KGB Prison Cells

In the heart of the Old Town at Pagari 1 lies the former KGB headquarters in Tallinn. The building has long been a symbol of the former Soviet oppression in Estonia. For thousands of Estonians, the course of suffering began from this place. 

In 1941, Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (ESSR) Commissariat for Internal Affairs established the prison cells in the cellar of the building at Pagari 1.

In the basement, suspected enemies of the state were imprisoned and interrogated before they were either shot or sent to labor camps in Siberia. The bricked-up basement windows were intended to mute the sounds of the interrogations and torturing. Although the detention centre was used only until 1950, the action taken between the walls lives in the memories to this day.

The prison cells at Pagari Street stand as silent and intimate witnesses, telling the stories of atrocious violations of human rights and the crimes of inhumane regimes.