Author/Source: Ken Mürk/ERR
Here is the English translation of the article:
ERR journalist Mirjam Mäekivi writes (29.07.2026):
The City of Tallinn has begun relocating two monuments located in the city center, a move connected to the completion of the Tallinn Real School extension.
The 1790 Battle of Tallinn memorial “Anchor and Cannon” will be moved to the island of Aegna after restoration. The monument to Ernst Peterson-Särgava, currently located next to the Museum of the Bank of Estonia, will be installed in its former spot.
The Battle of Tallinn memorial consists of an anchor and a cannon from the Swedish warship Riksens Ständer, which took part in the 1790 naval battle in Tallinn Bay and sank near Aegna. They were raised from the sea in the late 19th century and placed near the former Russian Club building (currently housing the Südalinna Library) as a naval battle memorial.
Following the completion of the Real School extension, the former site of the naval battle memorial will be redesigned into “Knowledge Square” (Teadmiste väljak), connecting the school and the library. Since the wreck of the Riksens Ständer lies near Aegna and the memorial has no direct connection to its current location, it will be taken to the island after restoration, giving the monument a historically better-justified site.
In its place, the city will install the monument to Ernst Peterson-Särgava—a writer, educator, and long-time teacher and head of studies at Tallinn Real School. Peterson-Särgava, whom students also knew by the nickname “Beard” (Habe), worked at the school for decades, making his memorial a more direct fit for the newly created educational space.
The monuments are being relocated at the proposal of Tallinn Real School. They are being moved and restored by Kivikunst OÜ.
The Ernst Peterson-Särgava monument (by creators Matti Varik and Allan Murdmaa) is scheduled to be installed at its new location by the start of the new school year. The Battle of Tallinn memorial will be transported to Aegna Island after restoration, likely in the spring of 2027. A separate action plan is being drawn up for this, which includes preparing the new site, installing appropriate information boards, and obtaining the required approvals.
Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi