Tallinn commissions audit to assess Maarjamäe obelisk
The City of Tallinn has commissioned an audit to assess the condition and safety of the obelisk at the Maarjamäe Memorial. The results will determine what work is needed to preserve the structure and if emergency repairs are needed.
The initial work has already started and the whole process is expected to take three months, until early 2026.
Kadri Karnau, communications specialist at Tallinn's Environment and Public Utilities Department, said the assessment is not about demolishing or reconstructing the obelisk, but rather evaluating its technical condition.
A 2016 audit found the obelisk to be in poor condition and said that being near it could be dangerous due to the risk of limestone panels falling.
The new study is a continuation of a University of Tartu ground-penetrating radar survey from 2023, which identified the location of the service hatch leading under the obelisk.
The Maarjamäe Memorial complex stands on Pirita tee between the Lasnamäe plateau and Tallinn Bay. It was erected in dedication to those who had fallen defending the Soviet Union.
The obelisk, a historical monument originally built in 1960, belongs to the City of Tallinn. The land under it is owned by the state.
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