The historic Tartu Cathedral has stood in partial ruins for centuries, yet the idea of restoring the building keeps resurfacing. Due to a lack of funds, several visions for the church's restoration have remained unrealized.

Italian architect Monica Marchetti's vision aims to recreate the church's former vaults with glass-steel constructions. Although the proposal reached the city government, no further steps have been taken.

Indrek Alberg, a Tartu Cathedral restoration enthusiast, said the restored cathedral would certainly hold greater appeal for tourists visiting Tartu.

On the other hand, the idea of ​​restoring the cathedral elicits mixed reactions in Tartu. Some cannot picture what it would look like, while others feel there is no need for restoration.

Head of the University of Tartu's real estate department Heiki Pagel said restoring the cathedral is currently more of a dream.

However, he also noted: "It cannot be guaranteed that nothing will fall down during extreme weather conditions, such as thunderstorms or torrential rain. So, it is clear that something needs to be done here in the future." 

The university alone cannot halt the deterioration of the exposed structures.

"First of all, it is extremely expensive. Even if we are talking only about the most basic preservation work, we are still looking at millions upon millions of euros," said Pagel. 

"The University of Tartu's 400th anniversary is approaching in 2032, and discussions are currently underway within the university regarding what to do with various sites. The cathedral is one of them."

Future steps depend on whether the university, the city, and the state find common ground and funding to carry out the project.

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