War and destruction
· Vanalinn
March Bombing of St Nicholas’ Church
The March 1944 bombing set St Nicholas’ Church on fire and severely damaged its tower.
The air raid on Tallinn also struck St Nicholas’. Fire damaged parts of the medieval church, leaving it as a scarred shell for years. Some works of art were saved, but restoring the building took decades. Now used as a museum, it may seem timeless from the outside. Its surviving and reconstructed fabric nevertheless marks a sharp break in the city’s cultural history caused by war.
Practical information
Address: Niguliste 3
See the church at Niguliste 3 from outside and, if open, inside the museum. Look for information about its restoration.