KGB Prison Cells
A place where evil made its nest and many innocent people disappeared without a trace
Overview
The KGB prison cells in Tallinn’s Old Town are one of the most staggering examples of the twists of fate a single house can hold. Built in 1912 as a luxury residence, in 1917 it became the home of the officers of the Patarei sea fortress. When Estonia’s independence was declared on 24 February 1918, the house became the heart of statehood – the Provisional Government gathered here, and it was from here that the War of Independence began to be led. During the first Estonian Republic the dignified building housed the Ministry of War. The early 1940s brought total change. The former symbol of state power became the KGB’s notorious pre-trial detention prison. This place asked no one’s rank or occupation. Politicians, intellectuals and War of Independence veterans ended up here, but so did entirely ordinary teachers, farmers and schoolchildren. One thing united them all: they were convicted under the infamous §58 of the criminal code. It was treated as treason, followed by torture, death sentences or deportation to the vastness of Siberia. The statistics are grim – only 2% of those who ended up in these cellars ever made it back to freedom.
Today the reopened prison cells in the cellar are a living memorial to communist terror. A guided tour of the KGB prison cells is no ordinary museum visit. It is a journey through time in which you hear the stories these thick walls would whisper into your ear if only they could speak. It is a tribute to those who suffered here, and a reminder of the terrible price of freedom.
The prison cells reopened in the cellar symbolise communist terror. Two corridors, six cells and a punishment cell are open to visitors. The walls of the second corridor display themed temporary exhibitions – about the people, and their stories, who survived the red terror.
The KGB cells tour can be combined with a Vabamu excursion or the In the Footsteps of the Soviet Era tour.
Important Info
KGB cells ticket prices can be found here.
I do not recommend the excursion for small children. Children are known to be more receptive to energies and unexplained phenomena that an adult's eye may no longer notice. The atmosphere in this place may be too heavy for a child.
If you are more sensitive by nature or feel the energy of rooms keenly, think carefully about whether you are ready to enter the cells