Estonia's Patarei Prison to Become Museum of Communist Crimes

Estonian Minister of Justice Urmas Reinsalu proposed on August 23, 2018, to convert the former Patarei prison in Tallinn into an international museum and research center dedicated to crimes of communism. The announcement was made during the inauguration of a memorial to victims of communism at the port. The proposal has sparked debate, as the prison, completed in 1840 by order of Russian Emperor Nicholas I, has been closed to the public since 2016. Previous ideas for the site included a hotel or a yacht garage, but none were pursued. The project is supported by delegates from Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary. Sandra Vokk of the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory noted the need for a research center on communist crimes, stating that the institute is developing a concrete plan. The prison, covering 40,468 square meters, was originally a marine fortress, later used as a barracks, and from 1920 to 2002 served as a prison under various regimes. It is now a cultural monument of the Republic of Estonia. Renovation costs are estimated at nearly 100 million euros.