The year was 1972 and a little less than 20 years remained until the end of the soviet era. Apr 16, 2020 looking to get inspired on your trip to tallinn. We recommend booking tallinna raekoda tours ahead of time to secure your spot. The kgb museum tallinn possibly the worst museum in. Kgb museum that occupies 23rd floor of sokos hotel viru features equipment, uniforms and documents of russian secret service agents. The tour is a very tongueincheek, even sarcastic, and certainly entertaining affair that tries to provide an insight into the soviet era without making it too gloomy. Having all the foreigners in one place made it much easier to keep tabs on them and the locals they had contact with, which is exactly what the kgb did from its 23rdfloor spy base. Its lively yet peaceful, absurdly photogenic and bursting with wonderful sights ancient churches, medieval streetscapes and noble merchants houses.
Of course you are its in the top 5 places to go in tallinn according to tripadvisor as of making this video in april. Check out where to stay in tallinn and book an accommodation of your choice. Our guide was very knowledgeable and presented the tour in a very interesting and friendly manner. Welcome to the world where an hour spent makes the two parallel worlds of the soviet time understood and tangible. No longer the plaything of greater powers danish, swedish, polish, german and soviet tallinn is now a proud european capital with an allure all of its own. We recommend booking kgb museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. Doing your own sightseeing in tallinn may leave you skimming over landmarks and the citys history and culture. An eye opening reminder of just how the kgb played the part of big brother actually in our life time the museum is bizarrely on the 23rd floor of a 22 storey hotel no there is no typo there but to understand you have to visit the museum. Aeg on vorminud virust ainulaadse ja eheda siit saate midagi, mida mujalt ei leia. The hotel viru 1972 was not only estonias first skyscraper, but literally the only place for tourists to stay in tallinn at the time. The former kgb headquarters on pikk street have welcomed visitors for several years now, and the kgb museum, on the top floor of the hotel viru on viru valjak, opened early in 2011.
Tallinn to helsinki ferries prebook or buy on the day. The year was 1972, and there were still two decades or so until the fall of communism and the collapse of the soviet union. Historians visiting tallinn have several opportunities to catch a glimpse into estonias communist past. Rooms previously used by spies during the soviet era sit on the top floor of the stylish hotel viru, located on viru square. The property boasts views of the city and is a 15minute walk from kadriorg art museum. Not so much a museum as such but a guided tour through the somewhat museumized parts of the viru hotel in tallinn where the kgb used to operate its surveillance technology to listen into guests conversations and so on. Price request we invite you to museum of federal service of security of russia former name the chekist museum of kgb of the ussr which tells the history of the most powerful organization in the world kgb. Reserve your spot today and pay when youre ready for thousands of tours on viator.
Immerse yourself into worldclass art, exciting history, and mindbending science. Dont miss out on great deals for things to do on your trip to tallinn. Kgb used to play a big role in hotel virus and generally estonias history. Hotel viru and kgb museum there once was a hotel that came to be named the viru. This museum is a must to understand how awesomely the kgb tried to protect soviet estonia meaning totally oppress its citizens. Located in the hotel viru, the kgb museum takes you back only a little way into history to soviet times but it seems like a different world. For almost 20 years thfor almost 20 years the 23rd floor of tallinns city centre hotell viru functioned as the radio translation room for the kgb. As of 2019, most of the structure is blocked off by safety fences. In 2001, the kgb cells museum better known as the dungeons of the kgb one of the most remarkable museums in estonia dedicated to the crimes of the communist regime and to the estonians resistance movement opened its doors in tartu. The latter rumour turned out to be true, as you will see on this. Kgb museum tallinn 2020 all you need to know before you. What makes the passage particularly interesting is that its home to the st. A wide range of different rooms, restaurants, entertainment and recreation services, a conference and banquet centre, a shopping centre and an interesting kgb museum all under one roof.
Museum in moscow sight of interest museums of moscow kgb museum the chekist hall of the kgb of the ussr opened in 1984 the hall was created for professional training and educating of the state security services employees. Thinking of visiting the kgb museum in the veru hotel in tallinn estonia. Catherines guild, a collection of craft workshops where artists use traditional methods to create and sell glassware, hats, quilts, ceramics, jewellery, handpainted silk and other wares. Museum hotel viru and the kgb once upon a time, there was a hotel called viru. Do you want to know the entry ticket price for kgb museum. Genocido auku muziejus, in vilnius, lithuania was established in 1992 by order of the minister of culture and education and the president of the lithuanian union of political prisoners and deportees. Having all the foreigners in one place made it much easier to keep tabs on them and the locals they had contact with, which is exactly what the kgb did from its.
Tallinn is also home to two major natural science museums estonian museum of natural history and estonian health care museum. Access to the museum only with a tour guide, duration of the tour about 1 h. Fahle restaurant and syrtaki ulemiste shopping center can be reached within a walking distance of 10 minutes. Estonian food museum and estonian food museum are both at hand.
The hotel for foreigners also had to suit the national security body kgb. Visit kgb museum on your trip to tallinn or estonia. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Kgb museum tallinn updated april 2020 top tips before.
Make the most of estonias unescolisted capital on a smallgroup guided walking tour that features all the mustsees and historical and cultural commentarybenefits you may miss if alone. Viru kgb museum, tallinn dark tourism the guide to. For an interesting and fun history lesson join one of the groups leaving between 10am and 5. They house listening and recording equipment some cleverly disguised, dial telephones, uniforms, and a typewriter. The country needed hotels suitable for foreigners, and these hotels had to accommodate kgb as well. Check out the best tours and activities to experience kgb museum. This was all in line with the plan of the kgb agents who listened in to every. Hotel viru kgb museum tallinn, estonia attractions. Check out the best museums in tallinn to visit in 2020. Read quite a few threads on here about the ferries between tallinn and helsinki which have been very informative. Okupaciju ir laisves kovu muziejus, previously the museum of genocide victims lithuanian. If like me you enjoy a good spy novel and lap up history books on the kgb then maybe you will still visit.
Kgb museum the chekist hall of the kgb of the ussr. There once was a hotel that came to be named the viru. Museum of occupations and freedom fights wikipedia. Theres nothing there, and other lies the kgb told us. The apartment is located 30 minutes walk from the center of tallinn. The exposition is presented in 4 halls and tells about different work methods of kgb agents historicallydemonstrative hall of federal service of security of russia was opened in. The museum of occupations and freedom fights lithuanian. In soviet times it was rumoured that the kgb had files on everyone and that they operated in the viru hotel. The kgb museum is a shrine of the stories about two worlds one world, which existed mainly on paper, where all the citizens were happy and friends with each other, and lived without any troubles, being led by the wise and the only party. The viru hotel, open in 1972, is full of various stories stories about the hotel itself, soviet society and the development of estonia.
Plan to visit kgb museum during your tallinn vacation using our convenient tallinn driving holiday planner. After the soviet union collapsed and the room was discovered, it was left alone completely intact until five years ago, when it was turned into a museum. However, have a question about whether i should prebook the tickets or buy them on the day. Those intrigued by the citys secret history can take the guided tour of the kgb museum on the 23rd floor of sokos hotel viru. The rooftop, with its magnificent view, is the only part of the building that can be visited. Kgb museum tallinn 2020 all you need to know before. The museum, which can only hold 25 people at a time, occupies a hotel room that began to be used.