Gallery: Christmas tree lights illuminate Tallinn's Niguliste Museum
Christmas tree lights at the St Nicholas Church in Tallinn's Old Town were ceremonially switched on Sunday, to mark the start of Advent.
Dating back to the later Medieval period, the St. Nicholas Church (Niguliste kirik) now serves as a museum and is not consecrated. It is home to many religious artifacts, most famously the Danse Macabre Fresco by the Lübeck master Bernt Notke (1440–1509).
The El Greco exhibition from Spain's gothic Toledo Cathedral opened earlier this month.
The Christmas tree was decorated in cooperation with the interior design company Shishi, while the Tallinna Prantsuse Lütseumi high school choir sang at the opening, accompanied by the organ.
More music follows this afternoon, courtesy of the Avis Animi chamber choir and soloists performing "Adventus Domini."
The refurbished tower is closed Sunday, due to the exceptionally large number of guests, as is the second floor of the Little Chapel and the temporary exhibition "Divines Toletana. Toledo katedraali aarded keskajast El Greconi." A maximum of 280 visitors are permitted to be inside the museum at any one time.
The Niguliste Museum remains open until 5:00 p.m. Sunday.
The church tower reopened after refurbishment, with new features including an elevator and viewing platform.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Mari Peegel
