Viru kgb museum, tallinn dark tourism the guide to. The owners of the newlyopened hotel viru were intourist, the soviet unions foreign tourism office, and the foreign tourism office of the estonian ssr. Check out where to stay in tallinn and book an accommodation of your choice. The name comes from the name of the tower commander at that time, hinse meghe, and was later adapted into maiden tower in english. Available films can also be viewed on a large screen in the museum cinema hall. The museum of the occupation of latvia together with the latvian institute offers a virtual tour of the corner house the former kgb headquarters in riga. There is also a great deal of nsc attributes sbor narodni. Kgb teater kohvik muuseum lootsi 8, 10151 tallinn, estonia rated 4. Tallinn art galleries self guided, tallinn, estonia. The museum was moved to the genocide and resistance research centre of. Kgb museum, vilnius, lithuania travel photos by galen r. For an interesting and fun history lesson join one of the groups leaving between 10am and 5. The kgb museum is a shrine of the stories about two worlds one world, which existed mainly on paper, where all the citizens were happy and friends with each other, and lived without any troubles, being led by the wise and the only party. The prison in the basement of the building is as intact as it was in 1991 when the kgb left.
The offer only applies to permanent exhibitions, and doesnt include extras such as guided tours. Hotel viru kgb museum tallinn, estonia attractions lonely planet. The year was 1972 and a little less than 20 years remained until the end of the soviet era. But you cannot see burnt tanks and ruinous buildings here. By the resolution of the government of the republic of lithuania, dated march 24, 1997, the rights of the founder of museum were taken over by the research centre of genocide and resistance of lithuanian population.
Having all the foreigners in one place made it much easier to keep tabs on them and the locals they. Jul 31, 2014 please mind the hidden bugs what a world when tourism picked up in estonia in the 1970s, the kgb finally had the perfect way to monitor foreigners and locals. The kgb museum, formally known as the museum of genocide victims, is one of the most famous and most historically significant places in russia. All of them provide a tantalising but incomplete glimpse into estonias very recent and repressive past but few instil the same level of fear and intimidation as the former kgb headquarters. Visit kgb museum on your trip to tallinn or estonia. Occupation museum tallinn dark tourism the guide to. Not so much a museum as such but a guided tour through the somewhat museumized parts of the viru hotel in tallinn where the kgb used to operate its surveillance technology to listen into guests conversations and so on. Viru hotel kgb museum things to do in tallinn likealocal.
The latin quarter features the prominent masters courtyard, gothic dominican monastery museum, popular tallinn city museum, captivating dominican monastery claustrum, and the marvelous. Museum of genocide victims established ten years ago is already interesting for the foreign visitors and for, lithuanians, it reminds about our tragic history and losses museum is unique because it is the only one of its kind in the baltic states that is established in the former kgb headquarters. The museum of occupations and freedom fights lithuanian. Those intrigued by the citys secret history can take the guided tour of the kgb museum on the 23rd floor of sokos hotel viru. Elizabeth newcamp is a floridabased homeschooling mother of three boys ages 7, 5 and 3. Viru valjak 4, 10111 tallinn, estonia kgb museum contact number.
Viru valjak 4, 10111 tallinn, estonia sales service. The hotel viru 1972 was not only estonias first skyscraper, but literally the only place for tourists to stay in tallinn at the time. From early independence, to the establishment of the estonian soviet socialist republic in 1940s. Genocido auku muziejus, in vilnius, lithuania was established in 1992 by order of the minister of culture and education and the president of the lithuanian union of political prisoners and deportees. After the soviet union collapsed and the room was discovered, it was left alone completely intact until five years ago, when it was turned into a museum. The museum offers guided tours of the basement prison cells and an exhibition about the history of kgb activities in latvia during the soviet occupation.
View all attractions near kgb museum on tripadvisor. The year was 1972, and there were still two decades or so until the fall of communism and the collapse of the soviet union. This museum is a must to understand how awesomely the kgb tried to protect soviet estonia meaning totally oppress its citizens. The material you find on this blog all comes from authentic tallinn tourist guides produced and released between 1935 to 1991. The museum of the occupation of latvia the kgb building. The kgb museum is on the 23rd secret floor of the estonian hotel viru. Though comparatively small in size, its compact exhibition is excellent, rich in intriguing artefacts and an absolute mustsee for any dark tourist visiting this corner of the world. The former kgb headquarters on pikk street have welcomed visitors for several years now, and the kgb museum, on the top floor of the hotel viru on viru valjak. A modern museum in the heart of tallinn that focuses on the periods in history that most estonians would rather forget about, in particular the nearly five decades as part of the soviet union. Theres nothing there, and other lies the kgb told us. Withing the walls of this building, suspected enemies of the. The museum was founded in the year 1992 under the directive of the lithuanian ministry of culture along with the president of the union of political prisoners and deportees. Pupils, students, retired people with presentation of the appropriate document 1. Sokos hotel viru viru valjak 4, tallinn 10111, estonia.
