Tallinn. An old, old tale ...

Probably many of us love to travel. It can be fun to get into some well-preserved medieval city, walk along its ancient streets and listen to tales from a guide about its history, legends and beliefs. Especially fascinating are stories in which mysticism is present in some places. So I decided to catch up a little fear and humor on you, and start a small episode about my mysterious, but my hometown, Tallinn. Namely, I will retell you several urban legends, horror stories and tales.

How Tallinn was founded.

The legend says:
About a thousand years ago, there was a king in Denmark, whose son and daughter were inflamed with forbidden love for each other. The king, having learned about this, decided to expel his daughter from his country, since he considered her the main culprit. He came up with a cruel punishment - he ordered to put the princess on a ship without a rudder, and send this ship to the open sea so that his daughter would never return home.

One of the Danish kings of that time, Sven Forkbeard

The ship wandered over the waves for a long time until a storm washed it up on the northern coast of Estonia. The princess ordered to give up the anchor and set off by boat to the shore. After some time, she noticed a hill on the coast - the grave of old Kalev (approx.the hero of the Finno-Ugric epic Kalevala)... The princess liked this place so much that she wished to establish a city here. The exile brought with her from her native land a lot of gold and silver, and this good was carried from the ship to her tent on the hill. The princess called the people together and ordered to build first a magnificent castle for her gold and silver, and around it - a city. For those who showed courage and diligence, she granted at home. So over time, many people gathered around the castle, and the city grew noticeably, became beautiful and rich, and people lived in it calmly and happily.
Soon the king of Denmark received news of the beautiful city that his daughter had founded. And he had an irresistible desire to subjugate this city. Having overcome his pride, the king went to bow to his daughter. The princess, unaware of her father's insidious plans, forgave him and arranged a magnificent meeting.
However, the inhabitants quickly realized what was on the minds of the strangers. They immediately drove them away and remained masters in their city. The people began to call it Tanlin, the Danish castle, from which it turned out over time current name Tallinn.
A comment: From the legend it follows that Tallinn was founded by the Danes, but already in the 1st millennium AD. NS. Tallinn was a famous harbor and place of trade, being the center of the ancient Estonian land of Revala.
In the form of Rifarrik, the city is mentioned in one Irish manuscript around 750, the court geographer of the Sicilian king Roger II, Arab al-Idrisi, calls it in his comments on the world map he compiled in 1154. The Danes conquered the city in 1219, under King Valdemar II.

Linda's stone. Legend about the origin of Lake Ülemiste.

The poor widow mourned her beloved husband Kalev for many months, giving vent to complaints and bitter tears. And she began to bring stone blocks to his grave in order to erect a worthy monument to Kalev and preserve the memory of him for posterity. In Tallinn, you can still see this tombstone of Kalev - Toompea Hill. Under it, the king of the ancient Estonians sleeps in eternal sleep, on one side of the hill they rustle sea ​​waves, on the other hand, native forests rustle.

Sculpture of Linda.

Once Linda was carrying a large block to the grave. She hurriedly walked along the Lasnamägi hill, carrying a whole rock on her back in a sling woven from her hair.
Then the widow stumbled, and a heavy stone rolled from her shoulders. Linda could not lift this rock - the poor thing dried up from grief, lost her former strength of hands. The woman sat down on a stone and cried bitter tears, complaining about her widow's lot.
The good fairy of the winds gently stroked the silk of her hair and dried her tears, but they all streamed and streamed from Linda's eyes, like streams along a mountain slope, gathering in a lake. This lake became larger and larger until it turned into a lake. It is still located in Tallinn on the Lasnamägi hill and is called Ülemiste (Upper). There you can also see the stone on which the crying Linda was sitting.
And if you, traveler, happen to walk past Lake Ülemiste, stop and remember the glorious Kalev and his inconsolable Linda.

Lake Ülemiste. In the middle of the lake, you can just see the same unfortunate stone. There is an airport right behind the lake

Comment: Prose retelling by Y. Kundera (1852-1888) from the song of the second epic "Kalevipoeg".

Servants of Van - Vigala Baron.

Once upon a time in the estate of Vana-Vigala lived a baron, in whose service there were many spirits.

Vana-Vigala Manor

Once he went to Tallinn across Lake Ülemiste. The baron strictly forbade the coachman to look around while driving on the water.
The carriage rushed as if in a mirror. When she approached the bank, where it was shallow, the coachman nevertheless looked back. To his great amazement, he saw that spirits were scurrying around the carriage: they carried boards from behind the wheels of the carriage and put them in front of it - in this way they built a bridge over which the carriage rode.
As soon as the coachman looked around, a carriage with a team of horses fell into the water. But since the coast was so close, the horses pulled the carriage onto land and no one drowned.
The Baron says to the coachman: “If you looked back in the middle of the lake, we would have drowned. Spirits stop working if any of the people sees them. Don't you dare violate my order anymore! "

Why Tallinn will never be completed.

Once a year, at a dark autumn midnight, a gray-haired old man, Jarvevana, emerges from Lake Ülemiste; goes down the hill to the city gates and asks the guards:
- Well, is the city ready, or is it still being built?
V big cities There is always enough work for builders: if new buildings are not being built, then there is a lot of trouble with old houses. Here and there it is necessary to correct, touch up or rebuild, the work goes on continuously, and there is never a day when all the masters have a rest at the same time. But if suddenly there is a short break, then the lake old man cannot even say half a word about this. The order was given to the guard at the city gates to answer, he is always the same:
- The city is far from ready. It will take many years before all the work is completed.
Then the strange old man shakes his head angrily, mutters something indistinct, turns abruptly and goes back into the lake - his eternal home.
But if the old lake man is told that the city is ready and there is nothing more to build there, the waters of Ülemiste will rush from the Lasnamägi hill to the coastal lowlands and flood Tallinn.

