In Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, we can find charming streets, wonderful squares, beautiful gardens and other places that seem out of a fairy tale. However, there is an area famous for its terrible past and dark present, the Patarei Prison.
The Russian Empire, during its heyday, was one of the greatest powers in Europe. His domains included the territories of nations that are independent today, such as Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, and, of course, Estonia.
In fact, Estonia was one of the countries geographically closest to the Russian Empire, and both nations shared an important trading point on the Baltic Sea. It was there, in the waters near the port of Tallinn, that Tsar Nicholas II ordered the construction of a military barracks.
However, this barracks would go on to become a prison, which for more than 50 years terrorized all defendants whose sentences were to be served there.
Currently, the Patarei Prison is a museum, in which it is shown what the prison life of the people who were imprisoned in that place was like, and what were the crimes that were paid with a stay in this infamous Estonian prison.
Paterei, whose name in Estonian means battery, has been in operation since Estonia declared its independence from the Russian Empire in the late 19th century. Unfortunately, this freedom would not hesitate too much, since Estonia was one of the countries most affected by the Second World War.
The German army wanted control over the most important ports and canals of the Baltic Sea, and to do so it had to conquer Tallinn. During that time, many Jewish citizens from that city and from other parts of the country were taken prisoner and locked up in the Patarei Prison.
However, the real terror came after the defeat of Germany and the victory of the Allies. The Soviet Union seized almost all the nations of Eastern Europe, including Estonia.
The proximity between the Patarei Prison and Russia made it the ideal place for the KGB, an organization that played the role of secret police in the Soviet Union, to incarcerate a huge number of political prisoners, many of whom would have sentences gruesome and would be deported to Siberia.
Similarly, the Patarei Prison also carried out executions, torture sessions and brutal interrogations.
The history of Patarei is one of the most fascinating, albeit grim, in the entire Estonian capital. Therefore, visiting it is taking a look at the recent past of this country, which still bears the scars of years of repression, censorship and fear.
Similarly, the Patarei Prison holds the memories and experiences of many of its prisoners, several of whom never managed to regain their freedom. So if you are curious and like to explore the secrets hidden in abandoned buildings, this is one of your must-sees.
Please note that the Patarei Prison offers private tours, which will take you through the entire structure of the prison. These are delivered in English, Russian or Estonian.
From this place a good idea is to visit the Kalamaja neighborhood, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Tallinn.
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