Tallinn features many fascinating museums and exhibits describing life during Soviet times. One such place is Battery Prison (Patarei vangla) located on Tallinn’s waterfront.

This complex dates to the 1830s when Tsarist Russia commenced construction on what would be a sea fortress. When Estonia gained its first independence in 1918 it was turned into a prison. From 1944 to 1991, it was used by Soviet authorities as a place to detain and house political enemies. Those who survived their initial detention were often sentenced to several years of hard labor in the Soviet far east. For many, Siberia was their final destination.

Patarei was closed in 2002. At various times thereafter portions of this vast complex were opened for public viewing. It wasn’t until 2019 that it re-opened as an exhibition featuring a visceral cautionary tale about the horrors of communist rule.

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