TALLINN – THE CAPITAL OF ESTONIA

In the Anthony chapel the remaining part of the significant “Dance Macabre” picture (end of XV century) is kept. It came out of the brush of famous Lubeck artist Bernt Notke. Beside this, in the Niguliste a unique collection of silverware that used to belong to the church, guilds, trade unions and the Brethren of the Black Heads is kept.

At the present time, in the hall of the Niguliste church, which is famous for its excellent acoustics, concerts are held.

The Church of the Holy Spirit is Tallinn’s only sacred construction that has preserved its appearance since XIV century.

The simple church of modest size was built in 1360 and, not taking into consideration the tower cap in the Baroque style, has fully preserved its original appearance. The Church of the Holy Spirit occupies a special place in Estonian culture: here the first sermons in Estonian were read; here a famous chronicler, a native Estonian, Baltasar Russov conducted services. While a pastor of the church Johan Coell became the author of the first book in the Estonian language – “the Catechesis” (1535).

On the façade of the church building, the oldest street clock in Tallinn shows time.

One of the four most precious works of art of medieval Estonia – an altar that was created in 1483 on an order of city dwellers by the famous medieval master Bernt Notke – is also here.

The Garden of the Danish King. According to tradition, it is in Tallinn where the Danish obtained their national flag. This historical event occurred on June 15 of 1219 during one of the fiercest battles. The Danish troops were already on the brink of defeat when the heavens opened and out of them a flag fell down to their feet.

Encouraged by this sign from above, the Danes won the battle. After that, the reign of the Danish King in Tallinn and Northern Estonia lasted over a hundred years.

Every summer in this romantic garden the Danish Flag Day of Danebrog is traditionally celebrated.

The building of the Big Guild is the second biggest secular medieval construction in Tallinn after the City Hall.

The Big Guild united rich merchants and was supposed to protect their interests. Out of the members of the Big Guild the head of the city and Ratmans were elected. It is not accidental that Tallinn’s small coat of arms – a wide cross on a red background – was at the same time the coat of arms of the Big Guild. Only married merchants who possessed a private house in Tallinn could be members of that guild. Foreigners were given this privilege only after they made a decision to stay in Tallinn for good and married a widow of a member of the guild.

The building of the Big Guild was built in 1407-1417 and was designed for holding meetings in it. Impressive size of the building and its elegant appearance testify about a high standard of wellbeing and influence of the members of the guild. Auxiliary facilities of the guild were located near Börsi (stock) Lane that connected Lai and Pikk Street. From the side of Pikk Street an excise tax chamber and a warehouse of silver were located, while on the side of Lai Street – a so-called “Bride’s Chamber” and a servant’s apartment.

The outward appearance and interior of the building have been preserved since XV century, having suffered from only insignificant changes. The building’s façade is ornamented by the Big Guild’s coat of arms, while the Bronze lock on the entrance door dates back to 1430.

Now in the building of the Big Guild there is Estonian Historical Museum. Its permanent exposition makes one acquainted with Estonian history from ancient times until XVIII century.

The house of the Brethren of the Black Heads is one of few buildings in Renaissance style that remained in Tallinn.

The Brethren of the Black Heads was found in 1399. Only young and yet unmarried merchants could become its members. When they settled down and started a family they had a right to apply for membership in the Big Guild. Foreign merchants who lived in Tallinn temporarily were also accepted into the Brethren of the Black Heads. The guild owes its name to St. Maurice, who, according to tradition, was a black African. Depiction of St. Maurice can be seen on the coat of arms. The Brethren of the Black Heads operated only on the territory of Estonia and Latvia; in other European countries it was basically unknown. The last members of the Brethren left Tallinn in the first half of the last century.

As early as in XIV century, on the site where now the building of the Brethren of the Black Heads stands there used to be a private house. In the first half of XVI century, it was purchased by the Black Heads, who built in it a big hall without vaults.

In 1597, the building was once again seriously rebuilt and the façade was richly ornamented with decorations and elements in the Renaissance style. In 1640s, the Brethren built one of the most prominent gates in Tallinn.

As for the two-nave hall on the site purchased from the Oleviste Guild, it was erected as early as in XV century.

The last significant rebuilding of the building of the Brethren of the Black Heads was conducted in 1908 and touched only the interior, which that time was done in the spirit of Neo-Classicism.

In medieval Tallinn the Oleviste Guild united representatives of simple trades: skinners, butchers, coopers, masons, carpenters, boatmen, watchmakers, grave diggers – all of them, as a rule, were Estonians. In the end of XVII century, the Oleviste Guild joined the Canute Guild.

As early as in XIV century, the Oleviste Guild possessed its own building, which was rebuilt in the beginning of XV century. Until present time a two-nave hall with six starry domes of the vault has remained.

In 1919, the Guild’s hall was purchased by the Brethren of the Black Heads. Because of frequent reconstructions, the building’s façade, in which influence of Yugend style is predominant, unfortunately fully lost its medieval appearance.

The building of the Canute Guild (Pikk tanav 20) is located not far from the Oleviste Guild. This guild was first mentioned in 1326. Despite the fact that the Canute Guild is believed to be younger than the Oleviste Guild, its foundation yet could take place in XIII century. In the beginning of its activities the guild was a spiritual fraternity. Later the guild became a union of craftsmen and united masters of mainly German origin who carried out the most difficult and valuable trades and crafts. Probably, in the beginning the number of the guild’s members was pretty small; its influence and significance grew rather slowly and reached its peak only in XVI century. The Canute Guild ceased its activities in 1920.

In 1326, the guild owned one building. In 1406, another building nearby was purchased. In 1470, on the site of the new building the guild’s hall was constructed, which was located in the middle of today’s building. In 1800, a third building was bought. This is how on Pikk street the building of the guild with three frontons emerged, which in 1863-1864 was rebuilt under the influence of English Gothic style.

Figures of Martin Luther and St. Canute were established on the façade.

The Canute Guild included: jewelers, shoemakers, clockmakers, hatters, bakers, glove-makers and painters. Incorrigible idlers were excommunicated from the guild temporarily; the longest “penalty” period lasted 99 years.

In Tallinn around two thirds of medieval private houses are preserved; they are rebuilt to a bigger or lesser degree but at the same time they remain patterns of medieval architecture. The ones that are preserved best of all are: the building of the House of Tourists (Raekoja plats 18), the building of Tallinn’s city theater (Lai 23) as well as houses at Vana-Turg 6; Kuninga 1; Pikk 71; Lai 29 and 40; Vene 17 and 23; Rüütli 12; Suur-Karja 8.

Medieval residential houses. In Middle Ages private houses were built according to one and the same principle; the layout of inner facilities was also typical and only the size and decoration of the facilities varied depending on the house owner’s income.

Usually a house consisted of a spacious hallway (diele), a small kitchen under a protruding part of the chimney, one heated living facility (dörnse), several closets and basement rooms which were not heated and storage rooms on the upper floors. Such medieval house had, as a rule, a rather narrow façade and the sharp-edged fronton. And because the upper floors of the building were used as storage rooms, the bags with goods were uplifted upstairs right away with the help of a wind hung on a beam. The walls of a medieval house were laid of limestone and were whitewashed, while the roof was covered with special bricks of burnt clay.

The houses in the lower city stood so close to each other, that some even had common walls. Behind a building, as a rule, there was a long narrow yard, in which there were auxiliary facilities, barns, stalls, cowsheds and shacks for servants and hired workers.

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