 Patarei Prison | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 59°27′01″N 24°44′30″E / 59.45027°N 24.74175°E |
|---|---|
Patarei Prison (Estonian: Patarei vangla), also known as Patarei Sea Fortress and Tallinn Central Prison (Tallinna Keskvangla), commonly known as The Battery (Patarei), is a building complex in Kalamaja district of Tallinn, Estonia. The premises cover approximately four hectares of a former sea fortress and prison, located on the shore of Tallinn Bay.[1]
The fort was built from 1830–1837 as part of the fortifications for the tsarist Russian state. The building order was given by emperor Nicholas I. In 1864, Tallinn was removed from Russian Empire’s list of fortresses due to Russia’s defeat in the Crimean War, and the fort was converted into barracks.
The Republic of Estonia, which declared independence in 1918, reconstructed it as a prison after World War I. In 1919, the fort's main function became a prison, lasting until 2005.
For Estonians, Patarei is one of the most prominent symbols of Soviet and Nazi political terror.[2]
In 2018, the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory launched preparations to establish a museum of crimes of communism and an accompanying international research centre in Tallinn. The museum is planned to an approximately 5,000 square meter area in the eastern part of the building and is scheduled to open in 2026.[3]