Lai 50
Tel. 641 2241
Bus: 3
Trolley: 1, 2
Open: Apr-
Oct: 10am- 6pm daily
www.oleviste.ee
Original Saint Olav's Church was constructed in the 12th century and dedicated to Saint Olaf (995-1030). It was extensively reconstructed in the 14th century and again in the 15th century. Antenna spire that is clearly visible from many corners of the city originally reached a height of 159 meters when it was constructed in 1590. However it was hit by a lighting several times resulting in decreased height of current 124 m (406 ft). During Soviet rule between 1944 and 1991 the Soviet KGB used the spire as a radio tower and surveillance point.
The Oleviste church building has been preserved from the reconstructions of the 15th and early 16th centuries, the church was also rebuilt after a fire caused by lightning in 1625 and 1820, as a result of which the church lost its spire. The spire, which was destroyed in the fire of 1820, was restored in 1840, and at the same time the interior of the church in neo-Gothic style was completed.
The altar of the church was made by Friedrich von Maydell and Johann Exner in 1835, the altar painting by Wilhelm von Kügelgen in 1834.
The church houses the St. Mary's (Breemen) chapel, which was completed in 1521, by Bernt Wolf, Gert Koningk, the chapel is located on the south side of the choir on the side of Pika street, and the cenotaph of the merchant Hans Pawels is located on the outer wall of the chapel.
12-13 century
The church was named after
the King of Norway, St. Olav. The church was first mentioned in 1267,
when Margrete Sambor, the mother of the Danish king Erik V Klipping,
donated the right of patronage over the Oleviste Church and its
congregation to St. Michael's Monastery in Tallinn. Although there is no
archaeological evidence to confirm this assumption, it is likely that
the predecessor of the church could have been located in the same place
already in the 12th century, when a trade yard and a settlement of
Scandinavian merchants had appeared in this place. There is no
information about the construction method, architecture and exact
location of the church at that time.
14.-15. century
At the
beginning of the 14th century, the construction of a new church began,
which was completed in 1330. In 1364, the bell tower was completed,
which was lower than now and was located outside the church. In the 15th
century, the church acquired the size and shape that has been generally
preserved to this day. At the beginning of the century, a new choir room
was built. After the great fire of May 11, 1433, in which the church was
badly damaged, it was decided to build a new nave. Its construction took
place between 1436 and 1450 and was led by Andreas Kulpesu. The old nave
and chapels were demolished, the building was built longer and wider,
and it reached its current size. The height of the central nave of the
three-aisled basilica was 31 meters (the highest in the Baltic States),
and the height of the stone part of the tower was 57 meters.
16th
century
The church was 115-125 meters high, together with the
Gothic-style spire, which was completed around 1500. The reason for the
construction of the high tower was probably its use as a navigational
marker. The church was surrounded by a cemetery, which was located above
the later Oleviste Street. The chapels of Mary, Olaus and Laurentius are
also mentioned in the documents. The successor of St. Mary's Chapel,
which was demolished during the 15th century reconstruction, was built
between 1513 and 1523. Although unfinished, it is one of the most
form-rich examples of preserved late Gothic architecture in Tallinn.
During the looting of pictures during the Lutheran Reformation on
September 15, 1524, all the most artistically valuable furnishings were
destroyed in the richly decorated church. The church was not damaged
externally.
Arguably, the Oleviste Church was the tallest
building in the world between 1549 and 1625. This opinion is based on an
inscription found in the church tower in 1778, according to which the
height of the church tower before the fire in 1625 was 84 fathoms.
However, it is not clear which arms are intended. In Rhine fathoms it
corresponds to 159, in Hamburg fathoms 161, in Russian fathoms even 179,
but in Tallinn fathoms 134 meters. This number is not proven by any
other source, and according to the available images, the tower of the
Oleviste Church has always been about the same height as it is today.
Also, for a tall tower, the stone portion would be disproportionately
low.
17th century
In 1602, a sundial was built on one of the
pillars of St. Mary's Chapel, which is the oldest preserved sundial in
Estonia.
On the night of May 29, 1625, the bell tower of the
church was set on fire. The tower, church bells and all furnishings were
destroyed. Only the walls remained. The church was quickly restored, and
the doors were opened for worship three years later. The new bell tower
was completed in 1651, it was built 135 meters high. Also in 1693, 1698,
1700, 1707, 1719 and 1736 damage to the tower and smaller fires due to
lightning strikes are recorded.
19th century
The next more
serious fire took place in the church on the night of June 16, 1820
(vkj), when a pikne set fire to one of the corner towers. Due to the
decision of the authorities to evacuate the surrounding houses instead
of saving the church, the fire was not put out promptly and the fire
spread to other corner towers and the main tower. The fire lasted for
four hours and completely destroyed the interior of the church, damaging
the tombstones and even the stone pillars. Fortunately, the church's
library was preserved, which was hidden in the vault under the sacristy.
This time the restoration took 20 years and was also supported by
the Russian emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I. The restoration of the
church cost more than 500,000 rubles. Neo-Gothic elements were added to
the exterior, ovens were built in the church, the tower was restored to
its current height of 123.7 m, and the helmet was covered with copper.
The church was reopened on June 16, 1840.
20th century
In
1925, the remains of those who were buried were found buried near the
church tower, removed during the rebuilding of the church floor, which
were reburied in the Rahumäe cemetery.
On July 27, 1931, the
tower caught fire again due to a lightning strike. The fire was
extinguished and the tower was restored according to the original plans.
In September 1950, the church was given to the Tallinn Oleviste
Congregation of Baptists (Baptist Karl Kaups had preached there for the
first time in 1930). On September 17, 1950, eight congregations gathered
in the Oleviste Church, from whom the Estonian SSR authorities had
alienated the property of the congregation, offering them only one joint
meeting place in the Oleviste Church. The eight congregations were:
Immanuel Gospel Christian Free Church (parish elder Johannes Laks), Elim
Pentecostal Church (Voldemar Nurk), Allika Baptist Church (Osvald Tärk),
Saaroni Baptist Church (Albert Sergo), Carmel Gospel Christian Free
Church (Oskar Olvik), Zion Gospel Christian Free Church (Artur Tuisk),
Priikogudus (Joosep Leisberg), Iru Bethania Baptist Congregation. In
1954, an extensive interior renovation took place in the building.
21st century
The restoration of the church was started in 2002 as
part of the Tallinn Church Renaissance program. The construction of the
west tower was strengthened, and the stone part of the tower and the
west facade were restored in 2003, the roofs were restored in 2004-2009,
and the south facade in 2006. In 2009, the restoration of the church
stopped for almost ten years due to the economic crisis, but continued
in 2018. In 2018-2020, the south chapel and again the west tower and
west facades were restored.
Allegedly, nowadays, when new high-rise buildings are being built in Tallinn, the Tallinn City Government has decreed that they should not be higher than the current height of the Oleviste Church - 123.7 meters above the ground. In fact, it is an urban legend, because such a regulation is not found in the Tallinn City Planning Board. It is also an urban legend that the KGB surveillance equipment and room were located inside the egg at the top of the spire during the Soviet occupation.
Russia's 2016 5-ruble metal coin, which was
issued as part of the series "Capitals of the countries liberated from
the German fascist usurpers by the Soviet forces", shows, in addition to
the bronze soldier, the outlines of the tower of the Tallinn City Wall
and the Oleviste Church.
At the end of the 13th episode of the 6th
season of the American political sitcom "Parks And Recreation", the
background of the city of Pawnee is shown, with an image of a church
processed in the middle, the appearance of which exactly matches the
appearance of the Oleviste Church in Tallinn.