Estonia's old lighthouses are as popular among visitors as old manor houses. Although they do not serve as big a purpose as they once did in maritime affairs, they do have an important significance in Estonian history.

The importance of the Keri Lighthouse – situated on a tiny 400-meter-long and 100-meter-wide island close to Viimsi – has been known for 401 years since it first lit up the darkness for sailors.

"When boats come too close, it proves dangerous with its reefs and limestone ridges. It was marked for the first time in one of Dutch's cartographer's maps that shows the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland. It originates from the year 1623," said the Maritime Museum director Urmas Dresen.

"On August 1, 1824, the light first began to flicker. We can talk about the tower as such after the Crimean War, i.e. 1857-1858, it was already similar to something we can see today," he said.

The heritage-protected house is also special for its grand spiral staircase. It was created by Tsar Peter I's Scottish architect Charles Cameron.

Keri Island was inhabited until 2022 when the last living island keeper passed away.

Although no one has permanently lived on Keri Island for decades, the restoration of the lighthouse was completed and life is being preserved in the other buildings as much as possible.

The Keri Society volunteers work long hours on the island to bring the old buildings back to life. They are funded by donations.

"It is saddening to see how the roofs collect mold and things fall over and the windows get shattered. As it usually happens in abandoned places," said MTÜ Keri Society's board member Peep Rada.

On the island, there is an apartment building that was built in the middle of last century, now trying to work as a hotel, along with a sauna and culture house with a cinema where visitors have to bring movies themself. A voluntary island keeper keeps watch on the order of things, a profession that is wanted by many but achieved by few.

"It is a special place on its own. Plus, if you are the island keeper, then the whole island is practically yours. It is a feeling worth experiencing. To be on your own island," said Rada.

"The job task is to mainly reside on the island. The second task is to deal with the visitors, to show them around and tell stories about the island's history, and how things work around here. And of course, another task is to sell souvenirs. Toilet cleaning is also part of the island keeper's job," he added.

To get to the island, you need to find a sailor yourself because the average boatmen do not visit Keri. By the time you have reached Prangli, it should not be too difficult to find a boat.

The island is worth visiting because, besides being able to see hundreds of bird species, the lighthouse has just undergone a €1.5 million renovation. The money was collected by the Transport Administration after severe damage caused by the weather four years ago.

"The basic infrastructure was staying upright, but its long-term life was questionable," said the agency's Rando Sirak.

The renovations proved to be difficult.

"The first, second, and third complications were the battles with the sea. You can plan, but the sea will bring forth its complications. Sometimes the stormy, bad weather lasted longer and you did not have food or materials to bring to the workers. Then things got dragged on, forcing you to replan," said Siirak.

"After the reconstruction, you do not want to imagine how it was ever even built," he told Sunday's "Aktuaalne kaamera. Nadal".

Why renovate the old lighthouses when they are no longer needed for navigation?

"I want the historical lighthouses that are under protection to continue working. So they stay open for guests. Even though they do not do anything, they still warm the heart. And what can you do, they give support when other systems fail," Dresen said.

Nevertheless, the construction is not fully complete. The conservation building is waiting for the renovation of the lighthouse's wing side and the replacement of the tower's metal spire. But that will have to wait until the near future.

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