Unfinished city of Tallinn

Comment: The legend was retold by FR Kreutzwald in 1866 in his Old Estonian Folk Tales. This motive is also found in "pure" folklore (see "Servant Kalev" in this edition). Lake Ülemiste is located high above the Lower Town and has been flooded several times (in 1718, 1761, 1867).

The Adventures of a Duke's Mummy.

In the first half of the nineteenth century, in the church of St. Nicholas (Niguliste), an amazing exhibit was exhibited. In one of the chapels, on a hearse, there was a coffin with a glass lid, and in it was a mummy, dressed in a black velvet jacket with snow-white lace, legs covered with silk stockings, and a curled wig on her head.

Duke's mummy.

The church watchman, who received considerable income for showing the mummy, was touchingly concerned about its safety. When the mummy began to overpower the mice, he got a cat in the church. One rainy and gloomy autumn evening, the organist was playing chants and suddenly he heard shuffling footsteps. A mummy emerged from the darkness in the light of a swinging lantern. The organist, seized with horror, noticed, however, that the mummy did not move by itself, but was carried. It turns out that the roof of the chapel was leaking, the mummy got wet, and the simple-minded watchman decided to dry it by the stove.
Whose mummy was it? Duke Karl Eugene de Croix was born in the Netherlands and had royal blood in his veins. He served first in the Danish army, then in the Austrian troops, and then in Poland. When the Northern War began, de Croix joined the Russian army. Peter I promoted him to the rank of field marshal general and appointed him commander-in-chief of the Russian troops near Narva. After losing the battle, the duke was captured and brought to Tallinn by the Swedes. Here he was released on parole. De Croix quickly settled in Tallinn, made an extensive circle of acquaintances among the local nobility and wealthy merchants. Before him opened not only the doors, but also the wallets of Tallinn, and the duke was a true master to live on debt. He drank a lot, played dice, and his debts grew and grew. Everything was going great.
And suddenly - like a bolt from the blue - the news: the duke ordered to live long. The disappointed lenders gathered for a meeting. Someone remembered that according to the Lübeck law of the Hanseatic cities, Tallinn residents can prohibit the funeral of the debtor until they receive their money in full. The meeting decided not to give the city authorities the body of the dead duke - the only guarantee of his large debts. The authorities showed unexpected compliance, fearing, apparently, large expenses for the funeral, befitting the title of duke. Having agreed with them, the lenders put their "pledge" in the coffin and carried it to the basement of the church of St. Nicholas for storage. It was in 1702.
The duke's mummy was found. ... ... in a hundred and twenty years, and even then by accident. The people believed that the body of the duke was preserved thanks to strong drinks, which the deceased highly appreciated. The pundits explained the mummification by the fact that the mortar holding the foundation masonry contained rock salt.
So the mummy of the Duke de Croix turned into a landmark of the Church of Niguliste, competing with the famous altarpiece "Dance of Death" by Bernt Notke. In the middle of the last century, the authorities ordered to stop the display of the noble stuffed animal, but he was buried only in 1897. So the adventures of the duke's mummy ended - two hundred years after his death.

How the owner of the Palmse estate saved Tallinn from trouble.

Once Tallinn, which was called the virgin, because no one had yet managed to take it, the whole summer was besieged by the enemy army. And although the fortress walls and towers reliably protected Tallinn residents, the famine became more and more fierce day by day, and despair and cowardice seized the hearts of the townspeople.
The savior of the city in this difficult hour turned out to be Baron Palen, the owner of the Palmse estate. He pretended to send provisions to the hungry townspeople. When the carts with food and beer barrels approached the enemy's camp at Lasnamägi, they were immediately captured by the enemy. Hunger exhausted the besieging soldiers no less than the people of Tallinn, so they pounced on provisions like wolves, forgetting about the siege. Master Palmse took advantage of this brief respite to save the city. He ordered the fattened bull and some malt to be delivered by sea to the city walls, and handed them over to the townspeople.

Palmse manor.

The townspeople brewed fresh beer and carried it to the front earthen ramparts. They poured beer on the bottoms of the overturned barrels so that the foam flowed over the edges. Then they released a bull onto the shafts, which ran out, blowing up the ground with its horns.
When the enemies saw barrels of foaming beer and a fattened bull, their soul went into their heels. “Go to waste,” the soldiers said, “you cannot starve to death who can still brew so much beer and walk the fat bulls on the ramparts. Rather, we ourselves will die of hunger. "
The next morning, the townspeople saw that the enemy was leaving home. Tallinn was saved again.

A descendant of the savvy Baron Matvey Ivanovich Palen (1779-1863), general from the cavalry.

Comment: The legend retold by FR Kreutzwald in Old Estonian Folk Tales probably refers to the events of the Livonian War (1558-1583). It was in the 16th century that the construction of earthworks began behind the city's stone wall.

Pontus, tanned leather merchant.

Pontus Delagardie

Long ago, on moonlit nights on Lasnamägi, people saw a rider in iron armor on a white horse. He offered to passers-by to buy tanned leather. But there were no people willing to buy the goods - buyers were frightened off by the disgusting smell of leather.
Once the rider met an old man with a goatee and asked:
- What price are you asking, brother, for your tanned leather?
The rider answered him:
- I just want to sleep peacefully in the damp earth.
The old man asked the knight to tell him who makes him wander at night and does not let him fall asleep with eternal sleep. This is what the rider told him:
- I was once a famous commander, and my name was Pontus. I ordered to rip off the skin from the dead soldiers, gave it to the tanner, and then ordered boots, caftan and trousers, saddle, belts and bridles from this skin. Everything I'm wearing now is made of human skin. After my death, there was a lot of tanned leather left. When I arrived at the other world and wanted to enter the gate, the guard detained me: “It is ordered to let you in only after you have sold all the remaining skin. You will leave the grave at night and drive along the roads to Lasnamägi from midnight until the first roosters until you find a buyer. " This is how I have been offering tanned leather for two generations, but there are still no buyers.
- I will not disdain your goods, - said the old man. - If you ask only to get rid of the night vigils, then the price suits me, hand over it. Get off your horse and follow me.
Pontus was delighted with the buyer, took his skins and walked after the old man. The same one led him straight to the underworld. At the underground gates, the old man took on his original appearance - he turned into a devil with horns and a tail, and cried out in a terrible voice:
- Come on, come out all those from whom Pontus flayed their skin!
Then many of his victims stepped forward, wanting to regain their skin and cover their naked bleeding flesh. Damn, grinning his teeth, taught them:
- Remove the skin from it and stretch until there is enough for everyone to cover the bones.

A. Durer. Horseman, death and devil. 1513. Cutting engraving

Comment: The legend is contained in "Old Estonian Folk Tales" by FR Kreutzwald, based on his motives, the ballad of the poetess M. Under (1883-1980) "Leather Merchant Pontus" was written. The merchant is probably the Swedish general Pontus De la Gardie (1520-1585). His tombstone in the altar of the Dome Cathedral is a masterpiece of Renaissance art. The Swedes, capturing Narva under the command of Delagardie on September 6, 1581, staged a massacre there, in which about 7 thousand people died.

About Tallinn Don Juan.

Everyone who visits the Dome Cathedral unwittingly tramples on the grave of the sinner, about whom many stories are told. Entering the cathedral through the main portal and entering the southern nave of the temple, the visitor finds himself on a large slab, along the edges of which is carved: “OTTO JOHANN TOUVE landowner Edise, Vääna and Kounu is his grave. In the year 1696 ″.

The Dome Cathedral

The legend says that Tuve, resting under the slab, was Estonian by origin, because his surname means “dove” in translation. For his merits, he was awarded the nobility. He was a man of extremely cheerful and light disposition, he loved to eat a lot and deliciously, to drink hard, and most importantly, he was known as a ladies' man and a great conqueror of hearts.
Before his death, he repented of his sins and bequeathed to be buried at the entrance to the Dome Cathedral. Tove hoped for forgiveness if he showed humility and obedience, and his ashes would be trampled by the parishioners.
Indeed, five centuries ago, the Tuve clan settled in Edise Castle in northern Estonia. They also owned the neighboring Jõhvi estate, where a church was erected at the end of the fifteenth century. On the bell tower of the church is the coat of arms of the Tuve clan. The legend about the church in Jõhvi, very similar to the legend about the Tallinn Don Juan, speaks of the character of men of this kind:
Once upon a time there were two brothers. The elder brother went to war, and the younger had to build a fortified castle. The elder brother returned from the war, a quarrel broke out between the brothers, and the younger was killed in a duel. The elder brother was seized with sadness and deep regret about what had happened, he ordered to atone for his sins to build a church on the site of the fight and bury himself in front of the entrance, so that all believers would trample on his sinful ashes.

I decided to make this post fascinatingly informative. There are many stories, legends and architectural features of the Old Town in Tallinn, so if you are interested, look under cat.

View on Old city from the most convenient observation deck (in my opinion). This observation deck is the top of the Patkul stairs leading down from Toompea Hill.

The Lutheran Church of Oleviste is one of the most beautiful and historically significant architectural monuments. It is still the tallest structure in Tallinn and throughout medieval Europe. Its height is 124 m, or rather 123.7 m.

The reason it is the highest is simple. Building buildings in the center above it is simply prohibited.

There is a legend about the construction of this church.

Tallinn was still very small in the old days. It grew slowly, and its inhabitants dreamed that the city would become a large commercial harbor. But merchant ships did not go to Tallinn. This greatly upset the people of Tallinn, and therefore they kept thinking how to glorify their city.

Suddenly someone had a good idea to build big church with such a high bell tower, such as the light has never seen: then the ships will notice her on the high seas and come to Tallinn with goods. People liked this idea. But where can one find such a master who will build a temple that overshadows all others with its size and splendor? They were looking for him everywhere, but they could not find such a builder. The inhabitants of Tallinn were already completely desperate, when suddenly an unknown hero appeared out of nowhere and began to be hired as a church builder. The residents would gladly agree - but the trouble is, the stranger asked for a payment that was painfully high - ten barrels of gold. True, he added an unusual condition: if the townspeople find out his name, he will not take a penny from them. Tallinn residents promised the hero to pay all the money in full if he builds a church for them with a bell tower of extraordinary height, and they themselves hoped to somehow find out his name and evade payment.

The question arose where to build the temple. Some offered to Toompea (approx. Vyshgorod, upper town), others - in the Lower town. The inhabitants of the Lower City objected to Toompea as a construction site, for the reason that the bell tower would rise there to the clouds, and if lightning struck it, the church would have burned down. Therefore, they decided to build the temple in the Lower City. The master started to work. Places a stone - the wall has risen, places another - the vault is ready. And the shoes on the builder are magic - if you take a step, and you look - you have walked a whole mile. People tried to make friends with him in order to find out the name, but the master was laconic and did not know anyone. Now he needs to go to Narva, then to Haljala - there he refreshed himself and rested, there his wife lived. And the construction of the church was drawing to a close. Tallinn's fear grew. No one has yet found out the name of the builder. Where to get the barrels of gold? There is nothing to do, the city sent a spy to Halyala, to the builder's wife, in the hope of finding out something. At first, the scout was unlucky. But then one day he passed by the house of the builder's wife and heard her cradling the baby: Bayu-baiushki, baby,
Tomorrow our Olev will return
He will bring ten barrels of gold!

The scout hurried to Tallinn with good news: the name of the builder is Olev! The builder was just at the top of the tower - he was placing a cross on the ball. Let the people of Tallinn call out to him from below: - Olev, Olev, do your best! The cross is tilted! Correct him! The master was pierced by lightning. The townspeople knew his name, he will not see gold! In horror, Olev's hands unclenched, let go of the cross, the scaffolding sagged under his feet, he lost his balance and flew down. The master fell for a long time until he hit the ground. At the same moment his body turned to stone, and a toad jumped out of his mouth and a snake crawled out. They can still be seen at the church frozen in stone. And the people began to call the church Oleviste, after the name of the master who built it.

