Soviet War Memorial in Tallinn

Posted on by Suvi

Have you ever wanted to sit on the edge of a Soviet memorial? Well in Tallinn you can do that! It’s a good idea to go in the evening, so you can see the sunset whilst exploring the massive site.

The concrete memorial can be seen from the Tallinn harbour if you look along the coast to Pirita or from the ferry from Helsinki when approaching Tallinn – it’s obvious that the Soviet’s were obsessed with size. The area is called Maarjamäe and it can easily be accessed by bus.

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There is a road between the monument and the Baltic Sea. On the other side of the road, right by the water, you can see two huge concrete slabs which seem to be an extension of the war memorial.

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There used to be an eternal flame in front of the two palms – now it’s just a faded memory.

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Information about this memorial complex is very scarce on the internet. The fact that the area commemorates those who fought for the victory of Soviet power in Estonia may have something to do with it. It’s like a slap on the face for Estonians.

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I had to have a go at sitting on the edge myself.

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The obelisk is quite a sight, even from afar. Unfortunately it’s all in ruins – I would encourage Estonians to keep their Soviet remnants in better shape. I do realize these places are not the happiest reminders of history, but history they are and history interests tourists.

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We weren’t the only ones interested in catching the sunset but surprisingly there was only a handful of us around. You would imagine that such a grand place would be full of people on a beautiful summer evening.

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As you walk along this avenue and through this gate, you will come to a cemetery.

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There used to be a German cemetery in the area which the Soviets bulldozed out of the way in the 60s and 70s for these concrete structures. The graves are not marked individually, as around 2300 dead are buried there.

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These stones are for Soviet troops who fought the Germans in the WWII.

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The restoration of the German cemetery started in the late 1990’s but it was built as early as 1941.

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Finally, we strolled down and admired the beautiful mansions on the hill.

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Gates and security – I wonder who lives here.

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Have you ever seen the Maarjamäe War Memorial? What do you think about it?

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19 thoughts on “Soviet War Memorial in Tallinn”

  1. Yes I have visited in 2021 and if there is any doubt why Estonians and the other Baltic citizens want to be part of NATO read the story on the granite markers on the grounds that once honored Soviet “heroes”. Genocide by Stalin was the norm. Tallinn and the country as a whole is beautiful. It’s history of subjugation however is at once revolting but heartening to believers in democracy.

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  8. Nice photos and interesting to know that there is such a memorial in Tallin. i was impressed by the monument with the palms. We also have many of the memorials of the 2WW and in my city the eternal flame is a history too.

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    1. Thank you Liidia! I too am impressed with the monument with the palms – imagine what it looked like with the eternal flame! I took some funny photos of myself posing in between them but those did not make this post 😛 Thank you for visiting my blog!

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