Gallery: Tallinn marks 82nd anniversary of Soviet March bombings
March 9 marks the 82nd anniversary of the Soviet Air Force's air raid on Tallinn, which killed over 500 residents and left 20,000 homeless. Flags will be flown at half-mast across the capital in remembrance.
In March 1944, the Soviet Air Force bombed Tallinn and other Estonian cities. On the evening of March 9 and the following night, two bombing raids were carried out on Tallinn, destroying a total of 1,549 buildings and damaging 3,350 more, including the Estonia Theatre and St. Nicholas Church.
The anniversary is a city-wide day of remembrance in Tallinn. Officials attended several official memorial ceremonies and lit candles on Harju tänav in the Old Town.
The Red Army's large-scale offensive against the German Wehrmacht to take back Estonia started on January 14, 1944 and reached the River Narva on February 1.
Some of the worst air raids took place in March 1944, when the Soviet Air Force launched a series of devastating raids on Estonian cities, including Narva-Jõesuu, Jõhvi, Tapa, Rakvere, Tallinn, Tartu and Pärnu.
In Tallinn, around 20,000 residents of the Estonian capital lost their homes, 554 Estonian citizens were killed, along with 50 German soldiers and 121 prisoners of war.
However, Narva suffered the most. Between March 6-8, tens of thousands of mines, shells and incendiary and explosive bombs were dropped, almost completely destroying the city.
On this day 82 years ago, Tallinn burned.
— MoD Estonia (@MoD_Estonia) March 9, 2026
Soviet bombers destroyed thousands of buildings, including the Estonian national Opera and many historic landmarks. Hundreds died and 20,000 people lost their homes.
We remember our history – and why it must always be defended. pic.twitter.com/vcjAuLSxaE
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Editor: Helen Wright