The people rejoiced and rejoiced. New church became the pride and beauty of the city, a lighthouse for merchant ships. More and more foreign guests began to visit Tallinn. But the more the townspeople rejoiced, the more angry the Unclean One became. Oleviste's bell tower is like a thorn in his eye. The unclean thought both this and that, how to destroy the bell tower. He had no time to go to Tallinn himself. There was nothing left - he took a strong sling and put a stone block in it. But due to the weight of the stone, the sling broke, and it did not reach Oleviste, but fell on the fields of Ruila's estate by the road from Pärnu to Tallinn.

In the old days, there was supposedly a silver bowl on the stone, where rainwater flowed down. Some diseases were allegedly treated with this water. According to other sources, it was not the Unclean One who threw a stone into the church by Oleviste, but Kalevipoeg (approx. Son of Kalev), who was building a cathedral in Riga at that time. Kalevipoeg was angry that Oleviste turned out to be taller and larger than his cathedral, so he tried to destroy it.

Legends are legends, and facts say that the church is named after the Norwegian king Olaf II Haraldson, who brought Christianity to his country in the 11th century and was subsequently canonized for this.

The church was imperturbably high, it could be seen from the sea for many kilometers, which was a good reference point for ships. But tv turn she was like a wash and for trouble. Eight times it was struck by lightning, and three times during a thunderstorm, it was subjected to devastating fires.

The views from the church are simply amazing, so be sure to climb to its observation deck, along the spiral staircase, for only 2 euros.

And these are the famous "Three Sisters" - buildings of the 15th century, I will not write about them, as I wrote a separate post earlier, which can be read on my blog.

And this is Pühavaimu street and another stylish 5 * Schlossle Hotel in a 13-14 century building.

And this is what the hotel looks like inside.

The spire of the Niguliste Church is visible between the buildings. This is a former Lutheran church, today it houses a museum / concert hall. This temple, named after the patron saint of all sailors - St. Nicholas, was founded by German merchants in the 13th century. Initially, it was also used as a storage of goods, besides, trade deals were sometimes concluded in it - this was generally the case then in major centers trade. Fortified trading churches in the area Baltic Sea had a long tradition. Itinerant merchants have been building them since the 12th century as centers of seasonal trade points.

The Niguliste Church is one of the rarest survivors of the troubled days of the Reformation. Local tradition claims that when an angry crowd approached her, they discovered that the locks of the animals were sealed with lead. However, the building was badly damaged during World War II, many works of art were lost.

Today in Nigulista, which is history museum sacred art, exhibits covering more than seven hundred years of medieval and post-reform Estonia.

There you can also see: unique wood carvings, old coats of arms, luxurious tombstones and candlesticks, an interesting collection of precious metals, as well as a preserved fragment of the world famous painting by Berndt Notke "The Dance of Death" - a unique three-meter canvas, a photo reproduction with the course of its restoration.

This church is known for its excellent acoustics, due to which it hosts organ concerts.

Dome Cathedral - or Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is considered the oldest church in Estonia. It was built around the 13th century by the Danes, but it was rebuilt several times. These walls have seen wars, epidemics, robberies, and even their own fire. Then worst fire destroyed the entire Vyshgorod, and only the walls and tombstones of the floor remained from the cathedral. Even the details of the sculptural decoration, cut from stone, melted down. And now only the inscription on the main bell of the Dome Cathedral reminds of this fire "In the summer of 1684, the heat of the fire melted me, and I spread, a year later I was molded into this shape and named the bell of St. Mary."

Initially, the church was entered by climbing the stairs; now, in order to get to the cathedral, you need to go down the steps - and this is a visual demonstration of the centuries-old history of the temple, which has grown around its walls of the cultural layer. Until the middle of the 18th century, parishioners were buried in the church, the floor slabs are tombstones. The oldest ones are located at the opposite end of the central nave from the altar, under the organ balcony. The organ of the Dome Cathedral is one of the best in sound in Estonia.

Heading towards the exit from the cathedral, pay attention to the large tombstone almost at the very doors. Under it rests Otto Johan Tove, who, as the legend says, was famous in the city as a reveler, a reveler and a great lover of the fair sex. People call him the Tallinn Don Juan. Everyone who visits the Dome Cathedral unwittingly tramples on the grave of the sinner, about whom many stories are told. Tradition says that before his death he repented of his sins and bequeathed to be buried at the entrance to the Dome Cathedral. Tove hoped for forgiveness if he showed humility and obedience, and his ashes would be trampled by the parishioners. There is another version, according to which Don Juan ordered to bury himself at the entrance to the Dome Cathedral, so that after death he would regularly look under the skirts of women.

Maiden Tower (Est. Neitsitorn, Megede torn) is a fortress tower in the southwestern part of the Tallinn defensive wall between gate tower Luhike Yalg and the Harju Gate (Est.) Russian (not preserved); located to the north of the current Komandandi street. According to ancient documents from 1373, it received its name in honor of the captain of the tower, Hinse Meghe (German: Hinse Meghe). Later the name was changed in it. Mägdethurm, Mädchenthurm, from which Neitsitorn appeared in Estonian.

Legend has it that seamstress girls lived within the walls of the tower, and according to another, opposite legend, this fortification served as a prison for girls of easy virtue, women convicted of adultery, and young brides who abandoned suitors chosen by their parents. It is reliably known that the Maiden Tower began to be used as a prison after the Livonian War (1558-1583), when the gunners of Ivan the Terrible inflicted significant damage on the building. The destroyed fourth tier of the tower and the pyramidal tiled roof topped with a weather vane were restored only in the era of the Estonian SSR, in 1978. Beginning in 1842, Natesithorn became a residential building for over 100 years. From the end of the 19th century to the 1960s of the 20th century, the tower housed the studios of artists, including Kristjan and Paul Raudov; after World War II, the outstanding architect Karl Burman lived in the tower for many years.

