21 April 2025 ERR reports about the removal of the Soviet coat of arms from the facade of the Tallinn Russian Cultural Centre.
The City of Tallinn started on Monday to remove the Soviet-era sculpture from the facade of the Russian Cultural Centre on Mere puieste. The work is based on a coalition agreement and an assessment that the coat of arms is not safe from a structural point of view.
The removal of occupation symbols from city-owned property was agreed by the city administration a year ago in a coalition agreement.
The removal of the coat of arms from the façade of the building at Mere pst 5 is also supported by a structural safety assessment, the municipality said. According to a recent technical expertise, the coat of arms at the top of the building’s frontage is in a worse condition than expected and its removal is also necessary for safety reasons.
The element to be removed is a large concrete composition in the central part of the front façade of the Russian Cultural Centre, which depicts a pentagon, an anchor and flags. A technical expertise found that the 2.5-tonne structure does not comply with current safety requirements and could pose a risk to human safety. On the basis of the results of the expertise, the heritage authority authorised the removal of the piece.
The works will be carried out from 21 to 25 April and their exact duration will depend on weather and technical conditions. The work will be carried out by a qualified company in cooperation with industrial engineers. To ensure safety, the work area will be cordoned off and access to the Russian Cultural Centre will be from the Kanuti Garden side. There will be no change to the daily working arrangements at the Cultural Centre.
After the removal, the architectural piece will be placed in the storage of the Tallinn City Museum for preservation.
Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi