A memorial plaque (left) reads: "This building housed the headquarters of the organ of repression of the Soviet occupational power. Here began the road to suffering for thousands of Estonians." Note the bricked-up basement windows to mute the sounds from the interrogations.
This is the building where "enemies of the state" were interrogated and tortured and then afterward executed or sent to the Soviet Gulag camps.
The spire of the nearby Oleviste (St Olaf's) Church was used by KGB as a radio surveillance station. This church is Tallinn's biggest medieval structure and took its name from the sainted Norwegian king Olav II Haraldsson. I read somewhere that it was once the tallest building in the world. The church was first mentioned in 1267. It became one of the main churches in the Lower Town and formed its own congregation, which at first mostly comprised Scandinavian merchants and craftsmen and few Estonians. Lightning is known to have struck the tower of the church around ten times; three of which led to extensive fires. Apparently you can make the difficult climb of 232 steps to the top and get some great views of the city. Here's the legend of the Church's name. A mysterious stranger was hired to build the church in exchange for ten barrels of gold. The town hall couldn't afford it, so the craftsman said he'd do it for free if the townspeople discovered his name. After a while, when the church was almost finished, they found out his name (I don't know how. A convoluted story likely?!) One day he was was up doing the spire and someone shouted: "Look Olev, the cross is leaning to one side." He was so surprised to hear his name, that he fell off. And then - as if that wasn't bad enough - when he hit the ground, a toad and a snake leaped out of his mouth. Sheesh. I don't know if that's good or bad. Anyhow - there you have it. The story of St. Olaf's Church.