The collapsing tower began to be put in order in 1968, significantly rebuilding the interior. The tower was built on a floor and a half and a glass wall was made overlooking the medieval Lower City. In 1981, the popular café "Neitsitorni" was opened in the tower. From 2004 to 2011, the tower was closed, and only when it was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Tallinn City Museum, the process of its renovation began. Large-scale renovation work began in May 2012. The reconstruction cost almost 1.2 million euros.

By the way, since July 10, 2013, a cafe has been operating on three floors of the tower with a view of the old city (entrance with a museum ticket). I have never been there, if anyone was, tell me what will I give for the cafe?)

The streets of the old city are very beautiful, you can walk along them all day long and find something new and interesting every time.

And this main square city ​​- Town Hall. She happens to be business card cities, and there are almost always many tourists here. Town Hall Square in Tallinn, like in many other cities, served as a venue for trade deals, fairs and folk and festivities. By the way, the Town Hall is perfectly preserved, you will read about it a little lower in the article.

A beautiful house in the square.

On the left is a small train that carries tourists around the old town. 16. And on the right is the Department of Cultural Property (on the Town Hall Square).

"OldeHansa" Medieval restaurant in the center of Tallinn, one of the landmarks of the Estonian capital. The restaurant is located in the Old Town, a few steps from the Town Hall Square at the address: Vana-Turg, 1. The restaurant also includes the Krambude medieval shop. The restaurant offers its guests an original menu and interior, designed so that visitors can fully experience all the delights of "time travel". It sells delicious nuts with different bites, which you should definitely try.

The same restaurant, only on the other hand, has a summer terrace.

Laboor bar - they say very interesting place where cocktails are served in test tubes, but I absolutely didn't feel like going there.

A beautiful semi-modern house at the exit from the old town.

There are a lot of sheep-themed souvenirs in Tallinn. For example, how these cuties, which really cost from 20 euros the cheapest ((

Passage of St. Catherine (Katariina käik).

This street appeared on the map of Tallinn relatively recently, although it is one of the oldest in the city. It's just that it was not an independent unit, and was simply called a passage. It connects Vene and Müürivahe streets and starts under the arch. The reconstruction of this lane and its designation into streets required the liquidation of the plant among the monastery buildings. By the way, the street is easy to miss, so be careful (on the first trip I also forgot about it and missed it, and only 2 or 3 times did I see it).

Today the lane has become a model example of the Middle Ages. It seems that time has stopped here, and behind the medieval walls, like many centuries ago, potters, weavers, glass blowers and other craftsmen work. And until now - in the basement of the passage there are shops-workshops, where stained-glass windows, jewelry and ceramics, as well as leather souvenirs will be made right before your eyes.

On the walls of the alley, you can see the gravestones transferred from the Church of St. Catherine that was previously located here. Buried in it only influential townspeople, members of the magistrate and merchant associations - the Great Guild and the Brotherhood of Blackheads.

By the way, people still live in houses on this street! Even though they pay high rent but what a pleasure it is to live here, work, eat and sleep. It's magical.

P.s. my advice is to come here later, in the late afternoon (in the summer - at 7-8 o'clock), then there will be practically no tourists (or maybe even at all), and you can enjoy the silence and immerse yourself in dreams of the Middle Ages.

The City Wall is another must-climb place. You can look at the roofs of houses and look out the windows.

Tallinn Town Hall is a city hall that is over 600 years old and the only surviving Gothic town hall in Northern Europe. 115 steps.

Initially, the building of the Town Hall was one-story and made of limestone. But over time, it was rebuilt and expanded. In the 16th century, a weather vane was installed on the tower, which received the name (from the local residents) - Old Toomas. And now, almost 500 years later, he also guards the city, although not quite, he is guarded by a copy kept in the basement of the Town Hall.

Old Toomas also has a legend. According to her, Toomas was the name of a boy from a poor family, who once got into a competition of archers and aptly hit a wooden parrot, for which he was not punished, but was taken into the city guard.

Town hall in the afternoon.

Town hall at night

Tallinn is a must see. This is a medieval city, which is perfectly preserved and has survived to this day in almost the same form as 5 centuries ago. It is especially pleasant to walk here in the absence of tourists, and this can be done in the second half of the day in rainy weather, or in early autumn. In summer, it is not crowded here. Therefore, be sure to add it to your Wish list))

Tallinn Legends - a fascinating journey into the past

Tallinn, with its long and fascinating history, is known for many mesmerizing legends. Ancient stories came from the distant times of the Middle Ages to our days, carrying both human greatness and devilish baseness. However, for the first time, both the townspeople and the guests of the city themselves will have the opportunity to get into the Middle Ages, to feel the breath of time, to experience the joys and sorrows of people of those immemorial years, to feel love and hate, as the medieval townspeople felt.

Tallinn Legends unite the city history left behind the shadow of centuries, the lively skill of the actors and the special effects created with the latest technology - all this creates a true illusion of time travel and everyone who enters the game reality of Tallinn Legends will find themselves in the midst of exciting events, forgetting about everything. other things and becoming a part of the revived history.

Tallinn Legends is an adventure beyond words. The feeling that arises when racing into the past in a time machine must be felt for yourself. Only in magical world Tallinn Legends can be climbed high tower the newly built church of Oleviste, walk through the streets ravaged by the plague, descend into the deep cellars of the court of the Inquisition, listen to an amazing song coming from the mermaid well, together with the girl walled up in the Maiden Tower, cry about the frailty of the elusive young life, attend the execution Baron Johann von Jückskull, discover the voluptuous taste of marzipan in the dark alchemist's workshop, and sing a daring battle song with the hired soldiers. Time travel makes it special that Mr. Satan himself will personally accompany the guests to the dark secrets of ancient Tallinn. The presence of such a tall and powerful person guarantees an unforgettable experience.

