thank you!
In Linnahall (City Hall near the sea) 17:22 was not the ordinary theatre, it was more concert hall - musical hall and the ice rink too. The main entrance was upstairs from the city side.😊
Ah thanks for the information, very useful.
Great video Matt 😊 i agree that all the communist history in Estonia is really interesting. Did you go into the KGB Prison cells to have a look around? I did when I went in January and found it it fascinating, but very disturbing. It seems maybe a little bit odd to build flats on top of it, I couldn't imagine wanting to live over a building with such a grisly past, but thats just me 🤔 what do you think? Hope you're well and having a good May so far, too! 😊
Thank you! I didn’t get inside the KGB prison cells unfortunately, the day flew by and I only managed to get to about half the places in my list. Next time I need to spend 2 days on communist Tallinn. Sounds interesting from your comment, I agree about building flats there - I wonder if they mentioned it during the sale?! All good with me thanks, hope all is well with you.
How many years ago was this filmed?
The whlle of the Tallinn waterfront from Linnahall to Patarei is developed 😅😅
A couple of years ago! Maybe I need to go back and see what’s changed!
You visited Estonia a while back?, the construction of Port Tramline that passes under Linnahall hasn't started on the video lol
Well I will have to go back and see what's changed! Thanks for the info.
Always love the Communist tours. Good luck on the prison being open. That's quite a place. Too bad you couldn't get in and see the ice skating rink. Good idea landing your helicopter at a different spot. Hopefully that hotel is no longer bugged!
I would love to go inside and take a look around - that would have been spectacular. Maybe one day they'll open it up for tours!
That's like someone went to Warsaw with a Nazi obsession.
I beg to differ. As the sign in the museum said 'Remembering helps to prevent atrocities from happening again'.
@@MattWhitingsEurope talking about your video title and premise.
I see. Thanks for the feedback, I thought Soviet Ghosts would tell the story?