Not so much of a museum but the guided tour tells an interesting story of the hotel and of how the kgb spied on international tourists. The building of viru was a sensation in the construction history of tallinn as well as the soviet union at the time. Copy link the hotel viru 1972 was not only estonias first skyscraper, but literally the only place for tourists to stay in tallinn at the time. Kgb museum tallinn 2020 all you need to know before you. It is associated with numerous legends and ghost stories. Hotel viru and kgb museum there once was a hotel that came to be named the viru. Hotel viru kgb museum tallinn, estonia attractions lonely. The museum rooms can be rented for seminars, receptions, presentations, etc. After the soviets hastily purposebuilt this luxurious, but imposing edifice in tallinn in 1972, estonians joked that the building was made of microconcrete concrete plus microphones. Please mind the hidden bugs what a world when tourism picked up in estonia in the 1970s, the kgb finally had the perfect way to monitor foreigners and.
For almost 20 years thfor almost 20 years the 23rd floor of tallinns city centre hotell viru functioned as the radio translation room for the kgb. Museum hotel viru and the kgb once upon a time, there was a hotel called viru. One former kgb officer has been jailed and five others convicted of crimes they committed more than 50 years ago. Hotel viru kgb museum tallinn, estonia attractions. This museum tells the story of more than just one hotel and the kgb. Kgb museum tour welcome to the world where an hour spent makes the two parallel worlds of the soviet time understood and tangible. Johann burchard 1776 1838 who ran the town hall pharmacy known as the raeapteek inaugurated in 1987, it picks up where its counterpart leaves off in the midnineteenth century to cover the political and social upheavals of the. The tour is a very tongueincheek, even sarcastic, and certainly entertaining affair that tries to provide an insight into the soviet era without making it too gloomy. The permanent exposition of the occupations museum, which was opened in 2003, reflects developments in estonia from 1940 to 1991, when estonia was alternately occupied by the soviet union. Thanks to a 2018 initiative by the lithuanian ministry of culture its now possible to visit most stateowned museums in lithuania throughout 2019 free of charge on the last sunday of every month. Tallinns desire to distance itself from the ussr meant that it has made its 30,000 former topsecret files accessible to everyone. We visited this museum, paying a little bit expensive tickets. Vabamu museum of occupations and freedom wikipedia.
The kgb museum tallinn possibly the worst museum in the. Plan to visit kgb museum during your tallinn vacation using our convenient tallinn driving holiday planner. Free admissions for museums employees, disabled persons, children under 7 years, teachers and guides leading organized groups. There are many remnants of the soviet era still present in and around tallinn. Okupatsioonide muuseum in tallinn, estonia, is located at the corner of toompea st. The hotel for foreigners also had to suit the national security body kgb. It was opened on july 1, 2003, and is dedicated to the 19401991 period in the history of estonia, when the country was occupied by the soviet union, then nazi germany, and then again by the soviet union. Viru, opened in springsummer 1972, went immediately down in history as the first skyscraper in estonia and the most prestigious hotel in the region. Tallinns latin quarter is an interesting district in the centre of the city. Viru kgb museum, tallinn dark tourism the guide to dark. Visit kgb museum on your trip to tallinn or estonia inspirock. The museum, which can only hold 25 people at a time, occupies a hotel room that began to be used. Seaplane harbourlennusadam, estonian maritime museum, tallinn, estonia duration.
Today there are 19 cells in the kgb prison in the basement plus the guards rooms, the search rooms, some torture cells and a courtyard for prisoner exercise. During the soviet era the hotel viru was the only hotel in tallinn where international tourists were allowed to stay and the hotel should show them how perfect life in. Eesti ajaloomuuseum is a museum about the history of estonia in tallinn. The former kgb headquarters on pikk street have welcomed visitors for several years now, and the kgb museum, on the top floor of the hotel viru on viru valjak, opened early in 2011. The bright part of the kgb museum is the photo exposition prague 1968 in the eyes of kgb officer. The country needed hotels suitable for foreigners, and these hotels had to accommodate kgb as well. During most of this time the country was known as the. Historians visiting tallinn have several opportunities to catch a glimpse into estonias communist past. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. Kgb museum tallinn 2020 all you need to know before.
Having all the foreigners in one place made it much easier to keep tabs on them and the locals they had contact with, which is exactly what the kgb did from its. The tallinn collector introduce you to the history of tallinn tourism during the soviet union through pictures and texts. The latin quarter features the prominent masters courtyard, gothic dominican monastery museum, popular tallinn city museum, captivating dominican monastery claustrum, and the marvelous st. During the soviet era the hotel viru was the only hotel in tallinn where international tourists were allowed to stay and the hotel should show them how perfect life in the soviet union was. Johann burchard 1776 1838 who ran the town hall pharmacy known as the raeapteek. Kgb used to play a big role in hotel virus and generally estonias history. Over the years, viru has become one of the most wellknown symbols of tallinn and estonia for visitors from both east and west. In one of the main streets in tallinn, that is, in viru valjak str. Okupaciju ir laisves kovu muziejus, previously the museum of genocide victims lithuanian. Museum of occupations and freedom fights wikipedia. Thinking of visiting the kgb museum in the veru hotel in tallinn estonia.
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