LOCATION

Tallinn Legends is located right in the heart of the old town, next to the oldest town hall in Europe, at Kullasepa 7.

LEGENDS

Construction of Oleviste and the curse imposed on the church

At one time, the Church of Olaviste was the tallest building in Europe. This amazing one that ascended to the sky God's temple began to build in 1267 and construction lasted for a hundred years.

It seemed to contemporaries that the Unclean Himself seemed to interfere with the work. The architect who had pinned his hopes on the church and set the cornerstone fell from the high forests and crashed to death. The situation was no better for the next six craftsmen, who linked their fate with the construction of a magnificent building. Only the eighth construction master, whose name was Olev, was able to complete the work. But his life was also short-lived. Decorating the church tower with a wreath on the occasion of the completion of construction, Olev heard someone calling him from below, bent over to look, but fell and crashed, like his predecessors.

On June 29, 1625, lightning struck the church tower and the gigantic building burst into flames. After that, the arrows of lightning struck the House of the Lord thirteen more times.

You will visit the Oleviste tower, take a look at the city from there and, together with the arrows of lightning, go down, falling into the deep Middle Ages.

The terrible secret of the Maiden's Tower

In medieval Europe, there was an unshakable idea that if a living girl was immured in a fortress tower or castle wall, the building would stand unshakably until the end of time. Tallinn was no exception in this respect. When in 1360 the walls of Tallinn began to be supplemented with a new quadrangular watchtower, to strengthen it, they decided to brick the virgin girl into the wall of the first floor of the tower. The unfortunate maiden had to give the tower unprecedented strength at the cost of her life.

The lot fell on the beautiful Grete, who, despite all the efforts of her parents to save her daughter, was secretly taken out of the house and walled up in a small stone niche. For several more nights, those passing by the tower heard a quiet cry, but then it stopped, and people began to call the new watchtower the Maiden's Tower. The tower actually withstood all the wars and trials that fell to the lot of the city and to this day adorns the silhouette of Tallinn.

You sympathize with the doubts and fear of the death of a young girl and watch the fragile figure of the beauty with your eyes until cold stones swallow it.

Plague

Like most cities, Tallinn has been repeatedly visited by a terrible plague epidemic that killed thousands of people. A terrible disease was considered the punishment of God, help from which they sought in fasting and prayers, locking their houses and fleeing the city, clearing the premises with the smoke of juniper and washing themselves with herbal infusions, but nothing helped - from house to house, the Black Death moved from street to street in their eerie way, leaving not a single castle, not a single hut untouched. Death made people equal. But at the same time, when the streets were filled with corpses, between which doctors dressed in strange costumes, treating for the plague, were maneuvering, in one of the houses there gathered libertines and drunks who spent their days in obscenity and abundant libations, but the plague did not touch them. Obviously, these burners were too sinful even for death itself.

Artist Berndt Notke immortalized the monstrous plague of the 14th century in a painting he called "The Dance of Death." This famous painting is located in Tallinn in the Niguliste church and reminds of the times when half of the city's inhabitants died out, starting with babies and ending with high-born gentlemen.

You see the streets ravaged by the plague, carts with refugees leaving the city. And suddenly Death itself appears, which draws you into a deadly dance, at the end of which nothingness gapes.

Retribution

Medieval people were afraid of the retribution that awaited all sinners. The unfortunate ones fell into hellish fire, but it was possible to get there already on earth if the zealous servants of God believed that you had violated the church canons.

The Dominican coat of arms depicts a dog carrying a torch. The monks considered themselves dogs of God, whose task was to illuminate the path for the righteous and subject sinners to suffering. It was not difficult to fall into disgrace with the holy fathers - as soon as some neighbor sent a denunciation to the monastery, they would seize the apostate to present them before the harsh court of the holy fathers. For those who at least once appeared before the church court, the path of salvation was cut off. Witches burned at bonfires, Satan's brides were drowned in ice holes in winter, townspeople who had conspired with unclean forces disappeared at midnight and never returned home again.

You will pass through the high monastery gates and appear before the holy judicial supervision, where the all-seeing eye will weigh your sins. Fortunately, there is a way to escape from this scary place, and you will do it, hearing menacing barking of dogs and jingling of prison shackles behind your back. This time you will remain unharmed - what a stroke of luck!

Alchemist

When death is raging around and life is not worth a penny, there is a desire to find a formula for immortality. In 1420, when the population of Europe was reduced by half as a result of wars and plague epidemics and the future seemed bleak, hundreds of alchemists began to search for the formula for immortality. One of these scientists ended up in Tallinn and demanded from the Tallinn City Hall a room where it would be possible to complete scientific research and to give the townspeople eternal life. The whole night, he fiddled with strange experiments and from time to time from the window flames could be seen and clouds of smoke poured from the chimney, but in the morning the alchemist disappeared. A recipe was found on the table and the city pharmacist used it to make an incredibly tasty substance, which they began to sell as a means of stimulating male abilities. The substance was named marzipan and indeed, many children were born in Tallinn and the townspeople inherited eternal life.

Superstitious people still claim that in the room where the alchemist compiled his incredibly useful recipe, Satan himself celebrated the wedding. The Lord of Evil allegedly left a recipe in order to lure people into the path of sin. Well, everyone looks at the world from their own bell tower.

You will be present together with the alchemist during dangerous experiments, as a result of which marzipan will be born. If you are lucky, you too will be touched by the miraculous power of marzipan, and your family life will become unanimously unanimous and fruitful. This is the bonus you will receive by visiting Tallinn Legends.

Mermaid

To this day, on Rataskaevu Street, you can see an old well, which is associated with the legend of a beautiful girl found on the seashore. The girl was brought to the city, dressed up like a princess and decided to marry a rich young man, but on the first evening she disappeared from the house. All night, unearthly singing sounded over the city, and in the morning, when they went to see what had happened, the girl was found in the well. The water called her to itself. And the next night, the same thing happened, only now the singing came from the city towards the sea and called at dawn into the abyss of the waves. For he who gave himself to the waters will never get rid of the longing for the quiet depths of the sea.

