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Tallinn's Soviet Legacy
Estonia was first occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, then by Nazi Germany in 1941, and again by the Soviets in 1944. The country remained occupied, forcibly integrated into the USSR, from the end of the war until the country regained its independence in 1991. During that time Soviet rule left indelible marks on Tallinn’s landscape which today serve as reminders of the powerful regime that once exercised tight control over every aspect of life in Estonia. They’re also fascinating places to visit for foreign guests interested in that chapter of the world’s history.
Note that visitors willing to invest the time travel outside Tallinn can see some fascinating remains of Soviet military bases in Naissaar, an island 8.5 km off the coast, and in the port town of Paldiski, 49 km from the capital.  KGB HeadquartersIt’s safe to say that this ominous-looking building with bricked-up basement windows was once the single most feared place in the city. It was here at the headquarters of the NKVD (later renamed the KBG) that perceived enemies of the state were interrogated and then either shot or sent to Siberian work camps...
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 Tallinn TV Tower
Closed from November 26th 2007.
The 314-meter-high TV Tower was built for the 1980 Olympic Games. It is an impressive example of Soviet engineering.
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 Maarjamäe War Memorial
During the 60s and 70s a grandiose, sprawling World War II memorial was created in virtually every Soviet city. Tallinn’swar memorial complex is located on the coast, along thehighway that leads to Pirita Beach. The four-sided spire wasput up in 1960 as a memorial to Russians who died in 1918...
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 Museum of Occupation and of Fight for Freedom
Opened in summer 2003, this modern museum is the first in the nation dedicated to the 1939 - 1991 time period, during which Estonia was occupied briefly by the Germans, and for a longer time by the Soviet Union...
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 Architecture
The Song Grounds in Kadriorg, completed in 1960, was considered an achievement in Modernism. Ironically, song festivals held here in the 1980s became an important part of Estonia’s independence movement...
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