In Tallinn's Kopli district stands the Bekker water tower, built over a century ago to serve a Tsarist-era shipyard. ETV's "Ringvaade" explored the history of the tower in a recent episode.

"This is the tallest water tower in Estonia, taller than the Kõpu lighthouse. The Bekker water tower. The water tower of the former Bekker shipyard," said Mihkel Reile, who leads Matkafy lantern-lit walking tours.

Reile said the tower was completed in 1914, when Russia was preparing for World War I and began constructing the massive Peter the Great Naval Fortress in Tallinn.

Foreign funding was used to establish the new shipyards. "Three of them were built in Tallinn: the Russo-Baltic, Bekker, and what is perhaps the best-known today, the Noblessner shipyard. At the end of the Tsarist era, we could practically call Tallinn the shipbuilding capital of Europe," he said.

As the Bekker shipyard was located outside the city at the time, a residential area had to be built as well. "People could not commute here from the city, they had to live here, which meant the entire living environment had to be established," Reile explained. Still, the enterprise turned out to be unsuccessful. "The Bekker shipyard only ever built three ships."

The role of the water tower was to provide pressure for the water supply so that pumps would not need to run around the clock. "That thick upper part of the tower is actually a water tank. And because it widens at the top, locals in Kopli have long referred to the tower as the 'Fist of Kopli,'" Reile noted.

The tower was still operational in the 1990s.

Architecturally, the Bekker water tower is considered one of the most striking reinforced concrete buildings of the early 20th century, comparable to the seaplane hangars, Reile said. "It's also regarded as one of the most impressive buildings in Kopli."

After Estonia regained independence, the tower became private property. "In the year 2000, the tower was privatized, and the owner had plans to turn it into a residence, but that plan stalled," the guide recalled.

However, several years later, something strange happened.

"In 2004, according to neighbors, several vans arrived one morning with trailers in tow, carrying a whole crew of diligent construction workers. The door was opened, and a buzzing, rumbling sound began. Neighbors asked what was going on, and of course, the hardworking builders cheerfully explained that renovations were starting in the tower and that the old junk needed to be cleared out first. It was a very efficient crew. They worked long days. The only problem was that the owner had absolutely no connection to the construction crew," Reile said.

You can watch the Estonian broadcast here to see what the water tower looks like inside.

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