The girl was never seen again in the city. But in the hearts of those who heard her singing, there remained an incomprehensible thirst for love, which all Tallinn residents have inherited. And today with love they come to Coast admire the moonlight, and lonely souls, overcoming the sea winds, find consolation on the shore and hope that a meeting with a loved one is not far off. However, there are those who, having come ashore, never return back, as happened with the beautiful mermaid.

You will hear a delightful unforgettable song and feel the intoxicating call of the waters. You will have a magical story about longing and love, and you will immediately understand that, despite the harsh times, wars and diseases, there were times in the Middle Ages when people felt truly happy.

The execution of Johann von Juckskull

The time of the Middle Ages was coming to an end, and the value of human life began to increase. The establishment of the Lübeck City Law has significantly increased the self-awareness of the inhabitants of Tallinn. Free artisans and merchants lived here, and the peasant, who managed to hide in the city for one year and one day, was freed from the serfdom. The city grew and became stronger. Chivalry was no longer subject to the supreme authority, but was independent.

The Baron from Riisipere Johann von Jükskull, who secretly made his way to Tallinn in 1535 together with a detachment of thugs, found his fugitive peasant here, took him away by force and killed him. The townspeople, outraged by the arbitrariness, demanded justice from the town hall, then the city authorities arrested the baron and sentenced him to death for murder.

On May 7, when they wanted to carry out the judgment on a suburban hill with a gallows, the baron's henchmen arrived at the scene with the intention of freeing their master. In order to prevent a bloody confrontation, Uxskull was executed between the lowered city gates. The executioner cut off the head of a nobleman, and thus the law prevailed over prejudice, and the time of the Middle Ages in Tallinn ended.

You will see a proud baron mocking city law and how an arrogant person will be broken in the face of death. Together with the inhabitants of ancient Tallinn, you will celebrate the victory of justice and relive the moment when the head of a criminal will be impaled.

The journey will take place over 9 centuries, from the very beginning of the Middle Ages, ending with the first trial, as a result of which Baron von Juckskull was executed. Which marks the end of the Middle Ages in Estonia. These 9 legends that we have selected in Tallinn Legends are associated with such real places as, for example, the churches of Oleviste and Niguliste. Also the Marzipan House and the Witch's Well. We will also talk about Pontus De la Gardie, who was the governor of Estonia in the Middle Ages and won the 7-year Northern War.

Performance duration - 40 minutes

The performance can be in one of four languages ​​- Russian, Estonian, English or Finnish.

The number of people in a group is up to 15 people.

Passage - a new group every 15 minutes.

Opening hours - daily, from 11:00 to 19:00 (last group at 21:00)

Age restrictions - not recommended for children under 10 years old.

Ticket price - 15 euros / adult, 10 euros / child, 35 euros / family (2 adults and 1 child up to 16 years old)

Tallinn is one of the oldest and most mysterious cities in Europe. Its atmosphere has always been saturated with a mystical spirit. It is not surprising that there are so many legends about ghosts and other otherworldly phenomena.

Executed in the Town Hall Square

In the old days, the Town Hall Square was used as a market place and was the heart of the Old Town. All important city events were held here, including the executions of criminals.

It is reliably known about two cases of the death penalty in the square. The first to be executed was the pastor, who, in a fit of anger, broke the skull of the tavern maid, who brought him a burnt omelet, and who himself came to the Town Hall to confess. The second is the ratman, who blabbed to his wife some state secrets, which were discussed at the meeting of the magistrate in the Town Hall (this was prohibited by law). As punishment, the ratman was forced to put his wife on her back and run around on all fours around the Town Hall building. Both the assassin-pastor and the gossip-ratman were cut off their heads. Since then, their phantoms have sometimes appeared on the Town Hall Square.

Old Town Towers

The tallest tower in Old Tallinn is called Kik-in-de-Kök (“Look into the kitchen”). They say that from its top it was possible to see before which of the townspeople was preparing for lunch. Natesithorn Tower ("Maiden") from the XIV century. served as a dungeon for girls who refuse to go down the aisle with the suitors their parents chose for them. They were kept there until they submitted to their parental will. Although, according to another version, seamstress girls lived and worked there, and no special dramas took place.

However, after a café-bar with a mulled wine room was opened in 1980 in the Natesithorn Tower, a ghost of a man dressed in a cloak and beret with a visor began to visit there. Once the headmistress of the cafe watched as a man's silhouette disappeared into the wall ... Another time, before everyone's eyes, someone's invisible hands removed the candlesticks with burning candles from the counter of the bar counter ... Repeatedly glasses and cups on the tables began to move right in front of the visitors ... In the room, footsteps and conversations were heard, someone invisible slammed heavy wrought-iron doors and clicked metal bolts. All this made the establishment very popular with the so-called "ghost hunters".

And here's another legend. Once upon a time, a loving couple lived in the vicinity of Revel (as Tallinn was called until 1919) - a peasant son Herman and a fishing daughter Margarita. In the evenings they walked hand in hand around the city, but before midnight they had to part and leave the city, as some kind of curse hung over them.

Once the lovers forgot about time. When the clock began striking midnight, they rushed in different directions, but did not manage to cross the border of the city. And then Herman turned into a tower (she was nicknamed "Long Herman" because the young man was slender and tall). The fatty Margarita (her name is "Fat Margarita") has also become a tower. Both towers stand at opposite ends of the Old City, where the fateful hour overtook the lovers ...

Vampire maid

Another attraction of Tallinn is house No. 13 on Toom Kuli Street, where the Canadian Embassy is now located. The writer August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue, appointed president of the Revel Magistrate in 1785, detailed its history in one of his novels.

According to von Kotzebue, the houses were once owned by Count Manteuffel. He allocated one of the rooms on the ground floor for the guests who stayed overnight. And everyone who had to stay there overnight later told about the ghost of a young woman in black.

