22.08.2018 On 23 August, the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Totalitarian Regimes, a memorial for communism victims of Estonia will be opened in Maarjamäe, a subdistrict of Tallinn. From 18.00 onwards, we invite all people to come and see the memorial which is opening on the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.
“We are building the future of Estonia on the foundation of firm knowledge of where we come from and what we have been forced to endure in the name of freedom. I shall never tire of repeating that the memorial site opening tomorrow is dedicated to all those brave men and women whose lives were taken by the communist regime because they stood for the Estonian statehood and did not wish to bow before the occupiers,” said Urmas Reinsalu, Minister of Justice.
The memorial site for communism victims, established for the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, consists of two parts: the Journey and the Home Garden. The former is a corridor of memories, on the walls of which have been recorded the names of more than 22,000 persons who lost their lives; most of them died far from their home and their burial sites are largely unknown. This corridor symbolises the cruelty and inhumanity of the totalitarian regime. The peace and safety of the Home Garden is conveyed through a park with apple trees, and bees on the memorial wall facing the park.
The construction of the memorial was challenging but elapsed without larger setbacks, says Veiko Veskimäe, a board member of the construction companies Haart Ehitus and Verston Ehitus. “We have an honour of being a part of the establishment of such a symbolic and important structure. The construction of the memorial was technically complex and challenging, however, our dedicated team likes to embrace challenges. Such a result is only achievable if all parties – the client and supervisors, designer and constructor, the authors of the architectural design – are working together seamlessly and actively. We as the constructors would like to thank them all,” says Veskimäe.
Practical information:
• The memorial site is situated in Tallinn, next to the Maarjamäe castle park (Pirita tee 74). On the opening day, the memorial can be accessed only from the side facing Pirita tee.
• The memorial can be accessed from the city centre by taking the following buses: 1A, 5, 8, 34A, 38. Bus stop „Maarjamägi“. The memorial is located within 5-10 minute walk from the bus stop towards Pirita.
• We ask those with cars to park in Maarjamäe or other nearby parking lots. A limited number of parking spots is located in immediate vicinity of the memorial entrance on Pirita tee and Kose tee.
• Visitors with a physical disability can access the memorial through Kose tee, as well as park their car there. From Pirita tee, turn to Kose tee, and then turn right before the “Saare” bus stop, towards the FC Levadia sport facility.
The memorial for communism victims of Estonia was ordered by the Ministry of Justice, and it is managed by Riigi Kinnisvara AS. The consortium who established the memorial includes Haart Ehitus OÜ, Verston Ehitus OÜ and GRK Infra AS.
Construction in numbers:
• 45,000 m3 of soil was dug out
• 3,000 m3 of concrete was used to construct the memorial
• 500,000 kg of metal plates were used
• 170 apple trees were planted
• 28,000 3D-printed bees were used