According to legend, the ghost girl during her lifetime was the earl's maid, who was inflamed with lust for her. After she resolutely rejected the harassment of the lustful owner, he, furious, as if ordered to brick her up in the wall of that very room. By the way, one of the guests who visited the count's house said that as soon as he sat down by the fireplace, from somewhere a very beautiful girl in a black dress, who approached him, clasped her throat with her hands and dug her lips into his. The man lost consciousness and regained consciousness only three days later ...

Damn wedding

The following story is told about Rataskaevu Street (translated as "Wheel Well"). One person lived in house number 16. He managed to drain all his fortune and get into debt. In despair, the owner of the house decided to commit suicide. But at that moment, when he was already making a loop for his neck, a certain gentleman came to him and promised a bag of gold coins for permission to play a wedding in his house. The only condition was not to tell anyone about this and not to leave your room during the celebration. Of course, the man happily agreed.

The next evening, hundreds of carriages arrived at the house. Lights came on in all the rooms, music began to sound. The whole house was shaking, as if at least a thousand people were dancing in it. But as soon as the clock struck midnight, everything was quiet and the lights went out.

Going out into the hall where the wedding was taking place, the owner saw on the floor soot traces of hooves ... In the middle of the room stood the promised bag of gold. The man rushed to him, barely managed to touch him - and fell down dead ...

According to another version, the owner took the gold and began to revel more than ever. But his servant, who furtively watched the wedding, really died soon after, having managed to tell the priest about everything before his death ...

Now this building is a hotel. And the window of the room where the devil allegedly played the wedding was walled up, just in case.

Waterworks from Ülemiste

Tallinn also has its own water heater. They say that from time to time a gray-haired old man approaches passers-by on the streets of the city with the question: "Has the city been completed?" This is Järvevana, a water spirit living in Lake Ülemiste located near Tallinn Airport. According to legend, if you answer the question positively, the lake will overflow its banks and flood the city. Fortunately, there is always at least one unfinished building in Tallinn ...

Irina Shlionskaya

Tallinn is a city with a thousand-year history, shrouded in many mystical stories and legends. Although the stories passed down through the centuries by word of mouth contain only a grain of truth, they invariably arouse interest and help to recreate the past times and mores in the imagination. Wait until dark and go for a walk through the streets of medieval Tallinn. I will tell you about the most mysterious places Old Town and tell about the tragic love story of Barbara von Tiesenhausen, whose image still appears in their ancestral mansion in Vyshgorod.

Mysterious places of the Old Town

When arriving in Tallinn for the first time, many notice that time is outside the walls. medieval town as if it had stopped and even the air is permeated with history. With viewing platforms magnificent views of the spiers of cathedrals and the City Hall, tiled roofs of houses with chimneys open up.

The 124-meter spire of the tower of the Church of St. Olaf (Oleviste) pierces the low leaden sky above the city. A well-known legend is connected with the construction of this cathedral, explaining why the cross on the steeple of the Oleviste church was installed crookedly.

The towers of the fortress wall also have something to tell. They say that the Maiden's Tower is so inhabited by ghosts that the prisoners (girls of easy virtue) once contained in it begged to be transferred to another place. Take a closer look at the weather vane Old Toomas, the symbol and loyal guardian of the city also keeps its history.

Let's go down and reach Rataskaevu street. There is a beautiful well on it, captured in many films. The "Cat's Well" has been closed and has not been used since the 19th century; according to legend, a mermaid lived in it and spoiled the water. To appease her, the townspeople sacrificed cats. As you might guess, the water in the well did not get any better from this, and even less the energy of this place did not improve.

On the outskirts of the Lower Town, you can see the house where in the Middle Ages lived a city executioner who had an unusual romantic privilege. In the Upper City, the ghosts also have something to tell about themselves. One of the mansions has become infamous, in which the image of a young woman appears, frightening men half to death. Ask your guide and he will tell you about the chilling story of the leather merchant commander Pontus de la Hardy.

The Legend of Barbara von Tiesenhausen

I will tell you not so well-known, but based on real facts, the story of the noblewoman Barbara von Tiesenhausen. The events took place outside Tallinn, in the Porkuni castle, in Tallinn there is a mansion that belonged to the Tiesenhausen family.

It happened in the 16th century, legend testifies to how great the barriers between estates were in ancient times. Barbara was the younger sister of a wealthy, large Tiesenhausen family. The girl grew up modest and beautiful, taught poor children to read and write and was very different from her brothers Jurgen, Reinhold and Bartholomeus, who boast of their rank and pedigree.

Somehow a new guest appeared in the house of the Tiesenhausen barons - the writer Franz Bonnius. The young man attracted Barbara's attention with his kindness, generosity and spontaneity. Barbara and Franz began to spend a lot of time together and soon realized that they were in love with each other. They did not manage to hide their feelings for long.

Having learned about the love of Barbara and the rootless Franz, the brothers were angry, because such an alliance was considered a misalliance. The laws of that time stated that if a girl of high birth marries a person of a lower position, then she and her loved ones will be condemned and lose their status and wealth.

Barbara and Franz decide to run, but they did not manage to get far from the brothers rushing after them. At that moment, when Franz went to change horses, the pursuers overtook Barbara. The girl decided to save her beloved and said that the groom left her and ran away. Barbara was returned home. Since she did not renounce her love for Franz, the brothers decided to punish their sister severely. According to the verdict of the family court, 20-year-old Barbara was drowned in the icy water of Lake Porkuni. Since then, the spirit of the poor girl appears in the mansion, family owned Tiesenhausen is in Vyshgorod and is looking for his beloved.

In 1969, this legend inspired the Estonian composer Eduard Tubin and the writer Jaan Kross to create the opera of the same name, Barbara von Tiesenhausen.

I invite you on a tour. Wandering through the streets of the Old City, you will learn its history and secrets and decide for yourself what is true and what is fiction in them.